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Schools face flight instructor shortage

Don't believe me? A flight school in Lexington, Kentucky, reports that it has trained, hired--and lost--an average of four instructors every month for a year, and in May 2007 lost its entire instructional staff in one week (see "Instructor Report: Easing the Pain," p. 73).

Writing recently in the blog Jetwhine, Scott Spangler--editor of this magazine in its early years--opined that there's no shortage of instructors; what's in short supply is a reason to teach. He noted that more pilots hold current flight instructor certificates today than at any time in the past 10 years. "As the number of active airmen has declined, the number of CFIs has in-creased.... This begs the question: Can there be a shortage when CFIs outnumber students? Obviously, we have more than enough qualified teachers. But few--nobody really knows the number--teach for a living."

I believe the trend that Spangler cited is reversing. For decades the path to a job as a professional pilot traditionally included teaching others to fly. For many instructors, this was more a means of building hours toward a flying job than a personal passion. Today, when some regional airlines are hiring first officers with as few as 250 hours, the career train no longer stops at that station. Increasingly, college aviation programs no longer require students to become CFIs; some don't even offer the training.

Many CFIs keep their instructor certificates current even though they're not actively teaching (unlike the pilot certificate, a flight instructor certificate needs to be renewed periodically). Many work as airline or other professional pilots, and they want to keep their instructor certificate in case of a furlough or for use after retirement. Some employers prohibit their employees from instructing "on the side." Others are professionals in other industries, have accumulated some wealth, and are reluctant to teach because of worries about potential liability.

What will entice some of these instructors back into the work force? Better pay and benefits would be a start. And that's beginning to happen. But more significant changes could be on the horizon as well.

A large flight school in the southwestern United States recently sent an open letter to pilots and flight instructors that began, "This is a letter to help make you aware of the current world situation and at the same time for the selfish purpose of attracting employees that are interested in adding to the improvement of flight training.

"For the past ten to fifteen years there have been considerably fewer new pilots versus the number of those retiring. A simple study of FAA statistics of the numbers of different ratings obtained and those maintained has shown the day would come when there would no longer be enough pilots for the demand," the letter continued. "The day has arrived. Today a new commercial pilot can go directly to an airline or other professional flight position. The demand has taken most of the young instructors from the flight schools, leaving a shortage for the training of new pilots."

Eventually, the school concludes, the airlines will have to offer ab initio training in order to fill cockpit seats. "Those airlines that understand this problem and begin doing their own training will be the ones that survive." The school says it will rethink the way training is done, making better use of ground instructors to teach all nonflying aircraft operations and procedures and placing more emphasis on simulation. "It is no longer practical for a flight instructor to spend more than minimum time with the student on the ground."

This school is looking for flight and ground instructors, with salary based on experience. It says it will help those who wish to obtain a CFI or other advanced instructor ratings, and it offers relocation assistance.

Another southwestern school advertising for instructors is offering a starting salary--not based on flight hours--of $45,000 to $56,000 per year. Instructors will work a scheduled eight-hour day, Monday through Friday, with weekends off. And the job includes paid medical, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; and a 401(k).

If you're an instructor looking for a job, shoot me an e-mail and I'll send you links to the opportunities I've mentioned. If you're a student, do you have a good flight instructor who enjoys what he or she is doing, and has no plans to shift flying careers after accumulating a magic number of hours? If so, be sure to show that instructor your appreciation. Offer to pick up lunch after your next morning lesson, or at least buy 'em a soda or cup of coffee after you tie down the airplane--and be sure to tell them how much you appreciate their commitment to flight instruction.

E-mail Mike Collins, editor of AOPA Flight Training, at [email protected].