150 or 200TT?

[rotormandan]

I've asked around and hunted over the past 24 hours and honestly haven't found a job posting for a CFI with less than 400 (one of seven posted) the others all wanted a minimum 500. I'll let the posted job offers speak for the state of CFI hiring requirements currently. Doubt these numbers? Look at the Helicopter Jobs offered here on VR and at Just Helicopters.

 

It is true that the only ads out there for cfi are for 400-500+ pilot most with previous cfi experience preferred. I think that really started in the fall. The way the market is these days, not many people are able to get funding to start training. Therefore there are now a lot more cfi's out there then there are new students. With that situation schools are able to be much pickier about who they hire. Still though most schools out there want to hire their own graduates who usually graduate around 200 hours. They know how they fly and that they fly the way they want them too. Plus it looks good to future students if all the cfi's graduated from that school. Most schools don't have to put out ads either because they have more students graduating then open positions. Some unfortunately do not have students ready to move into that open slot.

 

Obviously you are not in the training environment anymore so all you have to go off of is the ads out there. I can see how you would get the impression that there are no cfi jobs for 200 hour pilots.

[JDHelicopterPilot]

That is exactly what has happened all across the industry. We are seeing some pilots being laid off from work. The operators are now able to be more picky in who they hire with the larger pool of pilots to choose from.

 

As a result we have seen recently in the last few months the hour minimums go up. In the GOM and EMS as well. That also goes for CFI applicants.

 

So this makes it harder for a newer pilot to find something. Those that are still looking, keep at it. You may have to be willing to move across the country to find that one job. There is another thread on here detailing some of those that have had to do just that.

 

Those that are looking for CFI jobs the best bet is with the school your are training at! Make sure you have a positive attitude, are on time, work hard, study hard and put the extra effort. While you may not want to think of it as this, it really is and can be a job interview while you are training there.

 

Most importantly is to just keep at it and things will bounce back with a little time.

 

JD

[heli.pilot]

I got hired as a CFII at 200 hours, as did every instructor that I ever flew with. It can be done, and is definitely "the norm" as far as I have seen.

[beckwith]

Does anyone disagree that a 500hour CFI is in all likely hood a far cry from a 200hour CFI?

At that level I would expect I am getting a competent and experienced CFI for my time and money.

 

I don't disagree that there is likely a difference between a 500hr and a 200hr CFI provided the 500hr started teaching at around 200hrs.

 

It's important to realize that teaching is a separate skill. I do not think that there is much daylight between the first few CFI hours with a 500hr pilot and a 200hr pilot. In fact based on my experience with skills education I would say that there is a good chance that that many of those lower time pilots are going to be better at teaching right off the bat because they are more likely to be ready to learn.