How to Become a Successful Independent CFI

[@scottwarner7264]

You are the #1 reason I decided to to transition out of a 24 year career in trucking and peruse career 2.0 in aviation. The plan is to collect ratings and build time over the next 2 years while my youngest finishes high school then sell my trucking company and move forward. I never considered it as a career when I got my private at 40 because I thought I was to “old” now 43 you defiantly changed my thinking on that. Thanks Trent

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Scott!! That is so cool to hear! Get it :)

[@hjr2000]

Go for it!! 🎉

[@davidross1332]

I too own a trucking company and am going to be in flight school next year!

[@trent_dyrsmid]

David….i get more truckers here than just about any other vocation. Get it!

[@clintonhurst7810]

Same boat here..

[@stevep8363]

I used to be a CFI before a career change and I can 100% confirm the downsides of working for a flight school. Years later I miss teaching and I plan to buy my own aircraft and teach independently for part-time income. Appreciate the good information.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

You’re welcome! Thanks so much for watching one of my videos! I really appreciate you taking a moment to comment!

[@liveextreme0317]

Outstanding! Sold my business, also Retired P.O. & Retired from Miltary. I'm going full throttle as well, and I'm only 39🙌🙌

[@idekav.]

Pretty young!

[@kingslate1]

You have to do at least 20yrs each in military & P.O to be retired. How you only 39

[@sugondese2333]

@@kingslate1he was probably national guard

[@fanman12]

Disability retirement

[@trent_dyrsmid]

✈️✈️

[@MarshallBare]

Very generous with your knowledge! You could have sold this video as a paid course. And made even more. But you were generous and gave it to us for free - thank you!

[@trent_dyrsmid]

You’re welcome! Thanks so much for watching one of my videos! I really appreciate you taking a moment to comment!

[@FlyingMarc]

I always thought the monotony of training flights with just maneuvers and no real destination was the worst part of PPL training. I practically begged my instructor to take me somewhere else one day! Good on you for including that experience right from the beginning!

[@trent_dyrsmid]

I disliked those flights as the instructor, just as much as you dislike them as a student. Scenario based training is definitely the way to go, and the FAA believes in it.

[@TheJohnnyandrew23]

I needed this video. Purchased a 172 I’m an A&P now looking to become a commercial pilot. This video gave me a clear vision on the road to obtain that goal without being an employee for a flight school, and have full control of my own time. Thank you

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Johnny….you’re welcome! Thanks so much for watching one of my videos! I really appreciate you taking a moment to comment!

[@findinggrace5389]

2:40 Control Your Schedule 4:32 Choose Your Students 5:41 Insurance 6:32 Finding Aircraft to Fly 8:24 How I Organize my Schedule 13:26 The Work in the Evening Super helpful info! You can tell he's a super experienced guy who's always learning and applying his own methods for efficiency.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Thanks for that!

[@thepilotpivot]

@@trent_dyrsmid Your videos are FULL of valuable information. Many of us are actually using them as a blueprint to follow in your footsteps. To make your videos even more useful as a reference tool, please consider adding timestamps in the video timeline for your chapters/topics much like this commenter did. I know this probably adds some time to the edit but it makes the content EVEN BETTER!

[@trent_dyrsmid]

I’ll work on that. It’s a good suggestion.

[@charlesdiggs3500]

Mannnnnn, I haven't even begun my Private Pilot License- journey yet, but this video gave me so much hope. The common demoralizing factor to a new student like me is... time. It's like... nothing good comes out of flight training, other than that self-satisfaction at 40 hours. And then the mountain you have to climb to get where you want to be seems like watching paint dry. This video has single handedly re-engaged my passion and desire to fly. You sir, are a trailblazer. And without people like you, the world tends to spin a little slower. Thank you for this. I'm subscribing. Great video.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Thank you Charles. Glad to be of some help :)

[@thomashelm6931]

You're the epitome of the self-motivated, hard working success! Through those efforts, everything you touch turns to gold. The Americano way, via Canada.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Thanks Thomas!

[@BD-ko1wi]

Another great video, I am a career 2.0 guy also. I am retiring from my Police Department in June and will hopefully have my class date in July. Working full time and Cfi ing every day is absolutely brutal. I worked full time and flew 1300 hours in two years this month. Thank goodness my airline is in the city I live in.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Yes, 35+ hours a week in the cockpit ain’t easy. I can’t wait to be done!

[@sampletaster5093]

Have to agree the synergy between instructor and student is so important. I remember one instructor that was a battle every time.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Thanks so much for watching one of my videos! I really appreciate you taking a moment to comment!

