[Andrew Sinclair]

I gain a great deal of enjoyment from instrument instruction and hopefully put something back, mainly IR(R) and preparing IR(R) holders for their 10hrs ATO for the CB-IR training route to the EASA IR.

I hold an FI(A) + EASA IR + IRI but I haven’t passed CPL TK. A friend of mine simply enjoys MEP instructing and hasn’t passed CPL TK. In the winter I teach for the issue of night ratings as well. In terms of hours, I have logged several hundred instructing in IMC under IFR in the time I have been doing it. Maybe at some future stage I’ll attempt the CPL TK.

Not that this helps solve the lack of FI(A) for PPL mind you...just some other options for PPL holders and could be considered a small corner of the training market.

[Flintstone]

I also see those teaching and examining CPL and IR earning a reasonable living.

I may get back into instructing after all. Can't wait to be teaching aerodynamics again.

[Dave Phillips]

You forgot the lift fairies. (Who are probably having a right old laugh with the salary fairies).

[Flintstone]

You forgot the lift fairies. (Who are probably having a right old laugh with the salary fairies).

Can't find a lift fairy, will a transvestite in an elevator do?

[Irv Lee]

Exactly why I check the elevators in the walk round and just prior to take off

[jaycee58]

I've been a CRI for 4 years and as I've now given up the day job I'm keen to become an FI but the CPL TK requirement is the one thing that's stopping me. Exams don't bother me. I've done plenty of those throughout my life but I really don't want to take another 13 exams, most of which have very little relevance to teaching someone to fly a Cessna 150. Will I really be a better instructor thanks to my ability to do great circle navigation? Doubt it!

If the LAPL was more popular I'd probably be off to Andrewsfield to take the course ASAP but, again, I'm really reluctant to spend £6k or more only to find I don't have any students.

[jaycee58]

One more reason not to keep the FI rating current - I put all that effort in then someone comes along after 3 hours airborne CRI course and competes for a fair chunk of the available work.

Thinks - maybe I’ll downgrade to a CRI rating next time around.

I suppose this depends on how busy things are at your airfield. I get FI's phoning me asking if I can do SEP revals as they can't spare the time!

[GAFlyer4Fun]

...I hear loads of people tell me they’d “become an FI if it wasn’t for pointless ground exams” but invariably they are struggling to barely keep their PPL current due to life and time pressures. .

Out of curiosity, how many flying hours per year would a good FI course candidate be perceived to be flying by those flying schools that offer FI courses?

If there was a group of 5 FI wannabes and they had exclusive use of one aeroplane but could only fly weekends due to having to do a demanding Monday-Friday job to fund all their flying, the mortgage, travel/commuting costs and family living, and they were each given a pro rata allocation of booking slots, then by the time take a month away for maintenance on an ageing spamcan, that leaves an average of approx 18 calendar days each per year. They will lose a proportion of those due to weather and seasonal effects, perhaps temporary illness (colds/flu, exercise injuries, surgery etc), family commitments, holiday ....

Each might end up with as little as 10 calendar flying day opportunities in a whole year so I would not be surprised if a busy non-retired humble PPL only managed 10-30 flying hours per year, with maybe a quarter of that on currency check outs with an instructor.

i.e, there are significant available time constraints on an instructor wannabe even without comparing the costs of running an ageing spamcan v fuel sipping LAA type.

As has been said many times, relatively high houred PPLs do not necessarily have high standards for a variety of reasons including familiarity, complacency, confirmation bias, impatience, stuck in a rut, always doing the same short familiar trips, reliance on tech, overly distracted by tech, ...

It seems to be difficult to quantify the experience of a "good" wannabe FI which is probably why there is a course entry flight test.

[DavidC]

I took the CPL exams and the FI course over the past 9 months. I can testify that it's a considerable commitment. Being away from home a week at a time was perhaps the more awkward aspect - not the same as when away on business. The CPL theory course can be done at your own pace, but requires a lot of discipline when self-studying and is considerably more involved than the 7 CB-IR theory exams - much more than just double that the number of exams might indicate. I suspect the drop-out rate is quite high.

The recent change of question bank and the introduction/revision of questions has made it much more difficult. I particularly found Operations tough and the least relevant to a PPL FI since it covers commercial operations (stuff like duty hours when flying with augmented crew) that are simply not applicable to private aviation. By contrast, I've instructed ATPL theory students who don't know the Part-NCO rules appropriate to their PPL licence.

I've written up my CPL theory study and exam experience on my blog

[TopCat]

However to spend 6-9 months of CPL theory study, and £8-10k of hard cash on an FI course fee, just seems stupid to earn less than £20 per hour for flight time (= < £10/hr when you consider the pre / post flight briefing). How long would it take to break even ? Probably not in my lifetime.

I taught my OH at the time to land after three different instructors at Biggin had given up on her.

I'd love to teach people to fly. I love to fly, and I love to teach (science and maths to A Level), so what wouldn't be to like?

But there's no way I could find the investment.

[David Wood]

Obtaining and keeping an FI(A) rating is a big commitment. I love instructing and I find it very rewarding in many ways (but not financially rewarding in any way). The requirement for CPL theory is one of the ludicruous illogicalities of 'the system' (a bit like having 6 'sittings' for PPL exams) that bears no intellectual scrutiny whatsoever.

I have a CPL and I found the CPL theory quite interesting in a loosely academic sense. It does require a significant commitment of time and, to be truthful, a huge proportion of the knowledge gained is gloriously irrelevant to the business of teaching ab initio pilots to fly. Some of it is Nice to Know, but very little of it is Need to Know.

[Yakovlevs]

To confound the issue, it appears that there are fewer airline wannabes taking the self-improver route of building experience and hours by becoming FIs. The integrated, one-stop sausage factory route seems to be the most reliable way to gain first officer employment, meaning less are progressing along the modular route. Throw the likes of Wingly into the mix, which makes hour building a cheaper process, and I can foresee this FI pool quickly drying up.

Ultimately, the airlines need to get involved, providing an instructor workforce, much like the Cabair/KLM relationship of the 1990s. However, this would only provide more instructors at commercial schools, not flying clubs.

One other issue for prospective FIs is the lack of CPL TK courses on offer - most commercial schools now only offer ATPL TK.

The problem isn't going to improve anytime soon, I fear.

[Barcli]

As the Yak Boss says - it is has really become a victim of the wider " have it today " culture of the past 15 (?) years whereby the module route takes too long with little financial reward in comparison with the integrated 14 month course to the RHS.

Its the same culture which sees the brand new VW Polo ( other makes available) as the first car after passing the test - gone are the days of making do - fixing up an old car , selling it , putting in savings - buying better - doing it up etc etc

" I need it now "

[Cessna57]

Out of interest, if you do become a CRI, as in this months Flyer magazine.

What do you have to do to keep it?

[Genghis the Engineer]

Revalidate every three years with one of...

- 10 hrs instruction in the previous year, or
- A seminar, or
- A revalidating skill test.

With at least every 2nd revalidation being by test regardless.

G