Dylan Smith wrote in message ...

In article , Tom S. wrote:
And right there is a main issue: If you want to work for someone else, don't
bellyache, go be self-employed. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

In an ideal world we could all do that.

Huh? Looks like a fundamental contradiction to me. If you want
to work for someone else, you can't be self-employed

I know what you both mean, though. Given some of Tom's posts
elsewhere lashing people for making spelling or grammar mistakes,
I just couldn't resist. My bad.

The root of the problem is that in most places, flight instruction
is a minor-league apprenticeship for a career as a professional pilot,
not a way to make a living. And realistic alternatives aren't always
available, just as they aren't available to most physicians who would like
to practice medicine without going through the high-stress, high-hours
low-pay grinder which is internship and residency.

But it's still not slavery, theft, or murder in either case. It's
a choice -- hopefully an informed choice -- the apprentices have
made in order to pursue career goals which they value.

Clearly there *is* a market niche for CFIs of experience who wish
to make a living. Things like the PIC 10 day instrument courses,
the sort of recurrent training Paul Sanchez specializes in, CFIs
who specialize in proficiency training or aerobatics.

I've been kinda waiting to hear from our mutual friend Michael on
this one. I think what he'd say is, the fact that most young
inexperienced CFIs can't make a living at flight instruction is
fundamentally the market voting on what they're actually worth
at that level of training and aviation experience. But that's just
my SWAG, I don't want to put words in anyone's mouth and it's neither
here nor there.

In my opinion, the real solution is to change the FAA rules so
that there's a realistic way for wanna-be professional pilots to
build the hours they need without flight instruction. Then we
can hear bellyaching about 'slavery in aviation' flying night
cargo or pipeline patrol or what-have-you.

But I think it would be a dramatic improvement for student pilots.
They could be taught by people who want to instruct, and since
there'd presumably be fewer CFIs FBOs which wished to retain them
would have to treat them rather better.

Cheers,
Sydney