Part Time CFI Looking for A Better Way

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hook_dupin
Posts: 14
Joined: Sun May 21, 2017 10:49 am
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Part Time CFI Looking for A Better Way

Post by hook_dupin »

Hello Folks!

I'm a part-time CFI (and active duty Air Force officer) looking to perhaps purchase a SLSA RV-12. I've already got a LSRM date at Rainbow.

As I've bounced around the country, I've worked at numerous fligh schools. On my field now, the school just exists by virtue of airfield requirements. I'm sure it's operating at a loss. There's no sense of pilot community and no real attention from the owner.

I think I can do it better.

Cheers,
Chris
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Jim Hardin
Posts: 274
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2017 1:33 pm

Re: Part Time CFI Looking for A Better Way

Post by Jim Hardin »

Better than what? How?

What are you doing at this point?

Have you approached the local FBO?

An airport that requires an FBO, may not allow for independent instruction.

Have you checked about insurance prices for this? That will give you a sobering factor for your cost/profits. Roll in hanger/tiedown, office(?) any State registering or license/certificate. Lots of fixed costs pile up.

There are a few FBO's in the group and if you provide more info they might have some sage advice :wink:
hook_dupin
Posts: 14
Joined: Sun May 21, 2017 10:49 am
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Re: Part Time CFI Looking for A Better Way

Post by hook_dupin »

Jim Hardin wrote:Better than what? How?

What are you doing at this point?

Have you approached the local FBO?

An airport that requires an FBO, may not allow for independent instruction.

Have you checked about insurance prices for this? That will give you a sobering factor for your cost/profits. Roll in hanger/tiedown, office(?) any State registering or license/certificate. Lots of fixed costs pile up.

There are a few FBO's in the group and if you provide more info they might have some sage advice :wink:
The local FBO spun off the flight school years ago. I have not heard any issues with independent flight instruction at my home 'drome.

Once upon a time, I leased back a Citabria to a flight school. It roughly broke even. What killed it was hangar requirements and large MX costs that I couldn't control. I typically expect flight instruction policies to be 3x-4x that of personal/business use.

Here's the problem I see: the local flight school just doesn't care. It operates at a loss and is part of a bigger OCONUS aviation/defense company. My hourly rate is pretty good for CFIs, but the place just doesn't care. They've done nothing to create a sense of pilot community and they rent out moldy 172s for $140/hr (literally -the interiors are quite gross).
ccandrews
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Joined: Tue Jun 28, 2016 7:32 pm
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Re: Part Time CFI Looking for A Better Way

Post by ccandrews »

I have not heard any issues with independent flight instruction at my home 'drome
Check to see if your local airport has a document regarding "minimum standards for commercial operations". Typically these are written with specific language to prevent freelancing CFI work by imposing onerous requirements (facilities must include pilot's lounge, flight planning area, student training area, public telephone, public restrooms), hours of operation (e.g., 8-5, 7 days a week), minimum number of aircraft available, etc. At my airport, they require several hundred square feet of building (leased, of course, from the airport), two airplanes for rental one 4 place and IFR, one full time CFI, open during normal business hours, pilot lounge, restrooms, instruction area, flight planning area, parking area, and public phone. It does not allow a 'through the fence' operation, e.g., you cannot have a building next to the airport and do all your instruction and pilot training there and then walk over to the airport. everything must be on site and rented from the airport.

These documents are often online when the airport is owned/operated by a port district, city, county, etc. I have read some that specifically exclude flights that originate and terminate at other airports; which allows for landings at this airport. however, others do not have that exclusion so, technically, go do a dual-instruction touch and go at an airport and they can cause you all the grief they want.

Want to perform flight training at the student's location? An existing FBO just needs to call the airport manager to have any freelance CFI on the field kicked off, shut down, lose hanger privileges, and served with legal papers. The framework of the document is handed down from the FAA so do not expect to take up any 'restricting free enterprise' complaints with them. You will likely find associations like the AOPA are firmly on the side of the airport management and larger FBOs.

Yes, these are public airports taking public money.
Yes this is total impeding of small business interest.
Yes, this the very definition of restricting access of public property to prevent competition.
yes, the airport is picking who gets to play and if you are not in with the airport authority they will boot you off the airport.
yes, this is blessed by the FAA
No, they do not care if anyone complains about the fact that this is private-government collusion to inhibit competition.

here is a link to a recent survey of the typical requirements that airports include in their minimum requirements document.

https://www.nap.edu/download/14491
TimTaylor
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Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2017 7:17 pm

Re: Part Time CFI Looking for A Better Way

Post by TimTaylor »

Probably the same reason you can't build a McDonalds next door to another McDonalds. The FBO's need some protection from CFI's working out of the trunk of their car. Nothing wrong with that.
Retired from flying.
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