[@TREACB]

Hi there Trent. I click your vids often because we are both gen X and fulfilling our pilot dreams. Not sure where you fly, but one thing that was not mentioned in this video is flying in between weather systems and/or poor density altitudes associated with turbulent air or thermals, which creates a poor learning environment. Having fun in flight is flying when it’s nice, right? So do you consistently get that many hours every week? Also, this is for others reading this, because you already know this,but….your success is because you are a workaholic. Determined individuals like yourself will always find success. How many lazy people do you know that are jealous of you? Well done Trent! Thanks for your time, thanks you tube.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

I am fortunate to live in Boise, where we get over 300 days of sunshine per year, so at this time of year, I rarely lose flights to weather.

[@michaelj.mcmurray540]

Glad I found your channel. I'm 50 yrs old, have my PPl with instrument rating. Just started school again to get my commercial and CFI. I have no desire to go to the airlines. CFI is my next career. This video has been a huge help as I figure out what life looks like after earning my CFI. Thanks for sharing this information.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

You’re welcome! Thank you so much for watching and leaving a comment. It all helps my channel to grow and help more guys/gals like us!!

[@BLKAV8R2021]

Thanks for sharing. I was actually not considering taking the CFI route, but after watching this video, I may be changing my mind.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Glad it was helpful!

[@suemukwa]

I became interested in becoming a pilot last summer. One of your videos that I watched detailing the steps of what that might look like sealed the deal for me. I just applied to flight school and have my medical next week!! Thank-you 😊 This is my career change that I've needed, and am beyond excited about

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Sue!! That is so wonderful to hear! Please keep me updated :)

[@suemukwa]

@@trent_dyrsmid thank you! I'll stay in touch

[@trent_dyrsmid]

🙌

[@atlaspaintpros]

Trent, my fellow aviator, thanks for always taking time out of your life to give us future aviators all the free knowledge! You're always super informative!

[@trent_dyrsmid]

I appreciate that! Thanks so much for watching one of my videos! I really appreciate you taking a moment to comment!

[@funtimetoo1]

Great video. As an airline pilot who has dusted off his CFI, I found this very helpful. I look forward to an early retirement, after flying all over the world and look forward to a low and slow flying job that keeps me closer to home. 😊

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks so much for watching one of my videos! I really appreciate you taking a moment to comment!

[@buckeyeyooper]

Only a few minutes in, appreciate your structured content. Retired military, working on a second career myself.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Good luck! Thanks so much for watching one of my videos! I really appreciate you taking a moment to comment!

[@redjordan4s]

Heavily considering doing this. My current flight school only pays me $17/hour and they don’t allow me to charge for ground instruction

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Yikes!!!

[@SuperAirplanemaster]

That mess up

[@trent_dyrsmid]

No kidding.

[@danielday2109]

Being a pilot is my Career 1.0 and your videos are so informative for me. Thank you for making these videos. I’m working on getting through all my ratings. I’m working on my instrument right now. When I get my CFI, I’ve thinking about being an Independent CFI and this video showed what I have to be thinking about as my training continues. So thank you again. Also wondering how much you make just being a CFI without KZbin? Amazing what you’ve done in such a short time. Great Work!!!

[@trent_dyrsmid]

I make $4500 per week just as a CFI (40-45 hours a week at $95/hour). I make between $2-3k a month on KZbin. And then I also have a few other sources of aviation income.

[@commercialpilot54]

Hey Trent, congrats on your success and progress... It's very true that you can succeed if you just put the work in and stay persistent. I also appreciate the videos about alternate methods of achieving the hours (135, survey, etc) Ever thought of a discussion about the social media/KZbin side of things and putting together/editing your content? Most folks wouldn't even know where to begin on that.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

I might do that at some point. Maybe when I hit 50k subs….

[@Jwalker21NC]

I am one of those few that has no desire to get to the airlines. Aviation is my passion and I just wanna fly and teach others about the great world of aviation and how to fly as well! Thank you!

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Thanks so much for watching one of my videos! I really appreciate you taking a moment to comment!

[@CFIIMunden]

I’m a 500 hour CFI in the Boise area. Going independent is incredibly difficult and, at least in my experience, I have not been able to get a single student outside of my flight school.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

@@CFIIMunden Sry to hear that. Are you running ads on craigslist? How much time are you spending each day just wandering around looking for open airplane hangers so that you can talk to aircraft owners?

[@CFIIMunden]

@ I’ve hardly spent any time doing that. I finished watching this video on my drive towards Ontario and that was one of my biggest takeaways from your video. And I have not ran any ad through craigslist. That’s a great idea though thank you so so much.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

@ you’re welcome!

