worried about cfi'ing

[turbomax97]

I'm really worried about getting hired @ ATP as an instructor once i graduate. You guys know anyone that didn't get hired by ATP and what they did instead? 350 TT isn't gonna land you a job anywhere from what I can tell.....

[GAPILOT]

Originally Posted by turbomax97

I'm really worried about getting hired @ ATP as an instructor once i graduate. You guys know anyone that didn't get hired by ATP and what they did instead? 350 TT isn't gonna land you a job anywhere from what I can tell.....

I went to ATP, but didn't really want to work for them if I could find another job. After i finished I went home and searched jetcareers like crazy. I had to move, but I found a job as a flight instructor in a week with 275TT and 130 multi. If you really want to go to the airlines I would try to get a job with ATP. Hang in there for 4 or 5 months and you will have a good chance at getting hired. Good luck.

Andy

[turbomax97]

Originally Posted by GAPILOT

I went to ATP, but didn't really want to work for them if I could find another job. After i finished I went home and searched jetcareers like crazy. I had to move, but I found a job as a flight instructor in a week with 275TT and 130 multi. If you really want to go to the airlines I would try to get a job with ATP. Hang in there for 4 or 5 months and you will have a good chance at getting hired. Good luck.

Andy

thanks for the input.... that's the one thing i'm worried about... hanging in there for 4 or 5 months may or may not be feasible - I'm already quitting my job and will have probably about 3-400/month allocated for personal expenses while I do the program..... That'll last me until about a month after finishing the atp acpp... after that.... raman noodles i guesss.

[FlyingNole]

I didn't want to work for them, I found a job at a flight school near my home in Ft. Lauderdale and I got a regional job just over 3 months later. However I did have 680/150 when I left ATP.

Ive only heard of a couple people not getting jobs that applied, but they busted a bunch of checkrides, and had some other issues.

[GAPILOT]

Originally Posted by turbomax97

thanks for the input.... that's the one thing i'm worried about... hanging in there for 4 or 5 months may or may not be feasible - I'm already quitting my job and will have probably about 3-400/month allocated for personal expenses while I do the program..... That'll last me until about a month after finishing the atp acpp... after that.... raman noodles i guesss.

Well they will provide housing and $800 a month. That's a good deal if you get a slow location, but if you're at a location like JAX or ATL you will work like crazy for that. Keep your eyes opened for other schools that may be looking for low time CFI's.

[Bwatz]

TurboMax, let me offer you some advice.. About 5 years ago I was in your shoes.. I went to a big name school and was always concerned about getting on there as an instructor.I constantly worried about it. Was nice inspite of all the BS that I went through. When it became my time to work there I really did not want to.I gave them the finger and left. Instead, I moved back to Atlanta and got a job 10 times better. My roomate decided to stay and wait it out.. He ended up waiting about 6 months until he could start instructing. Looking back, I never enjoyed flight school. I did not know how life was outside of that cheesy 141 school. If I were you just study your tail off, and keep an open mind. There are plenty of schools out there to work at. If you look around most of these guys are spending a year of less instructing. Thats nothing. Keep flying, studying and I promise you that instrucing jobs are not that hard to get. Don't worry about it and be flexible.

[FlyingNole]

Sounds like DCA to me

[Bwatz]

Negative. Spartan School of Aeronautics. (what a dump) It was the worst decision of my life. Lesson learned....

[turbomax97]

Thanks for the replies guys.... Just for future reference - any other places I should keep an eye on for potential cfi'ing?... There's several airports around me - I'm from Dallas, TX, but wanted to hear from y'all

[NYer914]

If you want to get to the Airlines or any other professional pilot job instruct with ATP...you don't have to hussle for students, scheduling throws them at you basically...no soloing students...lots of multi-time, pretty much all of you r time is multi-engine.

[Airdale]

Originally Posted by NYer914

If you want to get to the Airlines or any other professional pilot job instruct with ATP...you don't have to hussle for students, scheduling throws them at you basically...no soloing students...lots of multi-time, pretty much all of you r time is multi-engine.

Agree 100%. While it does get busy quite a bit with students, my logbook has been filling up FAST!! And the best part is its all multi time. Despite what you hear about working for ATP, its not bad at all. Sure the pay isn't great, but at the rate I'm acquiring hours, dude I'll be outta here fast. I love the Seminole and its fun flying it everyday. The only thing that really sucks is you don't get to fly much as an instructor. But I do squeeze a landing in there every once in awhile with my students permission.

I'm just waiting to move on up to the ATP location near home, thats the only thing thats killing me right now.

[CRJDriver]

I really wanted to work for ATP, and I was in contact with them for several months and was all ready to go, all I had to do is wait for a new-hire class and I was good. Then, I never heard back and when I called them they always told me to check back in a week or so for the next new-hire class. After a while it got really annoying, so I started to look for something else. I got lucky and found a job at a new FBO close to home. Yeah, I probably don't fly as much as I would at ATP, and yeah I don't get to fly a Seminole every day, however, I get paid more/hour than I would at ATP and I sometimes get to fly as a co-pilot on 135 Air Charter flights and get to fly the empty Part 91 legs in the King Air 200! ATP would have been great, but I'm pretty happy where I'm at right now. There are some other excellent flight schools/FBOs out there, and even if you only have 250 hrs or so, but if you have the right attitude and work hard, they are more than willing to give you a chance.

