hey I just became a flight instructor

Yossarian

Lifer
Dec 26, 2000
18,010
1
81
I don't post here much anymore but I thought I would share this in case anyone has questions about learning to fly. I just got my flight instructor certification for single-engine airplanes.

I spent the last month training at Santa Monica airport, at a school called American Flyers. It was 11-12 hours a day, every day for 30 days straight. It was pretty intense. About 4 hours per day were spent with an instructor, getting "how to" tips and practice teaching, getting critiqued, etc. The rest of the time my class of 3 wrote lesson plans, studied, practice taught each other, worked in the simulators, and flew (about 3 times per week).

I just passed my flight test yesterday afternoon so I'm pretty happy. I took a month off work for this and I'm glad it's finally over. I will start working part time on weekends for a local flight school, while keeping my "day job" during the week.

They say the flight instructor certificate is the hardest to get out of all the pilot licenses. The national pass rate on the first attempt is 20%, pretty crazy. But the school I went to has "cracked the code" so to speak on how to train people--12 out of the last 12 have passed on the first attempt.

So now I'm certified to teach someone from knowing nothing about flying up through the commercial pilot level, including instrument (flying in clouds). If you have questions about the process of getting a pilot's license, cost, etc., please ask either here or via PM.


***UPDATE 6/19***
I got two job offers yesterday and accepted one this evening. So starting Saturday I'll be instructing in SoCal. My first student is at 4pm, yikes!! The pay is actually pretty decent.
 

Yossarian

Lifer
Dec 26, 2000
18,010
1
81
Originally posted by: Sawyer
Why don't you just become as pilot as your main job?

Because flight instructor pay sucks It's like $14 an hour, no benefits, and you only get paid for the hours you're actually with a student.
 

SAWYER

Lifer
Apr 27, 2000
16,745
42
91
No I mean a pilot for an airline or commercial or something. What do crop dusters make? I see those planes spraying fields all the time but it seems I hear abut them crashing every year or so around here.
 

Flammable

Platinum Member
Mar 3, 2007
2,604
1
76
Originally posted by: Sawyer
No I mean a pilot for an airline or commercial or something. What do crop dusters make? I see those planes spraying fields all the time but it seems I hear abut them crashing every year or so around here.

going through as an instructor to probably pay for his ATP cert.
 

Yossarian

Lifer
Dec 26, 2000
18,010
1
81
Originally posted by: Sawyer
No I mean a pilot for an airline or commercial or something. What do crop dusters make? I see those planes spraying fields all the time but it seems I hear abut them crashing every year or so around here.

I still need a multi-engine commercial license for that, plus lots of multi-engine flight time, which is $$$. Corporate aviation would be pretty cool. The guy I did the final exam with is a Gulfstream business jet captain for Toyota.

I don't know anything about crop dusting other than it's pretty dangerous, which you would expect with all the low-altitude maneuvering.
 

GagHalfrunt

Lifer
Apr 19, 2001
25,297
2,001
126
Is anyone able to get a job as a pilot nowadays? With the industry downsizing and a steady supply of ex-military pilots with tons of experience it's got to be almost impossible for a new pilot to find a paying gig.
 

jlee

Lifer
Sep 12, 2001
48,513
221
106
Congratulations! My dad was working on his IFR..not sure if he's got it yet or not.
 

abracadabra1

Diamond Member
Nov 18, 1999
3,879
1
0
I'm curious about the civilian side of aviation. How many hours do you have? What aircraft did you use during your training? What are the requirements for the training (i.e. specific graded maneuvers)? How long have you been flying?
 

ItTheCow

Senior member
Apr 7, 2002
365
0
0
Originally posted by: Yossarian
If you have questions about the process of getting a pilot's license, cost, etc., please ask either here or via PM.

How much does a sport license typically cost, and do you have to fly a certain amount of hours every year in order to keep it valid?
 

dmcowen674

No Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
54,894
47
91
www.alienbabeltech.com
Originally posted by: Yossarian
I don't post here much anymore but I thought I would share this in case anyone has questions about learning to fly.

So now I'm certified to teach someone from knowing nothing about flying up through the commercial pilot level, including instrument (flying in clouds).

If you have questions about the process of getting a pilot's license, cost, etc., please ask either here or via PM.

Nice, congrats.

A shame it is pretty cost prohibitive to fly in this day and age.
 

thecrecarc

Diamond Member
Aug 17, 2004
3,364
3
0
Now prepare to be drafted into service on an airplane. But don't worry, you only have to fly 22 missions till you get to go back home....
 