[@JamieHigdon]

bro! you've came a long way, SUPER FAST! Having a great starting point i'm sure helped out a lot verses some who have had to piece it all together. Thanks for sharing what you have learned that got you to this point. Good job.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Thx Jamie! Is this the same Jamie Higdon I knew from many years ago?

[@nealsandy8464]

I recently started training (about 6 hours in) and I love it. This was a great video because I've been heavily thinking about leaving my tech sales job and going for the airlines/CFI work. Thanks for the information!

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Glad it was helpful! I spent decades and sales and can’t imagine doing that type of work ever again. 🤮🤮🤮

[@flyfreedomfield3346]

Hi Trent, I just stumbled onto your channel and it’s perfect for me… I been planning my career 2.0 for my entire life. My logbook starts in 1991 but I didn’t get my license till 2017. Now I’m 55, retired from desk job and working on my CFI. The good thing is that I already own a plane and a little airstrip in Sacramento called Freedom Field. I used to make good money sitting at a desk and I’ve been worried about my transition to full time CFI and your video couldn’t have been timed any better for me!! I’ll be watching from now on… thanks for the great info!!

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Good to hear! Blue skies ahead :)

[@keithkimbrough1]

I've been looking at possibly getting my CFI and doing this part time since I work as a principal at a public school good info thank you

[@trent_dyrsmid]

You’re welcome! Thanks so much for watching one of my videos! I really appreciate you taking a moment to comment!

[@markstevens6359]

Great info Trent! As a long time independent CFI, I agree with all you present here, and benefit from your strategies. Training young CFI's currently, in light sport (FDCT) aircraft. Fully agree with your Light Sport rec. Encouraging these young cfi's to develop their own clientele, marketing, distribution etc. Keep up the great work! Mark S.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Thx Mark!

[@2StarPrivate]

Cool to see EI-SKP from my home field EIWT Weston in Ireland

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Thanks so much for watching one of my videos! I really appreciate you taking a moment to comment!

[@daniel-otr]

Just found you, been trying to put it all together and move forward.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Thanks so much for watching one of my videos! I really appreciate you taking a moment to comment!

[@Ifly1976]

Must live in Arizona, we only get about 150 days of flying weather in Tennessee. I’ve only had one full week of flying weather since November’23

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Boise gets over 300 days of sunshine per year. Living in a sunny place is critical.

[@brianbrickley8229]

Really good video. Not mentioned is weather. In Michigan there are weeks and weeks where vfr training isn't possible. Other areas of the country are the same. So folks considering this business model should keep that in mind.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Pretty sure I mentioned the weather in the video…

[@WalidFeghali]

Fantastic video, Trent. Hell yeah.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@braer240]

This is great. Good tips. You’re in a different circumstance than 99.99% of normal CFIs. You can essentially price yourself in the upper echelon of all CFIs. But just having a good website with solid SEO can help. When I was looking for CFIs in my area I searched flight instructors near me and only got 2 hits in a 100mile radius. Pretty insane. When getting my tailwheel endorsement, it was even worse. One thing I would probably do differently than you in the same position would be to buy a plane. Aircraft ownership is extremely lucrative. That’s another 70-100 an hour depending on the deal you get on the plane.

[@TheSchwartzIsWithYouToday]

I'm finding that CFIs are like most any other entrepreneur -- they do a lousy job of marketing themselves. If they work for schools, the schools also do a mediocre job of marketing themselves AND the CFIs who work with them. Also, there are a lot of clubs and those folks don't advertise or promote much at all. I stumbled into a FB group for people in the SLC area where there are lots of Q&A about CFIs in that area. But I live in Phoenix, which is a hot-bed for flight training (well, for 8-9 months of the year) and I haven't found a similar FB group here. (Does anybody know of one?)

[@braer240]

@@TheSchwartzIsWithYouToday yeah. I’m apart of airplanes and coffee. They encompass the whole USA. Posted in there about needing a tailwheel CFI and had a dozen or more respond. Knocked that out. And am doing acrobatic training this Thursday as well. I have a Citabria 7gcbc

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Solid points! Thanks so much for watching one of my videos! I really appreciate you taking a moment to comment!

[@momo808able]

Loved the comparison. Coming from a military background as an NCO, teaching /training Soldiers and watch them progress is a passion of mine. I was anticipating this video of yours to hopefully give me the motivation to follow your route after my training is complete. Keep it up sir! Stay blessed!

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Thx!!

