This one is for the young CFI's....

Question

as my logbook's flight time increases and as life changes everyday, I think more and more of what going for when I'll be ready to move on, what are your plans after your logbook had enough time to do so? airlines (major, regional)?, corporate?, military?, maybe keep instructing 'til dead? or move on to a different non-aviation related job? just curious...

thanks for answering.

Answer 1

I'll try to make it brief.

First of all I'm from Norway, but at the moment I live in Daytona Beach Florida to get my pilot certificates and experience as a flight instructor

My current plan, which is currently in progress, is to get my instructor ratings (working on my initial instructor rating now), then work in the US for about a year as a flight instructor until my visa expires, and then return to Europe to credit my training over here to get my European licenses and the European ATPL.

As to what job I would be seeking after it's all done, I'm not 100% sure yet. I'm having some conflicting emotions about it all.

In one way, corporate flying looks very appealing in the way that you probably very rarely fly the same route, and you might fly to more remote areas and rarely used airports as opposed to the airline life where you fly the normal "bus routes".

On the other hand, flying for the airlines does give you certain percs like better working hours, more stable, and knowing what to expect, as well as probably having to relate to more people like the cabin crew etc.

To be perfectly honest the jury is still out on that one, I just hope I get a job at all when I'm all done :)

As a side note, I do have plans about keeping the instructor gig as a side-job when I'm established in a good job, just because I really like the positive aspects of flight instructing.