microlight flying instructor

[captaind2005]

Hi there

I have an NPPL(m) and thinking about a career move becoming a microlight instructor after 15 years in the IT industry.

I am currently building my hours but would like to know a bit more about the basic salary of a AFI and QFI on microlights in the UK. I have read that Microlight instructors earn more than GA instructors. Is this true??

I have a young family and a mortgage to pay so need to know all the ins and outs before making a leap in this direction. Any information that anyone has would be superb!

Thanks in advance!!!

[condor17]

Think our microlight man charges £20 per Flying hour . So a 2 hour instructional slot with briefings B4 and After gains 1 hr flying .... Normally 4 slots in a day .
Micros wx canx more frequently than SEP ... I [ SEP ] only flew 2 1/2 hrs in Nov and 1/2 hr in Dec .. We're soggy runway closed today ! And my last Dec day is tomorrow which looks carp wx .
As a generalisation ,a lot of 'destructors are retired old f..ts , youngsters living in caravan and hour building , or peeps part-time NOT giving up their day job.

rgds condor .

[Whopity]

I am currently building my hours but would like to know a bit more about the basic salary of a AFI and QFI

QFI is a military term, you mean FI.

As an AFI you will have to work for someone whilst you are supervised. Once you upgrade to an FI the salary, if you are employed may not be very good, assuming someone is prepared to employ you full time. The FIs who make more than Aeroplane FIs invariably run their own schools with associated capital outlay in purchasing aircraft and running a club and possibly an airfield as well.

[Genghis the Engineer]

I think that you'll find that most microlight FIs who make a living off it, do it as part of a broader business.

So, a lot of instructors are also inspectors and can charge for doing annual permit revalidations. Many also have within the school business aircraft sales / maintenance / hangarage.

Collectively it seems able to make quite a few a reasonable living. I don't think however that many full time FIs are *only* instructors in the microlight world, although they may well be full time in microlighting.

G

[this is my username]

I think that you'll find that most microlight FIs who make a living off it, do it as part of a broader business.

So, a lot of instructors are also inspectors and can charge for doing annual permit revalidations. Many also have within the school business aircraft sales / maintenance / hangarage.

Collectively it seems able to make quite a few a reasonable living. I don't think however that many full time FIs are *only* instructors in the microlight world, although they may well be full time in microlighting.

I would echo the above, but with a caveat that "reasonable living" is a relative term - I make about a third of what I did as a mid-level IT-bod but the lack of income is more than made up by the improvement in job satisfaction / lifestyle.

You will never get paid much in this game if you are after a job - the only way to make it work is to run your own business. The financial returns are modest so you have to place a high value on the lifestyle.

The only reason that Microlight instructors may look well paid compared to the aeroplane guys is that pay rates for aeroplane FIs are so low, not because microlight rates are high!