[@tfarland1983]

Thanks Trent, lots of great info here! The airports in my area - Spokane - have minimum standards that require lease of office space, and more, in order to provide flight instruction. They don't allow through-the-fence operations. Any advice on how to find the right airport to be an independent CFI?

[@trent_dyrsmid]

My advice, is definitely not earth shattering, and it is to just find an airport that would allow you to be an independent instructor.

[@RonVF]

Another great, informative video Trent! I especially like how you are doing 3 hour lessons while also incorporating a destination into every flight. I worked at a 141 school way back in the late 80’s early 1990-91. I did the 2 hour block 120 flight hour months when I was 30+ years younger. I am now just casually instructing as an independent part 61 guy. I don’t need to build hours and quality of life is what I seek. I prefer the boutique method of instructing for both time management as well as type of student. Congratulations on your successes, your efforts and entrepreneurship have earned you them!

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Thx Ron!!

[@jimbuck795]

Great video, sir! I'm currently working on my commercial pilot certificate and have been thinking about becoming a CFI. This video is very motivating.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Go for it!

[@jonesinnovation]

I’ve been doing my research in becoming a pilot I’ve been watching your channel for awhile I have came across a similar idea good to see someone break it down more for me to view it in another perspective. Love your videos !

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Thank you so much for watching and leaving a comment. It all helps my channel to grow and help more guys/gals like us!! I wish you all the best in your journey as well :)

[@tadhomesllc8532]

Phenomenal video and great advice. Thanks for your content, it’s been very helpful as I’m picking headings to navigate my career as a pilot.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Glad it was helpful! You may also want to attend this workshop tomorrow. flywithtrent.com/become-an-independent-cfi-training-offer/?

[@brandysmart4582]

I've been looking forward to this video, HUGE THANK YOU!

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Your welcome!

[@Chowhound9985]

So have I.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

🙌

[@Helpful_Corn]

How can one without a background in business or negotiation pick up those skills? You obviously have them because I was shocked you were able to get the airplane owners to give you a percentage and the schools to pay referral fees. I am working on CFI, but I couldn’t negotiate my way out of a paper bag.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Having three decades of experience in business, sure doesn’t hurt. In the absence of that, just keep asking and asking and asking until you find someone that says yes. That’s just kind of how it works.

[@chiibekwe7665]

Thank you for sharing this! Awesome content! I appreciate your transparency!

[@trent_dyrsmid]

My pleasure! Thanks so much for watching one of my videos! I really appreciate you taking a moment to comment!

[@mr.alvedon]

Thanks for video, I’m pilot from Sweden, planning com to US 🇸🇪

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Very cool!

[@jasonrundles]

I have watched your growth and I am so thankful for this video.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

🙌🙌

[@PilotJoeFL]

Love the ideas, Sir. Going to incorporate some into my business.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Thanks so much for watching one of my videos! I really appreciate you taking a moment to comment!

[@PilotJoeFL]

@@trent_dyrsmid I watch most of them

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Thx!!

[@LukeKirk1113]

That’s impressive man congrats.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Thx Luke!

[@LukeKirk1113]

@@trent_dyrsmid how does that work with the aircraft owners paying you an extra $15 an hour just for using their plane? Never heard of that before.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

There’s no rules about what an aircraft owner and a CFI have to agree to.

[@chrisholland8226]

You have me seriously considering career 3.0. 18 years as a truck driver (owner-operator), the last 9 and counting working as a Safety Director for several trucking companies. The idea of not just getting my PPL, but going for CFI and doing it independently is very intriguing. Is there a particular light sport aircraft you would recommend for someone who would look into owning the plane? I would have assumed just a solid, older 172 would have been the best choice, but it sounds like that may not be the case.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

I am definitely not an expert on Lightsburg aircraft so I don’t have a specific recommendation for you at this point in time with that said, in a week and a half or so I am going down to a major aviation conference, where I expect to see plenty of lights for aircraft, and I will be shooting as much footage as I can to be published after that event.

[@johnnyg1968]

You are always breaking ground and sharing awesome information for those of us that are new to aviation. Thank you!

[@trent_dyrsmid]

You’re welcome! Thanks so much for watching one of my videos! I really appreciate you taking a moment to comment!

[@supa819819]

Can you make a video on the top 10/5 airplane to use as an independent? Used or new models or any parameters really. Just something to keep in mind when shopping

[@trent_dyrsmid]

I may do that soon-ish…

[@hanksonnier8915]

I really like the videos. You have jumped in with both feet and capitalized on the entire process. Good luck with your journey.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Thanks so much!

