So... It has been a really long time since I have been active here and I have taken some time to move away from Anchorage and take a breather. Now I know what I really want and need, and that is to fly. I ordered the Jeppesen set online and talked to my CFI buddy to get the licensing part handled. I am at 200 hours and am tacking on the 50 hours + Instrument + CFR + CFI.

My question is... provided that I am willing to do other stuff to make ends meet (I am) and I own my own plane, how much can I really expect to be making a month instructing?

In Anchorage, not much. Too many weather and daylight constraints.

BUT, instructing in ANC is going to build Alaska time which CAN be pretty important when looking for a flying job.

I'd go for it, but don't expect to have a life for a while.

It CAN work.

MTV

I am ok with long hours and all that but is it possible to make a living from instructing alone? Like I said, I plan on doing other additional work for income as needed I just really don't know what I would realistically be looking at.

Weather in AK precludes steady income from primary instruction (not instrument!). Maybe have a SIM too for those bad Wx days and a classroom.

We had a guy come down here because they were grounded so long from weather.

My $0.02

Your milage may vary.

how much can I really expect to be making a month instructing?

Not enough to live on, unfortunately. There are some parts of the country where there is enough instructional business that a modest income could be made, but I wouldn't think in Anchorage, especially with the higher cost of living there.

There are gobs and gobs of pilots and airplanes in Alaska, but many arrive already certificated and experienced, looking for jobs that only exist for Alaska-experienced pilots. So while you're instructing, you really need another job to put meat on the table.

Cary

First thing I'd do is make the rounds of MRL and talk to the folks running the flight training. Your best bet MAY be UAA, but I suspect you may have some competition. It's important to have at least the opportunity to teach ground school as well as flight.

Go visit the schools first, and find out FIRST if they're even hiring (not many schools are desperately looking for instructors) then second, ask them for a realistic assessment of income. Next, ask them if their maintenance operation needs a part time helper or ramp rat. Or, how about the outfit next door? Contacts and who knows YOU is really important when it comes to getting hired by an air taxi outfit, which would probably be your next logical step. You never know, being in the right place when someone needs a pilot in BET or ?? And the right place is not bagging groceries at Fred Meyer. So, see if you can keep all your employment at aviation outfits, if at all possible.

I know a few pilots who wound up flying air taxi by doing what I just suggested.

Right place, right time...

Mike

I think that I may have worded my initial question wrong or in a way that wasn't helpful really at all.

I have a plane parked at Lake Hood Strip. It is a C-170A. That side of my equation is already buttoned up.

My wife and I have very little debt and a few income streams besides our traditional jobs. We will be able to leave the traditional work force in the spring and have "irregular" jobs if we want to (read that as self employed). This is what we want.

Do any of you guys instruct on your own in your own plane or is it just not worth your time?

Years ago, my pard and I had the only appropriate airplane on the field when they changed the rules to require Commercial applicants to have some complex time--our TR182 filled the bill. So we leased it to the FBO for that purpose, because we were able to arrange for the FBO's insurance to cover our airplane while it was being used as a Commercial trainer, and I did the instructing for that part of the Commercial students' training. At the time, our insurance would have gone up to some ungodly level, had we just insured it ourselves as a student trainer, regardless of the level of the student's experience. Curiously, once the student had his Commercial and fulfilled the insurance company's dual instruction requirement (then only 10 hours), we could rent it on a "named pilot" basis without affecting our premiums.

Right now, for my airplane (63 P172D) my annual insurance premium for both hull and liability is well under a thou/year. If I were to instruct in my airplane, the same hull and liability coverage from the same company would cost closer to $8 thou. So even if I were to renew my CFII, I wouldn't instruct in my airplane--not worth it.

Cary

Have you investigated Yuut, the native corporation flight school in Bethel? I hear they pay well.

907Pilot wrote:I think that I may have worded my initial question wrong or in a way that wasn't helpful really at all.

I have a plane parked at Lake Hood Strip. It is a C-170A. That side of my equation is already buttoned up.

My wife and I have very little debt and a few income streams besides our traditional jobs. We will be able to leave the traditional work force in the spring and have "irregular" jobs if we want to (read that as self employed). This is what we want.

Do any of you guys instruct on your own in your own plane or is it just not worth your time?

So, you're saying you want to try to make a living instructing in your own airplane?

If that's what you're saying, I wish you much luck.

What SPECIAL skills can you offer a prospective student? Are you on floats? There MAY be a little business there, but lots of competition. Same goes for off airport...lots of competition. Doing primary students? In a 170? Solo? You can't afford to insure that plane, by the way. Can you afford to lose the plane? You can't afford to NOT carry liability insurance.....that'll suck up a lot of the profit.

Do a business plan....figure in all the expenses.....ALL the expenses, then take a stab at estimating how much training you might do.

I think you'll find the bottom line isn't going to be pretty....UNLESS you have something special to offer.

FWIW

MTV