How Much I Make as a HELICOPTER Flight Instructor | It will surprise you!

[@janmcfarren7842]

Thank you for your transparency. I understand that as a commercial flight instructor your primary goal is obtain flight hours. I just find it curious that you have new instructor graduates with limited flight hours teaching those with no flight skills how to fly which is opposite of how most industries function i.e. senior subject matter experts with years of experience teaching entry level candidates. I praise you and other instructors who have the guts and stamina to get in an aircraft day after day in order to teach making such a limited income with the risk involved. Keep it up young man!

[@PilotDevin]

Well thank you very much. The way the industry is setup I find quite backwards and having new instructors teach new pilots seems less than ideal. However I see it simarly to how the medical school and doctor route works. Once we have our instructor certficate, that is truly the start of the journey and the start of the learning. As instructors the largest learning dosen't come when we are students, it comes when we have to safely and effectivly teach the new students and yes they learn but we instructors the ones who truly learn from it.

[@janmcfarren7842]

@@PilotDevin That is a great attitude to have…that you are the one getting the most from the way the industry works. You have a good head on your shoulders. Stay safe and diligent while you work your way up the career ladder. Your income will grow with each rung you climb. Take it from someone with a lot of life experience…Life is not all about a dollar amount…You also need to enjoy your work and it sounds like you do. You are ahead of many already.

[@SkyBaum]

Thank you for making this brother! Great to be transparent 😃

[@PilotDevin]

That's the goal! As an aviation community we share our knowledge and experinces with eachother! Thank you for being such a kind and supoortive friend.

[@FlyingJournalism]

The difference between a pizza and A CFI?.....the pizza can feed a family of 4...lol... great video

[@PilotDevin]

That is absolutly Hilarious!!! True aswell! Thanks for the laugh!

[@timypaul]

Thanks man for this transparency! I made a lot of research before I decided to learn to fly and in the future work as an EMS pilot where it may be getting good money wise. But meanwhile I understood flying isn't for the money I am passionate to fly and if down the road it gets better hey! that's a bonus. You're a hard worker and a great motivator you will surely be reaping the good fruits of your hard labor down the road! However it's really astonishing how this industry is cut. You would think people putting their lives in danger every day would make more money as CFIs.

[@PilotDevin]

I can't be more proud of you for starting the jouney and having the dream. I compleltly agree that at the high risk we are exposed to, the pay is not fitting. However I could care less about the low pay as I get to share my knowledge and experinces with my students and have the office as my sky. Flying around clouds, getting to see sunrises and sunsets over beautful land is something I wouldn't trade for every dollar on this planet!!

[@timypaul]

@@PilotDevin fantastic!!!

[@Billistac]

Wow, thank you for the transparency. This is good insight. I’m not trying to be rude or rub it in anyones face but at 21 years old I was making $20 an hour at a work from home job with no advanced/technical skills. And that’s in Texas where the cost of living is lower than NY. So to hear that flight instructors make less than that is confusing to me because they have advanced/technical skills and have to teach it. I wonder why it is this way.

[@alphaalpha5007]

Corporate greed

[@lobbyrobby]

I've been on 4 helicopter tours. I plan to do more in the future. It's so peaceful to me and depending on the tour very beautiful. I think Las Vegas will be next on the list for me.

[@alfierileo]

Hey Devin! I'm so happy I found your channel, I love finding other people that share a common dream to fly. I really want to fly rotary wing, I'm 20 years old in CA National guard aspiring to be a helicopter in the guard. Right now I'm just seeking guidance from others that have already been on the path I wish to embark. Money as uk is a big obstacle and what loans or things have u done to get your training. I live in modesto CA lol. Just recently I've had an intro flight lesson at specialized Helicopters in Hayward CA

[@PilotDevin]

Hey Leo, an absolute pleasure to meet you! All I can say is keep grinding to find it. It is by far the hardest hurdle you will face in your journey. The flying and knowledge will come with its challenges but financing is brutal. Keep looking at loans from the major servicers, reach out to a local credit union, friends and family, and honestly the simpliest way is to just pay for your private. Whether you work and save or work and pay as you are going, use credit cards (it is good debt as it is an investment in yourself that will pay itself off handsomley) or if the option presents itself and you can wiggle it, apply for mauna loa and get a federal student loan. Its the way I financed training as an education loan and it may be your path in. Is there any military options that you can see?!?

[@rovers141]

@@PilotDevin Here's a little info you can spread to military members and veterans that have questions like this. The GI bill will pay for your training. As long as they served long enough to earn full benefits, I don't remember how long that is but the typical 4 year enlistment is more than enough. The VA does have one very annoying requirement though...you have to attend flight school at a college, or at least a flight school that is partnered with a college where you can earn a degree (2 or 4 year degree, it doesn't matter) in conjunction with flight training UNLESS you already hold a PPL, if you already have a PPL then you can attend flight school anywhere. Apparently in the past veterans were using the GI bill for flight training but stopping at the PPL level, they weren't making a career out of it so they came up with this rule. Which I think is dumb, let veterans do what they want with the benefits they earned, but it is what it is. It's annoying because it makes it very difficult to find a school depending on where you live. I spent 7 years in the USAF and am currently using my GI bill for flight school at a community college in Alabama, so I'm doing flight school along with an associates degree. The VA is paying 100% of it, and I get a monthly housing allowance of just over 1k a month, which changes depending on where you live depending on the cost of living there. I think it's around 1400 in Colorado. It's a sweet deal! People who are currently in the military (active duty, meaning not reserves or national guard) MIGHT be able to do this while still serving with the Tuition Assistance Program (TA). TA pays for 100% of normal degree costs, I'm just not sure about vocational training like flight school.