[@kuriskoandco]

I am playing with the idea of becoming a cfi - I love the ida of 3 hour training sessions - makes a lot of sense.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Thanks so much for watching one of my videos! I really appreciate you taking a moment to comment!

[@davesaunders6339]

Great video. Just discovered your channel. Any videos on fast track to becoming independent CFI? Working on PPL right now.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Thanks Dave! Watch this one kzbin.info/www/bejne/g5y8pqiAi82tptksi=XUNU0ovtemNB801Q

[@christiaangrobbelaar3338]

Hi Trent, fantastic video. I am a South African with an ICAO ATPL and South African version of CFII & MEI. Please can you assist with how I can cost effectively convert these into an FAA license? Would love to instruct in the USA.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

I have no idea. But Google does :)

[@MagnificentOne]

One thought, for CFIs not sure about transitioning to being independent, start out and stay at a flight school but “moonlight” as a CFI at the local flying club. Flying clubs often have planes that sit, will have you covered for insurance, and want to have student pilots as it’s essentially their pipeline for membership. You’ll find most flight clubs do have members who are CFIs but almost none of them want to do PPL and prefer IFR students so there’s a lot of opportunities there. Pretty much the path that all the CFIs at the local flight school do as they learn it from eachother. Mon-Fri teaching in the flight school’s TAAs with glass, on the weekends flying with club member student pilots at a $50/hr rate but in classic 172s and 150s with steam gauges. Also, you don’t have to pay the club fees since you are instructing someone who already is paying membership dues. Now go out and actually try it, don’t just fantasize about doing it. Best of luck to all my fellow aviators.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Fantastic idea! Thanks for sharing!

[@pesekmichael]

Great video Trent. I have my discovery flight booked this week. One questions is when I start going for my PPL. I know you did videos and suggestions on what to look for in flight schools. Should I stick with looking at flight schools or look and independent CFI instructors to get my PPL? Pros and cons? Thanks for all the help getting started

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Michael, if you can find an independent CFI, who you get along well with, that is definitely worth considering. Failing that, go with either a flight school or a flight club and ensure it is part 61.

[@shockwavegaming1376]

(Question at the end)I've been self-employed for about 14yrs now, so the independent part of being a cfi, and the bigger paycheck that comes with that, both sound really good to me. One thing I've struggled with in my career as an arborist is working around seasonal weather. Being new to aviation, my question is, how much does weather affect your ability to fly? Especially the seasonal weather extremes that we deal with here in Idaho? I can barely schedule 2 weeks out sometimes, and months in advance is out of the question for my current line of work.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Boise gets over 300 days of sunshine per year, so not a lot of canceled flights. In the winter months from mid November through to the end of February I’m able to only fly about half as much because we lose plenty of days due to low ceilings and icing.

[@coreyjordan2745]

Nice, Can't wait for the video on "Owning your own plane" Very educational. Always informative.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Thanks so much for watching one of my videos! I really appreciate you taking a moment to comment!

[@JeremyMyersmusic]

Excellent video Trent. I have given it a thumbs up and have shared it with a CFI friend.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Much appreciated!

[@travismorrison745]

If you are using someone’s private aircraft to instruct, or even your own, you need an inspection every 100 hrs right? How does that impact your schedule?

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Yes you do and I spread my 15 flights per week over six days, so there is always one day during the week that can be earmarked for the inspection.

[@PiReP58]

Love this channel. So inspiring and has helped motivate me throughout my training.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Great to hear! Thank you for watching my videos!

[@gregorywhite4573]

Wow man, how did I just find this? I’ll be following (copying) closely 😎

[@trent_dyrsmid]

🙌🙌🙌

[@Complete_Freedom]

Great video Trent. Thank you very much for breaking things down this way. I am looking to start my own independent CFI business and this has sold me on how to get started.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Glad it was helpful! 🙌🙌🙌

[@jakepfarr1]

Thank you so much for always putting out such great content, Trent!

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Thx Jake!

[@nealhere]

Great video. One thing I think is missing is downtime for the plane and where is service taking place and are you getting priority. Light sport is good but is there someone in the hood to work on it. I wish you great wealth and happiness. All the best neal sw fla cfi

[@trent_dyrsmid]

The plane gets 100 hour inspection every 2 or 3 weeks on Wednesday and I typically only fly one flight early Wednesday morning so it does not affect my income. The shop is local and very easy to work with.

[@rauldiaz3193]

Being an independent CFI is the route I am looking for so this video it is validating my research.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

🙌🙌🙌

[@mitchellwatters7406]

Thank you for the content! This is very encouraging to me. I am 30 and I have a wife with a baby, one on the way, just bought a house last summer, and a good job; however, I’ve been dreaming of going to the airlines. The only issue: there is absolutely no way I could pay bills while building time. So this is a hopeful path. Is it possible to explain how this is achieved? Do you have to become a Part 61/141 with the FAA in order to instruct in your own plane?

