Future for Cfi's?

Question

When the big hiring boom started with the regional airlines a little while back, I decided to go back to flight school and turn my private license into something useful. As we all know, airlines went from a "hire everyone we can get" mode, to a "lets get rid of people" mode.

I realize this is going to saturate the instructor market with people like me who were trying to catch the band wagon, and people that did get that airline job, then lost it with airline cut backs.

So my question is, how bad does everyone expect this to be? Is there still going to be enough demand for a cfi that I should continue to pursue it, or should I save my money now and try later?

Any ideas about the helicopter market, if I were to change directions and go that route?

Answer 1

First - it is all a speculation - since no one knows what the fuel prices are going to be a month, six months, a year, two years etc from now.

In my experience, few people who are laid off from an airline come back to instructing.  There is not just not enough money there to support yourself and your family.  Most people on furlough look for corporate, cargo, or a non-flying job.

So the instructor market will not get saturated by furloughed pilots, but it may get saturated due to the lack of upward mobility for CFIs (new instructors being trained but old ones are not leaving).   Flight schools were looking for instructors not too long ago and were having problems hiring them because regional airlines were hiring very low time pilots.  So if you get your CFI soon you still may find a job - but you may have to work as CFI for few years until the job market for pilots improves again.  If you wait - you may have to wait few years outside aviation.  It really depends on how badly you want to be a pilot and what your financial situation is.

Helicopter market is much smaller and costlier than fixed wings.  The only reason to go there is if you really want to fly helicopters and to make a career out of flying them.

Answer 2

The only thing I have to add is to consider CFI positions overseas.  Places like Dubai are still hiring CFIs and pay pretty well.  Consider those schools with overseas contracts teaching Chinese, Japanese and Indian students.  Some of them have CFIs on salary making 45-50k a year.

Answer 3

Don't forget that the boom you refer to came after the same problem we have now - 9/11 practically shut down everything, especially for schools who had a lot of overseas students. Aviation constantly fluctuates, go for it - you'll be in the right place with your certificates in hand when it turns around.

By the way, I just got hired in June for a new job flying turbo-props and I have no prior airline or turbine time. There are still jobs out there, and it's not ex-airline crews getting them all....

Answer 4

This sudden down turn in the aviation industry has been precipitated due to the rather unexpected and astronomical increases in fuel costs. In the past also, fuel costs have gone up and the industry had nose dived (not only attributable to fuel), but matters settled down and they rode those ripples in a manner better than what they are doing now. Perhaps, due to the world wide depression, set off by the US economy crunch, and speculators playing havoc with world trade, the world is over-reacting.

If, for a moment, you visualise the global air industry, you will realise that people just cannot close shop, pack-up and go home due to the current market glitches. There is too much capital and equipment at stake, a big work force which cannot be ignored, a system of industries and facilities which need to be kept running and a world wide net work which just cannot be disrupted. Those who matter, will keep it afloat.

Finally, the aviation industry will ride out this storm and come out bigger and better. CFIs will be in demand so long people are learning to fly and your talents and qualifications will not go waste and you will be rewarded for your efforts and investment. Helicopters will always play second fiddle to the airlines, so why divert from fixed wings?