Fenixgoon

Lifer
Jun 30, 2003
31,812
10,346
136
stay indoors? houses only do so much good when you can divebomb the damn place

i think "invest in AA turrets" is more appropriate :laugh:
 

GagHalfrunt

Lifer
Apr 19, 2001
25,297
2,001
126
Originally posted by: thecrecarc
Now prepare to be drafted into service on an airplane. But don't worry, you only have to fly 22 missions till you get to go back home....

It's 25 missions, but then Colonel Cathcart arrives and it starts going up.
 

thecrecarc

Diamond Member
Aug 17, 2004
3,364
3
0
Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt
Originally posted by: thecrecarc
Now prepare to be drafted into service on an airplane. But don't worry, you only have to fly 22 missions till you get to go back home....

It's 25 missions, but then Colonel Cathcart arrives and it starts going up.

I changed it to 22 for a hint to the people who don't get it.
 

IEC

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Jun 10, 2004
14,362
5,029
136
Originally posted by: thecrecarc
Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt
Originally posted by: thecrecarc
Now prepare to be drafted into service on an airplane. But don't worry, you only have to fly 22 missions till you get to go back home....

It's 25 missions, but then Colonel Cathcart arrives and it starts going up.

I changed it to 22 for a hint to the people who don't get it.

As if the name Yossarian didn't give it away
 

GagHalfrunt

Lifer
Apr 19, 2001
25,297
2,001
126
Originally posted by: thecrecarc
Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt
Originally posted by: thecrecarc
Now prepare to be drafted into service on an airplane. But don't worry, you only have to fly 22 missions till you get to go back home....

It's 25 missions, but then Colonel Cathcart arrives and it starts going up.

I changed it to 22 for a hint to the people who don't get it.

Uh-Huh :roll:
 

Yossarian

Lifer
Dec 26, 2000
18,010
1
81
Originally posted by: abracadabra1
I'm curious about the civilian side of aviation. How many hours do you have? What aircraft did you use during your training? What are the requirements for the training (i.e. specific graded maneuvers)? How long have you been flying?

I have about 300 hours. I got my private pilot license in a Cessna 152, instrument rating in a Cessna 172, commercial in a Cessna 182RG, and CFI in a Cessna 172RG.

For a private pilot license, you need to have a minimum of 40 hours of flight time. Most take around 55 hours. Included in that time is at least 20 hours with an instructor and 10 hours solo. There are certain basic maneuvers you have to do to demonstrate proficiency. These are things like slow flight, steep turns, traffic patterns, etc.

I've been flying since 2002.
 

Yossarian

Lifer
Dec 26, 2000
18,010
1
81
Originally posted by: ItTheCow
Originally posted by: Yossarian
If you have questions about the process of getting a pilot's license, cost, etc., please ask either here or via PM.

How much does a sport license typically cost, and do you have to fly a certain amount of hours every year in order to keep it valid?

No clue what sport pilot costs, I don't know anyplace in the L.A. area that rents light sport aircraft. Not many aircraft fall into that category. It should become more popular within the next year or two as Cessna's 162 Skycatcher rolls out. You only need 20 hours of total time though, 15 of that with an instructor. I would guess around $5k.

Sport pilot privileges are somewhat limited in that you can only have one passenger, and you can't fly at night. And of course you can only fly light sport aircraft, which may limited in availability depending on your local flight school(s).

There is no yearly hours requirement. Every two years you need to do a flight review with an instructor, which just means demonstrating proficiency to make sure you aren't going to kill yourself. Unlike a private pilot, you don't need an aviation medical certificate--you only need a regular driver's license.
 
Aug 25, 2004
11,166
1
81
Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt
Originally posted by: thecrecarc
Now prepare to be drafted into service on an airplane. But don't worry, you only have to fly 22 missions till you get to go back home....

It's 25 missions, but then Colonel Cathcart arrives and it starts going up.

Wait... who was the guy obsessed with parades?
 

Cabages

Platinum Member
Jan 1, 2006
2,919
0
0
Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt
Is anyone able to get a job as a pilot nowadays? With the industry downsizing and a steady supply of ex-military pilots with tons of experience it's got to be almost impossible for a new pilot to find a paying gig.

I was wondering this too.

Im about a year into school, and with all the recent layoffs ive been thinking of changing my major to something else. Ive been told that the airlines require a degree, doesnt matter what its in.

And congrats. I cant imagine how much its cost you to get this far.
 
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