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Just become a CFI. That’s it.

[@mitchellwatters7406]

@@trent_dyrsmid Thank you!

[@trent_dyrsmid]

🙌

[@NotForNaught040]

Id be curious about the contract language btw you and an aircraft owner, or even the legal protection around using your own aircraft for instruction.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

My contract was ultra simple and just detailed my access to the plane.

[@gentelsatori1342]

Excellent content Trent. Can you also follow up with the expenses of running your own school? Aircraft maintenance, storage, insurance, cost of buying a plane, etc. Also, what is the best plane to buy that makes this lucrative? Buying used, new, how to save on maintenance cost?

[@trent_dyrsmid]

The maintenance costs are paid by the aircraft owners. As for the “best” plane to buy… there is obviously a lot of differing opinions on that. I think, purchasing a light sport makes the most sense.

[@TheSchwartzIsWithYouToday]

Awesome video! What you covered here is a great overview of working for a flight school vs. working on your own. However, you mentioned buying your own plane and using that. At this point, are you running your own "flight school" from the FAA's perspective? This starts to get into much more of a "business" thing, and the FAA seems to have a lot of issues around this topic from what I can tell. Please consider a video where you might get a CPA / Tax Atty and maybe an insurance specialist to discuss the ins and outs of this (unless you're comfortable discussing your own situation). I've been asking around about it and nobody has any "straight lines" to offer. I realize there are tons of variables, but maybe pick a particular craft, like an SLA that would cost $100k-$200k, and use that as an example in terms of realistic costs, typical overhead, insurance, maybe teaching only sport pilots vs. PPLs (and if maybe if a sport pilot cert is a good stepping stone towards a PPL), insurance (did I mention that?), age-related concerns, and ... what if you already have your own aircraft that would be good for training, like a 152/172/some SLA/etc? Remember, owning your own plane will also require set-asides for regular inspections and required maintenance. You could be talking a 100 hr inspection every month, and a 2k hour rebuild every 15 months. I'm curious because it does not seem anywhere close to buying or leasing a car and then driving for Uber or Lyft, or even just teaching people to drive. As an aside, I drive for U+L and I have a car that costs me roughly $1k/mo, or $250/wk. There are people who go out and rent a Tesla Model Y for $600/wk (if not more) and then have to drive 12 hours a day to earn enough to pay their bills after paying for the car. (Buying one can cost $1500-$2k/mo just for the loan pmts, not much less than renting or leasing.) Cabbies had to do this as well, but they'd often get a few family members or friends together and drive in shifts to keep the car running 24/7. You're obiously not going to do this with a plane (since you probably can't use it to deliver stuff for a fee overnight) but what do the numbers look like if you buy a nice SLA and work the hours you suggest -- teaching 2 x 3-hr classes per day x 5 days per week. How affordable is it on an annual basis?

[@trent_dyrsmid]

So many questions! I don’t have all the answers….and don’t have plans to do a second video on this topic….so I’ll refer you to Google and forums :)

[@TheSchwartzIsWithYouToday]

@@trent_dyrsmid Thanks Trent, and the request was to get somebody who does know about this stuff to talk about how to make things work if you DO "bring your own plane" to the CFI gig. I've heard it mentioned, but haven't found anybody who has ever gone into the details. I don't expect you to explain it, although I think you said you DO use your own plane.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

The plane is actually owned by my friend/student. We were going to go 50/50….but in the end I decided it made more sense to create a slightly different partnership with him because I was only going to need the plane for 5 months.

[@thepilotpivot]

Thanks for another informative video Trent. Much appreciated. One point I'd love just a little more detail on: the aircraft rental/partnership agreement with the aircraft owner. 1) How did you determine the rate the owner will rent to you/your students for - I imagine this must be quite different plane to plane? 2) What's a fair commission/referral rate for any students you bring to the table? I know in your case this was ~$25/hr, was that flat or a percentage of total? 3) How do you schedule the aircraft to avoid conflicting with the owner's personal use? 🙏🙏🙏

[@trent_dyrsmid]

1) I made a suggestion and he accepted 2) I’m not sure what you are asking. 3) Flight Circle scheduling software.

[@timhoke2]

Wow! Great video, Trent. You are, to be sure, an entrepreneur. And I do not think that is something that can be taught. You either are or you aren't and you are. You got my attention on the Light Sport aircraft. I would consider purchasing one, but you did not put anything in the link about these. Please guide me on where to explore Light Sport aircraft. Thank you, sir.

