Venturing down the Flight Instructor route can prove to be a highly satisfying and rewarding experience. Not all pilots wish to pursue a role in an airline, flying around the world and so decide that they want to help train the future generations of Pilots, while still being up in the air. There are also airline pilots who instruct alongside or decide to venture into teaching after having retired from commercial operations. Many Pilots also decide to undertake a role as an instructor prior to applying to airlines as a way of building their hours and experience, as well as the invaluable perspective that instructing will provide you, which you can then take with you into an airline pilot role.
With the current Covid induced situation in the global aviation job market of a shortfall in airline flight crew vacancies, many pilots are choosing to become Flight Instructors as an alternative, whether it's short term until the airline jobs appear again, or long term as a career change.
To be eligible to undertake an FI course, one must hold a PPL with 200 hours flight time, of which 150 hours must be PIC, OR, a CPL with 30 hours in an SEP, have done a Qualifying Cross Country and the appropriate theory completed - EASA/UK CAA CPL or EASA/UK CAA ATPL pass in ground exams. As well as this, the ratings you hold will determine what ratings you can teach, I.e To teach Instrument Rating, you need to hold your own IR, MEP to teach Multi-Engine etc.
The FI test must be passed within 6 months of starting the course. The course usually takes around 3-4 months full-time, depending on weather conditions etc. During the course, all of the fundamentals will be taught and tested, including “instructing” your tutor, by conducting pre and post-flight briefs and instructing handling manoeuvres. The course will culminate with a final Skills Test conducted by a FIC Examiner. The aircraft which you undertake your training in will be dependent upon which training provider you choose, but it still enables you to get the rating which will cover all aircraft in that class, i.e SEP aircraft, MEP aircraft.
Pilot Network has compiled a list of Flight Instructor Rating providers which hopefully proves to be of use to those of you who wish to pursue this route and help build the future of pilots.
We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavours.
Our Verified Training Providers Flight Instructor Courses and data below
Aviation South West (United Kingdom)
Our course is conducted at Exeter Airport and is tailored to give you the experience and knowledge to become a flight instructor, meet the challenges and enjoy the rewards. It will enable you to impart your knowledge and skills to your students and to be able to guide and mentor them to a successful outcome. The full-time course is run five days a week, and usually runs for a total of 4-5 weeks for a single student, or 5-6 weeks for 2 students (dependent on weather). You are required to pass a pre-entry flight test before you start the course. This test is similar in content to the handling sections of the CPL Skills Test.
Price:
Flight Instructor (Restricted) Course:
1 Student, 4-5 Weeks £10188
Removal of “No Night Restriction” £480
Removal of “No Applied Instrument Restriction” £2136
Single Engine CRI £2136
Multi Engine Add On £3600
Instructor Core Course £1200
Instructor Test £200
Plus, aircraft hire and landings.
Note: Included in this course is landings and ground school. The cost of the flight test, aircraft hire for the test and landings are not included.
Employment with this provider?: Employment is possible for exceptional students.
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EAS Barcelona (Spain)
EAS Barcelona offers all instructor courses, from basic training instructor (FI), to multi-engine instructor (CRI) or instrumental flight instructor (IRI). We also offer seminars for ratings renovation.
The courses at EAS Barcelona are designed to be delivered in an intensive way , so this way provides to foreign students don't have to relocate for a long period.
Price: €9,075. Test and Examiner fees are extra.
Employment with this provider?: No
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FlyBy School (Spain)
Our Courses start every 3 months and include the following: Initial flight with our CFI to confirm qualification, 125 Ground school to be completed in 1 month and 30 flight hours. The course is full-time from 0800 to 1700. We allow a maximum of 6 students per intake and courses begin in January each year and then every 3 months after.
Candidates must have at least 5 PIC flying hours within the previous 6 months of starting the course.
Price: €9,000
Employment with this provider?: No, but entry into the hold pool for future opportunities.
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ACS Flight Training (United Kingdom)
Our course includes 100hr of theoretical knowledge briefings and 30hrs of flight training. During the course the student instructor will practise giving ground lessons to the FIC instructor giving the course The training shall be integrated with the flight training so that the maximum benefit is gained from time spent in the air.) The duration is 6 Weeks.
Price: £8500
Employment with this provider?: The flight instructor course may be used to look for potential future instructors.
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Skies Academy (Greece)
The Skies Academy Flight Instructor course is designed for enthusiastic people who wish to pursue a career in teaching other students. The course includes: 125 Hours Ground Training, 30 Hours SE Flight Instruction, including 5 Hours Mutual Flying. The duration is 4-6 weeks during Summer and up to 8 weeks during Winter months.
Price: €12.000 (including the spin training)
Employment with this provider?: The flight instructor course may be used to look for potential future instructors.
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Freedom Aviation (United Kingdom)
The Flying Instructor course carried out at Freedom Aviation, Kemble, concentrates on teaching you how to teach and not just how to fly. One of Freedom's most important USP's is our immaculate hangar and engineering facilities. As a result instructors are able to get an in depth working knowledge of our aircraft which will prove invaluable when instructing later on. The instructors that we have trained find it much easier to answer their students questions based on the practical knowledge gained on the course at Freedom. The FI Course consists of 30 hours of flying training, 125 hours of ground school and includes a fully up to date instructor manual.
Price: £9,400
Employment with this provider?:The flight instructor course may be used to look for potential future instructors.
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Flight Performance Training, United Kingdom
Flight Performance Training are pleased to be able to offer the Flight Instructor Course, which builds on our professional approach to teaching and comprises at least 30 hours of flight instruction of which 25 shall be dual. The ground school has 25 hours of teaching and learning and at least 100 hours of theoretical knowledge instruction, including progress tests. Prior to the course a specific pre-entry flight test is taken to assess ability to undertake the course. This is not included in the price of the course. The course is full time and normally takes 4-6 weeks to complete. All of our instructors have been teaching for many years and have commercial, business and military aviation backgrounds.
Price: £9900 inc VAT and landing fees. Touch and go’s and flight test fees are extra.
Employment with this provider?: Not directly with FPT, but students have secured employment elsewhere.
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FTA Global, United Kingdom
Qualify as a Flight Instructor with FTA Global and train others to realise their ambition to become commercial pilots. We offer a well-structured, professional training package with real career opportunities. Upon successful completion of the course you will be awarded a UK FI (A) restricted certificate. The course takes approximately 10 weeks to complete full-time, the package includes: Ground Training - 125 hours of theoretical knowledge instruction and Flight Training - at least 30 hours flying.
Price: £9,950 (including VAT) including:
Pre-assessment flight test
Assessment of competence.
All flight and ground tuition as per the course syllabus.
Airport fees as per the course syllabus
The price does not include accommodation.
Employment with this provider?: Upon successful completion of the course, newly qualified instructors will have the opportunity to be interviewed for a position at FTA Global.
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OUR FULL LIST OF FIC PROVIDERS CAN BE FOUND HERE
Thank you to all our verified training providers for providing this information. If you are an ATO and wish to be added to our list please contact us.
We hope you find this helpful
The Pilot Network Team