[@rovers141]

Hey man read my reply to Devin, there's some info you might want!

[@egeft]

Great video🤙

[@PilotDevin]

Thanks Brother!

[@Snowcat89onXbox360]

Damn, 80 hours a month? Im a full time CFI and im doing about 35 average. This month might be closer to 20. Time to fine a new job! haha

[@ayoubabouri]

Thanks

[@alphaalpha5007]

Salaries on these kind of websites are always 30-50k higher (pumped up) than what the mass makes, doesn't matter what profession you look at. You are spot on with what usually starters salaries are in aviation. About half of those websites 🤭

[@PilotDevin]

Exactly!!!

[@daniellanavarro4575]

Is it possible to have another job while being a flight instructor? I currently work from home full time 4pm-12am shift and I would like to fly during the day.

[@PilotDevin]

Absolutly! Nothing says you can not however the only thing I would caution is your mental and physical health. At such a high workload are you safe to yourself and the other aviators in the sky and can you provide safe and effective instruction to those who have their faith in you! If yes then more power to you! Cheers

[@darrelllee2107]

Hang in there! You'll get to the higher salary very soon.

[@joobyzat1221]

Thanks for all your vides! If you become a professional paid pilot, how long would it take to make back the $100k or so it cost to get all the certifications?

[@PilotDevin]

Good question! I guess it depends on your personal finaces but for me.... About 1,000/ month x 12 moths = 12,000. 12,000/yr x 5 years. Roughly

[@dg7943]

Can you work at 2 schools at the same time as a CFI ? What's the max number of hours you can fly each week?

[@PilotDevin]

Yes I personally know someone who works at two flight schools at once. That may be something you have to work out with the companys involved but it can be done. The maximum number of flight hours of instruction given is 8 per day. If I am correct I think that would max out at 56 flight hours per week! Cheers

[@VictoryAviation]

@@PilotDevin Max is 8 hrs per 24 hour time period which is constantly rolling over. It's an interesting system but sometimes it helps accommodate flights!

[@0hleg]

Once you get 1000-2500 hours. How much do you make then? Do those numbers become more accurate then?

[@PilotDevin]

Yes I would say so, much closer.

[@0hleg]

@@PilotDevin thanks the the replies devin really found your up to date videos to be really useful. My question now is. Is it much more expensive to get all your licenses and certificates now that the gas prices are rising? Should we wait until that calms down a bit. And also do you have any international schools you can recommend I’m based out of Sweden and I don’t know where to educate myself. I would prefer to have a intense education that is a little faster and where I can do everything in the same school or whatever. Maybe that ain’t the best way to do it though. Would you advice against that and also do you have a video explaining how to save as much money as possible whilst educating yourself. That is a video I think would do really well on KZbin. I’m 20 btw!

[@87mcmahan87]

Thanks for the video, but what an absolute joke. I mean i get that youre building hours but thats just not right. Ive been thinking of becoming a pilot but this makes me wonder why not skip the 100k debt and deliver pizzas instead.

[@PilotDevin]

I hear you! Definetly not Ideal however, the sky is my office(in the helicopter I am the only boss). I get to pilot beautiful aircraft, work with other pilots, see the world from a vantage point that few ever will, and earn a pycheck for doing something that I would give my life savings to do. It isn't easy on the front end but on my death bed as my life flashes before my eyes, my experinces in the helicopter and all the views and memories will make me rest easy. Cheers, I encourage the journey, you won't regret it. The debt will be gone but the memories won't!

[@87mcmahan87]

@@PilotDevin great points. It just bothers me so many occupations especially with such skill and training required pay so little. Furthermore during this "great resignation" as they call it, and apparent pilot shortage. Is there any sort of pilots union?

[@Jason-33W]

People don't typically stay a flight instructor for all that long. They only use it as a stepping stone to build hours for the next better paying job. It takes time and patience. I don't think you would want to spend your whole life delivering pizzas when you can be flying as a pilot. Crazy thing is that I’m leaving my tech job to become a helicopter pilot becauseI rather do something that I love over money and I get 300K now a year. Still worth it for me as I don’t want to be behind a desk until retirement.

[@10oner]

@@87mcmahan87 there is no such thing as s pilot shortage. That is advertisement propaganda

[@87mcmahan87]

@@10oner i believe you.... cant trust anything anywhere anymore. Were probably actually in the matrix. Lol

[@luplex7567]

That shit is not worth it man, 100k for the training and shit and 20$ an hour😂😂 joke on the industry haha

[@ramjet4025]

$20 is correct however, it also depends on your state, and the competition. Some schools do pay more and charge more. What ever you pay for an instructor, cut it in half and subtract $5 and that's close to what he is being paid. If you are female and good looking odds are you are going to be paid more and that sexism is rampant and stinks