[@TheSchwartzIsWithYouToday]

I'm looking into learning to fly and am leaning mainly towards an LSA. Most of them are

[@trent_dyrsmid]

I don’t have any special links to offer you other than Google. Sorry!

[@tjflynn1014]

Impressive 20k per month. I wasn't expecting that, but so cool that you have worked hard and smart to set this up. I could totally see someone not wanting to go to the airlines and making a career as an CFI. Nice job! Keep up the awesome content.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Thanks so much for watching one of my videos! I really appreciate you taking a moment to comment!

[@ltcterry2006]

Interesting. Most people are not cut out to be entrepreneurs. Three-hour blocks work at a flight school if you schedule that way. And bill that way. The “standard” Private syllabus needs to be revamped - I like your mixing of maneuvers and XC; I’ll add some of that in. Word of mouth works great at a flight school. I’m the busiest MEI in a 100-mile radius. OK, the only one.)

[@trent_dyrsmid]

🙌

[@jonsobieski1339]

Awesome video thanks for all the great information. This is a goal of mine! I’m currently working as an A&P at a flight school and working towards my instrument rating. Just starting off there after 6 years of C17 crew chief experience. I wonder what additional profit would be added when factoring in the reduced maintenance costs.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Jon….Thanks so much for watching one of my videos! I really appreciate you taking a moment to comment!

[@joshuajamesmcginnis8807]

Can you give insight as to your business setup (LLC, Taxes, etc)?

[@trent_dyrsmid]

I use an LLC. It’s pretty much that simple.

[@enochweichers]

Thanks for sharing Trent!

[@trent_dyrsmid]

You bet!

[@alexvig2369]

I just started flight training and getting to 1500 hours was always the part dreadful to me the most. But thanks to this video, I think I stand a decent chance to even enjoy it.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Alex…. Good to hear that!

[@flyinghog1223]

Great job Trent, when you were a newly minted CFI, did you have to work for a flight school to gain experience and confidence in order to become an independent CFI?

[@trent_dyrsmid]

No.

[@MartinWenzelYT]

Man, if I had the cash to drop my job and come out to AZ or ID. That'd be a sick plane to train in. Well, I'll just keep hoping for weather to not be terrible every time I'm scheduled.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Martin….Thanks so much for watching one of my videos! I really appreciate you taking a moment to comment!

[@matthewbickel3853]

Excellent video! This is a step by step outline, recipe really. I am inspired by your work and love of teaching. Thanks Trent!

[@trent_dyrsmid]

You’re welcome Matthew!

[@danielisom07]

I'm 17 years old and I plan on being a pilot. I will be a pilot/entrepreneur and thanks to you I'm going to start a aircraft detailing business in August once I complete my bachelor's in marketing and advertising. I am going to go through destination 225 when I turn 18. The video you made has got me to question if I need to do CFI for CAE. Is it possible to be an independent CFI at 19. Or should I go through the programs instructor route. I plan to use my networking as a aircraft detailer to get clients and also KZbin. I live in Arizona, but may be moving to Pensacola due to flight school costs.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Your plan sounds like a pretty darn good one, and you have youth on your side! Off the top of my head, I’m not aware of any reason why you can’t be a CFI at 19. With that said, one of the things that he will need to overcome is your overall lack of life experience. I recommend putting out quality content on KZbin, showing your skills in action to help overcome that.

[@paulchapman2386]

Thanks for the info. Great stuff!

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Glad it was helpful!

[@armandosalas9052]

You're the man Trent!

[@trent_dyrsmid]

🙏

[@FlyWithTyy]

Hey Trent just interested, how did you go about creating a partnership with flight schools? Would be very grateful for any feedback! Thanks man and hope you and your family have a happy Easter!

[@trent_dyrsmid]

I called them and asked.

[@FlyWithTyy]

@@trent_dyrsmid well that keeps things simple👍🏼 thanks for getting back. Keep up the great work

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Thx!

[@joelee4796]

Awesome video Trent, love the channel and how much you’ve grown! Great info as always, your videos are always a must watch!

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Joe….I appreciate that! Thanks so much for watching one of my videos! I really appreciate you taking a moment to comment!

[@jeffhamilton6581]

Awesome video! Great actionable content Trent. Thank you so much!

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@rotcivuwu1793]

I support this amazing channel. Keep it up Trent!!

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Thx!!

[@jerrymarshall7983]

Trent, love your videos. How do you schedule the planes downtime for 100 hrs and unforeseen downtime.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

That is handled by the aircraft owner.

