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Nik
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 16, 2010 - 10:43 pm: | 
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Enough training to allow me to earn any kind of money flying will run me at least $24,000, and that's at FAA minimums which are not realistic. To be able to train with an instrument rating I'm looking at $33,000, again, at FAA minimums. If I were to go through a local community college I'd be at $40k with a two-year degree, but it'd probably be easier to finance that.
I told you to stay away from pilot mills... Shiney jet syndrome makes them a lot of money.
Oh and the independent flight instructors I've flown with charge $30-$50/hr. Even that isn't super great when you consider they may only get to bill 4-6 hours in a full day of teaching. But as a side gig or for when they're otherwise retired? Not bad...
Also aviation jobs like a degree. It doesn't have to be aviation; in fact I've heard that it's better that it isn't. A general management degree would be fine.
There's other ways out of that particular hell. Don't pigeonhole yourself into thinking that flying is the only answer.
I do highly recommend getting your Pilots Cert though. It's one of the most challenging things you'll ever do, and everyone around you will know it too (How do you know there's a Pilot in the room..? He'll tell you.) It's good for life, and it looks great on a resume, even for positions outside of aviation. And who knows, maybe someday the timing will work out and you'll be able to make the jump into that perfect aviation job.
What airports are you looking at exactly? I find it hard to believe there's only one in your area with only pilot mills. |
Xl1200r
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 17, 2010 - 06:49 pm: |
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Nik, good info regarding CFI pay - I've actually looked around at some more "local" schools and see CFI time being split out from the aircraft rental for dual time and they're right around $40-50/hr, so it's likely the 'mill' near me is low compared to the rest. Their prices overall are a little less, but not by much.
I do already have a degree in Management and Technological Entrepreneurship. A bunch of fancy words, but it basically means I can run a team and have basic knowledge in starting a business and introducing new technologies/ideas to a marketplace. I even got Entrepreneurship Student of the Year when I graduated.
I don't think flying is the only answer, but, this will be the THIRD time I've given very serious consideration to making flying a part of my life. I was originally going to go to school for aviation out of high school and changed gears for something more creative. That didn't work out, and when I changed schools I thought about aviation again, but the industry was in a huge downturn and my father talked me out of it. Now here I am 9 years later or so, seriously looking into it yet again, although I never really completely let it go in the meantime. It's something that has always crossed my mind on a regular basis.
As far as airports/schools, the school is Richmor and they operate out of Schenectady County, Columbia County and Newburg airports. I did find two other schools that would be close enough to me in Mass (Lyons and Westfield), as well as a private guy who operates out of Columbia County. The "minimum time" prices have quite a bit of variance to them, but the expected costs of all are in the upper $9,000 range.
I'm leaning towards the private guy (after meeting him, of course), because he has a specific program fora Light Sport Pilot, which costs about half what a private license does, and the hours you earn are transferrable to a private. So it would be a way to get me flying sooner for fun, and then progress through private, commercial, instrument, CFI, etc if I decide it makes sense for me. He also says that his students take about 10 hours less than the national average to pass, and has only had one student fail ever. He's 2004 CFI of the year or something.
Anyways, I think the bottom line is that I'm going to flight for pleasure at a minimum with a sport pilot license, and just go from there as time and money allows. I've dicked around with this idea for too long and too many times to keep going through this. |
Xl1200r
| | Posted on Friday, November 19, 2010 - 09:49 am: |
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Some more looking has proved to find more schools in my general area, though I'm still most impressed with the small-time private guy who, as it turns out, runs a very small school with a couple of other instructors. I talked with him on the phone and just came away excited. You can tell he loves what he does and isn't interested in hiring CFIs who are just looking to build hours, but rather people who want to teach. I briefly explained my goals regarding the possibility of turning this into a profession and mentioned the dismal pay figure from the other school, and he gave a little scoff and informed that he hires instructors to start at $25/hour, and is actively working to change some FAA policies that would make teaching less of a stepping stone and more of a sustainable career choice, so we'll see. He freely admits that you'll never get rich doing it, but can surely live comfortably.
I'm feeling better about it. I'm waiting on some cash and he's waiting on a new airplane (the two he has aren't good for pvt training - mainly has them for instrument, complex and tailwheel endorsements.
Anyways, this is looking up and while it might take longer to make a full transition of my career (if I go that far), it seems it's all within possibility. |
46champ
| | Posted on Sunday, November 21, 2010 - 12:49 pm: |
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xl1200r I was just going to suggest that you find an independent fight school instead of a big part 141 school to learn. I have been an A&P for 31 years and a flight instructor for 29. Aviation has never been a pathway to riches except for a period of time from the late 50's tell a few years ago with the airlines, but I've always been employed the pay is not great but it isn't going down like other industries. You will find that an independent flight instructor will either be the best out there or the worst. Look around you will find what you need. Keep your existing job to pay for training and cover the bills and about the time you get all your ratings the economy should be turned around enough to be able to move into aviation as a full time job if you so desire. |
Swampy
| | Posted on Sunday, November 21, 2010 - 09:40 pm: |
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I have a friend that is an instructor. He started in automotive audio installations in the late 70's aquired a limo that the owner couldn't pay the bill on and got into the limo business, soon buses became part of the game, went scuba diving, loved it, became an instructor, bought a scuba shop ran it and sold it, started flying, bought a plane, became an instructor, bought a second plane, got a bunch of the ratings, started shooting sports, got the CCW, got trained for the sherrif department, works as a reserve in the marine division, all the while running the bus/limo company. Just sold the bus/limo company, bought a bistro with a liquor license. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention he did all this while going through 3 divorces, juggling 4 super hot girlfriends, buying a 40 ft boat on the big lakes, all the while keeping a house in Michigan and one in Florida in the Keys. He has probably 6 or 7 H-d(spit) motorcycles sitting in the garages.
Anyways, I told you that to tell you this, go for it, hell with paying the bills(the way my friend does it) |
Kuuud
| | Posted on Sunday, November 21, 2010 - 10:09 pm: |
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Mark Twain said something like (I'm quoting from memory here)
20 years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by those you did. So cast off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Dream, Explore. Discover.
(Message edited by kuuud on November 22, 2010) |
86129squids
| | Posted on Monday, November 22, 2010 - 01:40 am: |
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You're smarter than you look. |
Macdiver
| | Posted on Thursday, November 25, 2010 - 07:07 am: |
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Not truly flying related, but there is a book out called Shop Class as Soul Craft. It is written by a PhD who worked for a think tank but was bored with cubicle life. So he quit and opened an independent motorcycle repair shop. The reading is a little theoretical and tedious at times but it is a good book especially for those considering a career change. |
Albertwright
| | Posted on Monday, August 06, 2018 - 06:10 am: |
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I have a big dream that I can't fulfill for 7 years now. This summer I seriously started to implement it, so I have a lot of motivation. But the problem is that I'm still too lazy to learn additional materials and work to pay for study. I don't work, I'm procrastinating. Kick to work for me was the site https://top5resumewriting.services/. It would be foolish to continue to sit at home without work with such a good resume that they wrote for me. |
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