Instructor numbers down and up

For the year ended June 2009 there were a total of 2008 aeroplane instructors. That comprised 813 grade 1 instructors, 635 grade 2 instructors and 560 grade 3 instructors.

In the year ended 30 June 2007 there were a total of 2590 aeroplane flight instructors. This was broken down as; 1095 grade 1 instructors, 810 grade 2 instructors and 685 grade 3 instructors. By 2008, the overall number of aeroplane instructors had dropped to a total of 1837 comprising 842 grade 1’s, 556 grade 2’s and 439 grade 3’s.

This shows that in six years the number of grade 1 instructors has dropped from 1695 in 2003 to 813 in 2009. The figure of 813 is less than the previous year’s 842. Interestingly enough the number of grade 2 and 3 instructors has risen for the first time in years. The number of grade 1 aeroplane instructors continues to drop each year.

For the year 2008 and 2009 the number of helicopter instructors has followed the aeroplane instructor trend. The number of grade 1 instructors has dropped while the grade 2 instructors have risen. In 2008 there were 159 grade 1 helicopter instructors and 107 grade 2 instructors. In 2009 the grade 1 instructors dropped to 156 while the grade 2 instructors climbed to 134.

In 2007 and 2008 there was a huge increase in the demand for pilots to fly in airlines. Some instructors moved to airlines seeking a better pay cheque, conditions and security. Others moved into charter flying filling the shoes of those who had moved up to airlines. The result was a decrease in the number of instructors in the training system. By late 2008 the situation had changed and we were into the Global Financial Crisis with decreased airline flying. A number of pilots returned to instructing while others entered or stayed with training as the only assured means of getting hours and experience, hopefully in time for the next surge in pilot demand. Come 2009 and while the total number of aeroplane instructors has increased the number of grade 1 instructors has decreased. This could be due to pilots retiring, seeking greener pastures or simply staying with their airline position.

Helicopter instructors are in a different arena. The helicopter industry is expanding and so is the demand for flight training and good instructors. Few if any helicopter instructors move to airlines. Different skills.

Already we are starting to see signs of the financial system starting to pick-up and with that will come an increase in demand for business and leisure air travel. That in turn will see a demand for pilots to fly with airlines and in turn we can again expect to see experienced general aviation pilots moving to airlines. Those GA pilots will include instructors and charter pilots.

In early 2009 a meeting was held in Sydney entitled the Future Pilot Task Force. It identified that it is difficult to retain instructors for a range of reasons including the high demand in the job market for working pilots. It also said that there needs to be a greater career path planning for qualified pilots and more promotion of the flight instructor role as a legitimate and rewarding occupation.

At the same time as the outcome of the FPTF meetings was released a group of instructors contacted this writer. They expressed concern that the instructor position is not shown the respect it deserves and more particularly that it does not have the pay rates to justify the stress and responsibilities of being a flying instructor. The instructors group supplied a listing of ten flight training organisations and the rates that they paid their instructors. Six out of ten paid the award which for a grade I instructor is just below $39K. The comment was why should one become an instructor when with little more than a basic commercial licence they could go ‘north’ and fly freight for the same money or better.

Becoming an instructor has many discouragements. The cost of training, sometimes being paid only as a casual, the ongoing checks to maintain a licence, regularly pass a medical, having to continually pay for such things as chart updates, pilot kit, ACIS and AVID cards, pass blood and alcohol spots checks, job continuity issues, life insurance issues, etc. The list goes on. For skilled instructors with families, mortgages and life experience these factors can be a real discouragement. The group stated that, in short, the stress and responsibilities of the job did not match the pay cheque and that therefore the industry had only itself to blame for the inability to retain experienced people, so needed to maintain a viable healthy training industry.

The end result of this is that the flight training industry will continue to be used as a stepping stone to a better pay cheque and conditions, usually with the airlines.

Contact Dave by email at [email protected]