[@ianperry9571]

Great video! I'm trying to gather as much info as possible as get ready to start my CFI/CFII training. This video is particularly helpful because it's giving me ideas of how I can possibly transition from my current full-time job (not as a pilot) to flying full-time and building hours. As far as training aircraft, I would love your advice. What is your opinion on using a center stick aircraft, such as a Diamond DA40, for commercial maneuvers? Do you think it has any inherent advantages or disadvantages over an aircraft with a yoke? Also, would you recommend a low-wing vs. a high-wing aircraft for training?

[@trent_dyrsmid]

I have flown both high wings and lowing and yolk and stick, and they all have their unique characteristics. Any of them will suffice for training. If I had to pick, I would pick a stick.

[@n36511]

Thanks for the info Trent. I scrolled the questions and may have missed it….but, how many individual students are you training? Meaning do you have 7 students that train roughly twice a week? Asking because I am trying to figure out how many students a cfi would need to fill 4-6 training blocks weekly.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

I can only train 3-4 at a time if they are private pilots in the pre-solo phase. If they are beyond the Private Pilot license, and do not require to fly with me every single day, then I can fit more into my schedule.

[@jacobgoulding]

Awesome video Trent! Curious how you manage the 100hr maintenance requirement for a flight school and if that creates any bottlenecks in your process at all with plane being down, etc?

[@trent_dyrsmid]

No bottlenecks. We work with a local maintenance shop that requires only one week notice and we are doing the hundred hour about every three weeks.

[@DJ99777]

Takes me 6 months to earn that at a regional in Australia.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

🤷‍♂️

[@ajaybajaj9596]

Hello Trent What is make and Model of Light sports aircraft you mentioned

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Remos GX.

[@IGrocker]

Here’s something I’ve been interested in, and I’d like some input. Upon completing my PPL, I am planning on purchasing an instrument rated plane to build time and to use for my IFR and successive ratings. I would like to rent this plane to local school that I have a relationship with, and either selling it to them later on, or potentially keeping it to use to train students of my own after earning my CFI rating. I don’t plan on becoming a CFII. Is this worthwhile? Has anyone here done something similar? My thought with renting it to a school prior to using it for my own business is that it can be a mostly passive income that can help pay for my own flight education and ratings.

[@onethousandtwonortheast8848]

What is your budget? Which plane? Are you buying it cash or paying interest? Have you factored ownership costs and lease back numbers?

[@IGrocker]

@@onethousandtwonortheast8848 I am looking into a Cessna 152, 172, or Piper PA28, but preferably the Piper. I would be partially financing more than likely. I have not discussed numbers with anyone too in depth since I’m still at least six months from beginning the purchasing process, however I would be looking at renting it out in the neighborhood of 40 hours per month. I would need to do a cost analysis for whichever plane I end up purchasing to determine the hourly rate.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

I think that if you buy the right aircraft, that is an excellent plan. If I was starting over, I would go out and purchase my own light sport.

[@IGrocker]

@@trent_dyrsmidlight sport is an interesting option. As far as time building, it seems like a decent option, and it would be an easy option to rent to students when/if I go the CFI route.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

🙌

[@mo.Travelin2]

Do you have downloadable versions of your Xcel from the ACS? Or know of an video or audiobook with every possible question for each cert? I work in an ER and I figure anyone else in my boat would like to listen to the information on repeat while they are walking around.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

I do not. Sorry.

[@mo.Travelin2]

@@trent_dyrsmid Hakuna Matata I’ll try to build it myself.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

🙌

[@StudentPilot4EverLearning]

Great video @Fly with Trent!! Very informative as always and thank you for sharing. On the paperwork side of things what application do you use to track your students and also allow students to maintain a balance with you to pay for lessons? Did you have to start and LLC for the company side of things as well? Keep these great videos coming your time and effort producing this content is greatly appreciated!.

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Yes, I have an LLC and I track the finances in a Google sheet.

[@rabitrouh]

Yay, this is the one i’ve been waiting for. ☕️

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Thanks so much for watching one of my videos! I really appreciate you taking a moment to comment!

[@natali_espino]

This awesome!! Thank you for this information

[@trent_dyrsmid]

You're so welcome!

[@TruckinTrader1]

These videos have been really great, you have put yourself out there and have given a lot of people the chance to "Go for it!". Besides "The Controller" magazine, any recommendations for looking at lite sport aircraft? Thanks again! (Steve Borgholthaus)

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Facebook. Thanks so much for watching one of my videos! I really appreciate you taking a moment to comment!