[Airdale]

Originally Posted by UND_Flyer

I I get paid more/hour than I would at ATP and I sometimes get to fly as a co-pilot on 135 Air Charter flights and get to fly the empty Part 91 legs in the King Air 200!

Now that is cool! I wouldn't mind doing that at all.

[casey]

Originally Posted by UND_Flyer

however, I get paid more/hour than I would at ATP and I sometimes get to fly as a co-pilot on 135 Air Charter flights and get to fly the empty Part 91 legs in the King Air 200!

ATP instructors dont get paid by the hour, they're salaried

on a serious note, do you have a part 135 SIC check and enough systems knowledge to answer questiosn about the kingair in an interview? If not i'd be weary about bringing a logbook with that stuff in it to an interview.

[CRJDriver]

Originally Posted by casey

ATP instructors dont get paid by the hour, they're salaried

I know ATP instructors are salaried As far as the Charter flying, I don't do it a whole lot, just once in a while if passengers request to have another pilot on board (King Air is a single pilot airplane), so they sometimes take CFI's along with them on the Part 135 legs and let us fly the empty/deadhead Part 91 legs. At the end of the year they usually pick one or two CFI's and send them to FlightSafety. I usually only go if I don't have any students that day. It's fun to ride along and get an insight into the charter/corporate world, plus you get to meet some great people along the way.

[Captain_Bob]

UND FLyer is a perfect example that there is life after ATP and that you don't need to work for ATP to succeed or be happy.

I've seen so many people try to put all there eggs in the "I gotta get hired by ATP" basket and not look at all their options. UND is most likely happier with his current gig... Great exposure to other areas of aviation as well!

350TT will get you hired... most newly minted CFI's across the country are right about that number or lower. Many of them don't have the multi-time or XC experience you get at ATP on their resume either... So you can certainly use that to your advantage.

I remember interviewing instructors for my Private... My Instructor at my little FBO in Maine had 330 hours and had recently graduated from the Pan-Am program in AZ. At the time... I remember thinking that he had TONS of hours... little did I realize that he was simply a newly minted CFI himself.

The jobs are out there if you are willing to look for them.

Bob

[GaTechKid]

Jobs are out there if you are flexible enough to move. I only had 220 hours when I started instructing and had several flight schools outside ATP interested in hiring me. ATP is not your only option and, depending on your circumstances, may not be your best option either.

[FlyingNole]

Originally Posted by Captain_Bob

UND FLyer is a perfect example that there is life after ATP and that you don't need to work for ATP to succeed or be happy.

I've seen so many people try to put all there eggs in the "I gotta get hired by ATP" basket and not look at all their options. UND is most likely happier with his current gig... Great exposure to other areas of aviation as well!

350TT will get you hired... most newly minted CFI's across the country are right about that number or lower. Many of them don't have the multi-time or XC experience you get at ATP on their resume either... So you can certainly use that to your advantage.

I remember interviewing instructors for my Private... My Instructor at my little FBO in Maine had 330 hours and had recently graduated from the Pan-Am program in AZ. At the time... I remember thinking that he had TONS of hours... little did I realize that he was simply a newly minted CFI himself.

The jobs are out there if you are willing to look for them.

Bob

HEY! ME TOO! I said "screw instructing for ATP." I worked for a local school, made waaay more money, set my own sched, and still got pretty good multi time every month. And now, Im at a regional...Aint to shabby since it only took 8 months from start to hire.

[FLpilot]

Originally Posted by casey

on a serious note, do you have a part 135 SIC check and enough systems knowledge to answer questiosn about the kingair in an interview? If not i'd be weary about bringing a logbook with that stuff in it to an interview.

Why would he need a 135 SIC check when he was only flying the part 91 legs? You can do that with a private (unpaid of course). Now if he logged the revenue legs as SIC, then he would have bogus time being it's a single pilot plane.

[casey]

Originally Posted by FLpilot

Why would he need a 135 SIC check when he was only flying the part 91 legs? You can do that with a private (unpaid of course). Now if he logged the revenue legs as SIC, then he would have bogus time being it's a single pilot plane.

If the part 91 legs are bing logged, no problem as long as hes appropriatly rated and can display some systems knowledge in an interview (which was my emphasis there).

As far as part 135, whether or not the plane is certified single or dual pilot, the 135 regs and company specific op-specs will determine whether or not the *operation* is single or dual pilot. If the regulations or op specs under which the flight is being conducted calls for two pilots, then he'd be fine logging SIC so long as he had the appropriate training to be acting as a SIC under 135.

[flyTotheSky]

What's the chance of ATP hirng you if you do the MEI through them? Or do they only have the career guys instruct?

What about choice of base?

[BobDDuck]

It depends on how badly they need instructors and what sort of impression you make on them in the time you are there. There have been a number of people who only did the CFI program or an Multi Add On and CFI.

As far as locations... You will go to the main office in JAX and answer the phones until a location you want opens and you can hold it by seniority (both in the office and other instructors out in the field wanting to move. Chances are you will end up taking on of the first ones that is offered to you. You can always move around later.

[flyTotheSky]

Thanks for the info Bob.

By the way, very cool website!