MEI situation???

[TXaviator]

anyone got insight into this?

I asked Al Johnson today what the status was, and myself, along with 19 other students do not currently have MEI's for this semester.

I am going to strongly resemble this emoticon if this prevents me from taking CFI in the spring.

[JaceTheAce]

Looks like UND is gonna have to start adding some incentives real quick here (like free MEI to current CFIs PLUS some sort of hiring bonus if you stay for an x amount of months).

[CAFFEINE]

Jeremy: Wait, you're in 325 this semester and you don't have an instructor yet??

Jace: I heard they did start some incentives this semester. Perhaps some of the current instructors will chime in with the details.

[stuckingfk]

If you have 350 contact hours for the semester they give you a $4 an hour raise for that semester. So that equals a $1400 bonus if you bust your butt. Not worth it in my opinion.

UND is one of the worst places to build time. You can make a decent paycheck but that is because of all the sim/briefing time. I think UND believes you can log briefing time but haven't been able to convince its CFIs of that. Thus, they're leaving in droves.

Also, student's that haven't graduated yet get the hourly rate for their course as long as they have 4+ students, ie no more $10.50 an hour for teaching 102, 323, etc.

[UAL747400]

Originally Posted by stuckingfk

If you have 350 contact hours for the semester they give you a $4 an hour raise for that semester. So that equals a $1400 bonus if you bust your butt. Not worth it in my opinion.

UND is one of the worst places to build time. You can make a decent paycheck but that is because of all the sim/briefing time. I think UND believes you can log briefing time but haven't been able to convince its CFIs of that. Thus, they're leaving in droves.

Also, student's that haven't graduated yet get the hourly rate for their course as long as they have 4+ students, ie no more $10.50 an hour for teaching 102, 323, etc.

Yep, kinda silly if you ask me. If they want to keep people around they're gonna have to change some things. I'm enjoying flight instructing thus far, but like most, I'm not planning to make a career out of it.(don't read that the wrong way) They're probably gonna have to hire more full timers and offer a competitive salary. Bad news for us students that want to instruct here before we leave, but better for the school. Large turnover rates with employees aren't good for any business.

Honestly, the only reason I'm even instructing here instead of somewhere else is because I haven't graduated yet and don't really have any plans of staying any longer. I feel kinda guilty saying that. Should I?

[BuickCFI]

Originally Posted by stuckingfk

If you have 350 contact hours for the semester they give you a $4 an hour raise for that semester. So that equals a $1400 bonus if you bust your butt. Not worth it in my opinion.

UND is one of the worst places to build time. You can make a decent paycheck but that is because of all the sim/briefing time. I think UND believes you can log briefing time but haven't been able to convince its CFIs of that. Thus, they're leaving in droves.

Also, student's that haven't graduated yet get the hourly rate for their course as long as they have 4+ students, ie no more $10.50 an hour for teaching 102, 323, etc.

i agree, but the paycheck is nice for those of us not in a hurry to get anywhere too quickly. next may will be a different story for me when my wife is done with school. as long as i meet 135 mins when i leave i don't really care, i am not in a hurry to get anywhere

although, i do have to say that the MEI situation at UND will only get worse as long as regionals are hiring with barely a CMEL ticket no one really has a reason to get it or build the time. I have my MEI because it is something i wanted, the Seminole if fun to fly too

[TXaviator]

Originally Posted by CAFFEINE

Jeremy: Wait, you're in 325 this semester and you don't have an instructor yet??

Jace: I heard they did start some incentives this semester. Perhaps some of the current instructors will chime in with the details.

thats correct. myself and 19 others. some students have done varying degrees of a few briefings/sims/flights, but 20 of us do not have instructors assigned to us.

this came from AJ as of today.

[BuickCFI]

hmm, thats wierd since crewlink shows only 3 people in 325 w/o instructors

[TXaviator]

Originally Posted by BuickCFI

hmm, thats wierd since crewlink shows only 3 people in 325 w/o instructors

only repeating what i was told when i inquired about getting an MEI. it was kinda like mumblemumbleairportmumble20studentsmumblemumble

haha! AJ is a nice guy, but man, so soft spoken, i have trouble hearing him in class a lot.

[AngelFuree]

Originally Posted by BuickCFI

hmm, thats wierd since crewlink shows only 3 people in 325 w/o instructors

Ditto, four students on crewlink.

[CAFFEINE]

If I didn't have an instructor and it was a month into the semester, I would be talking to somebody other than AJ about it. Isn't WAGE the course lead for 325? I would go see him.

[TXaviator]

Originally Posted by CAFFEINE

If I didn't have an instructor and it was a month into the semester, I would be talking to somebody other than AJ about it. Isn't WAGE the course lead for 325? I would go see him.

well the other issue that i didnt bother to make a fuss about here (because it is moot) is that financial aid decided they needed tax documents from me and such this semester.

i still have not received any financial aid.

id REALLY like for just ONE semester here to go 100% smoothly but I can see thats clearly not going to happen.

[stuckingfk]

Originally Posted by CAFFEINE

If I didn't have an instructor and it was a month into the semester, I would be talking to somebody other than AJ about it. Isn't WAGE the course lead for 325? I would go see him.

Kind of hard with current number of instructors at UND.

There is almost 0 incentive to become a MEI when airlines are picking up 300 hour wonders with a fresh multi ticket. Sure there are some don't want the airline world, but most at UND do. This will be a recurring problem as long as the regionals are hiring and UND does squat to curb attrition.

I think what they need to do is offer the MEI course in a one month timeline. The problem now is it takes too long, start MEI at the beginning of the semester and get to teach the next semester. Most leave within that timeline anyway. Turn it into a fast track program and offer incentives to stay around, ie $$$.

