A flight instructor is a professional who is engaged in training, instructing, mentoring, and teaching the students to fly. Flight instructor responsibilities comprise explaining and demonstrating the basic principles and concepts in aerial navigation by taking into account the weather conditions, both in air and on the ground.
He helps the students in preparing for the practical tests and rating them, thus helping them in providing a valuable guidance. So if flying is your passion, and you have talent for instructing and guiding students, then this can definitely be one of the most lucrative career options for you.
Flight instructor is responsible for providing the students adequate guidance, so that the learning objectives of the course should be achieved. He should make the course an interesting experience and should be able to motivate and instill a sense of confidence in the minds of the students.
He should create a positive and efficient learning experience for the students. He should evaluate the students, guide them regarding their capabilities and help them in preparing for the practical tests and make recommendations accordingly.
To get more information on what are the key responsibilities that need to be handled by a flight instructor, you can go through the following points which will give you detailed information:
A flight instructor should be able to present himself as a role model who follows all the safety rules and adheres by legal regulations. He should have a passion for teaching and guiding the students and counseling them whenever there is a need. He should create a positive learning environment and have high level of patience. He should be able to motivate students and ensure that the course content is effectively communicated to the students. He should be comfortable in evaluating the performance of the students and determining their individual needs for training, rating them, and making them confident by minimizing their frustration levels when on flights.
A professional certification like Commercial Pilot Certification or Airline Transport Pilot Certification would be preferred. A FAA flight instructor certification or an Airplane Single Engine Land certification would also prove to be of great help. A FAA Class I or II medical certificate is equally essential.
A flight instructor may be required to work for forty to forty five hours per week. He may need to extend his work hours in case he needs to conduct some additional training sessions, needs to attend some meetings, or participate in some relevant activities.
The annual average wage for flight instructors is in the range of $20,000 to $40,000. It varies greatly depending on the experience, skills, and academic background.
There are ample opportunities for developing in this field, in both a personal and professional way. You can definitely climb up the ladder of success to become captain or to be promoted to some higher level senior position.
Thus, if you are a good teacher and flying is what drives you towards this career and if you are able to shoulder the flight instructor responsibilities successfully, then you can definitely look forward to a rewarding career in this field.