Considering applying to FSI but wonder what it's now like to work for them? Interested in real pay, benefits information as the
job boards seem to vary a great deal.
This is general statements, not FSI specific, though they're informed also by people who have worked for FSI. I've looked into the job for post-mil retirement. Pay these days hovers in the mid-high XXs to low 1XXs for new hires, caps mid 1XXs before overtime. Mostly folks who lost medical or post-retirement type of thing. There are some who do it for lack of desire of the airline travel schedules (I would belong to that outlier demographic if I go that route, even though I can still hold a class I).
Schedules depend a LOT on the equipment in question, so not all shops are going to have the same outlook. Airline-affiliated programs run almost 24 hours and pay the higher end of the range, but makes the schedules rather random and more airline seniority feeling than the turboprop/VLJ training shops; certainly much less "banker hours" than usually advertised for a ground-only job. Classroom instructors pays less but has more pedestrian hours.
It's an honest job, and one of the few options people with instructor backgrounds can get paid closer to street parity, compared to disparity in flying-occupations compensation between major 121 and everybody else. I would say their pay is better than our equivalent job in the civilian DOD side, but our hours are better (no vampire sims, block times are only 3 hours, 3 gos a day.... ez bake oven work). Retirement is weak from where I sit, 401k with poor matching, DOD side we get FERS, though I recognize the irony of writing this in the middle of a govt shutdown where said workers are not getting a paycheck.
It's not for everyone; running consoles becomes mindless, though I haven't found it more tedious than flying crew, but that's my bias/prerogative. I do enjoy the instruction aspect of it, plus the lack of evaluation and medical sword of damocles. All that said, all but one of my sources have got itchy and bounced for higher paying flying jobs. The guy I spoke with who stayed just can't hold a medical.
I think it's a good option for instructors who don't want to terminal/hotel-schlep/commute. Similar to EMS jobs, if you can get lucky and find one where you want or can stand to live, it's a great niche for middle of the road money.
Welcome to POA btw.