[airplanerik]

Originally Posted by stuckingfk

Kind of hard with current number of instructors at UND.

There is almost 0 incentive to become a MEI when airlines are picking up 300 hour wonders with a fresh multi ticket. Sure there are some don't want the airline world, but most at UND do. This will be a recurring problem as long as the regionals are hiring and UND does squat to curb attrition.

I think what they need to do is offer the MEI course in a one month timeline. The problem now is it takes too long, start MEI at the beginning of the semester and get to teach the next semester. Most leave within that timeline anyway. Turn it into a fast track program and offer incentives to stay around, ie $$$.

300 hour wonders?!?! Try 200 hour wonders!

[TXaviator]

Originally Posted by airplanerik

300 hour wonders?!?! Try 200 hour wonders!

200 and a pulse.

[TheShocker]

Originally Posted by TXaviator

anyone got insight into this?

I asked Al Johnson today what the status was, and myself, along with 19 other students do not currently have MEI's for this semester.

I am going to strongly resemble this emoticon if this prevents me from taking CFI in the spring.

And if you do get into CFI, you will have to do paired training because of the instructor shortage! Woo hoo!

[Farva]

The problem is that money is a driving factor but also the fact the most people here want to move on to the airlines for whatever reason they give. They cannot issue incentives because of some legality issues with giving away free flight time. Plus if they were to give out incentives then you would most likely sign a contract to stay for a few years. Now I am not saying that it doesnt suck for the people who are waiting on the list for a 325 instructor and 414 instructor but what can you do? We cant have non-CFI qualified instructors teaching intial CFI's. FAR and especially the Fargo FSDO clearly do not want us to do that even though it would be more practical. Even if we were to send a bunch of the line instructors to the MEI course it would take almost a semester since they need a DPE or the wonderful FAA Inspector/Examiner out of Fargo. It takes time and there are only a handful of people in the region to do this. So i know it sucks and jeremy I know finiancial aid is making a bunch of BS claims but you just gotta tough it out. Even though I am glad to have had my training here, I have many complaints about this place and all of there BS. Especially the parking office...I hate the nazis there.

-Farva

[CRJ700]

Doubling up on students for CFI, that is freaking lame. Sounds like they won't be fixing this problem anytime soon.

[MrLeisure757]

I hear they are hiring at 100 TT and a decent pulse.

[BuickCFI]

Originally Posted by CRJ700

Doubling up on students for CFI, that is freaking lame. Sounds like they won't be fixing this problem anytime soon.

actually the doubling up is good and bad. bad because each student doesn't get as much time practicing/learning, but good because they get to observe essentially when the other is teaching and they can both learn a lot from that

personally i don't like teaching the upper level courses (414, 415) for students who i know will only be around for a little while longer because they are just doing the courses to meet graduation requirements. they have no motivation to learn and make really crappy students

[XcalibeR]

Originally Posted by UAL747400

Honestly, the only reason I'm even instructing here instead of somewhere else is because I haven't graduated yet and don't really have any plans of staying any longer. I feel kinda guilty saying that. Should I?

No, I agree with you. Instructing here is great while you're a student. I've noticed already, though, that the 141 environment is pretty restrictive in what you can/can't do as an instructor. Not that it's bad on the whole, I don't think I could've gotten a better education anywhere else, but now that I'm instructing, I feel really restricted in what we can/can't do on a lesson. Personally, I'm planning on going the 135 route, but I imagine I'll do some part 61 instructing first. I'm looking forward to that!

[UAL747400]

Originally Posted by XcalibeR

No, I agree with you. Instructing here is great while you're a student. I've noticed already, though, that the 141 environment is pretty restrictive in what you can/can't do as an instructor. Not that it's bad on the whole, I don't think I could've gotten a better education anywhere else, but now that I'm instructing, I feel really restricted in what we can/can't do on a lesson. Personally, I'm planning on going the 135 route, but I imagine I'll do some part 61 instructing first. I'm looking forward to that!

I don't feel too restricted yet. Heck, for my 102, he had an instrument lesson and I got a block of airspace and took him in the clouds. So that was pretty fun. Longest stretch of actual I think I've ever had. haha

I know what you mean though. You have a set lesson sequence that you must follow, but at the same time you are allowed to repeat lessons at your leisure and I kinda like the structure. I've been in both 61 and 141 environments and there's certain things I like better about each.

[ChadW346]

Originally Posted by UAL747400

I don't feel too restricted yet. Heck, for my 102, he had an instrument lesson and I got a block of airspace and took him in the clouds. So that was pretty fun. Longest stretch of actual I think I've ever had. haha

That's pretty cool. I didn't know you could do that for the instrument stuff in 102.

[BuickCFI]

Originally Posted by XcalibeR

No, I agree with you. Instructing here is great while you're a student. I've noticed already, though, that the 141 environment is pretty restrictive in what you can/can't do as an instructor. Not that it's bad on the whole, I don't think I could've gotten a better education anywhere else, but now that I'm instructing, I feel really restricted in what we can/can't do on a lesson. Personally, I'm planning on going the 135 route, but I imagine I'll do some part 61 instructing first. I'm looking forward to that!

it isn't THAT restrictive if you know how to work the system. just because there are set topics to be covered on a lesson, doesn't mean you can't add in more stuff, etc....

also, i don't teach any differently on main campus than i did when i taught part 61 or over at UMC

[UAL747400]

Originally Posted by ChadW346

That's pretty cool. I didn't know you could do that for the instrument stuff in 102.

Yeah as long as you're not providing "instrument instruction"(as it is worded in the regs), it is perfectly acceptable to go in the clouds to teach BAIF. You as an instructor have to make the appropriate radio calls though.