Fly Your Way To A Homesteading Experience

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SOME FLYING JOBS AND WHAT TH EY PAY

FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR: Instructors are in demand everywhere, from the big-city flight school to the village charter service that runs a training program on the side. Most instructors view the job solely as a quick way to accumulate the many flight hours necessary to land a charter or airline position, so turnover among CFI's (Certified Flight Instructors) is high. As a result, this is the job most easily won by the fresh-out-of-school commercial pilot with no work experience.

Flight instruction can be a good source of income for the homesteader. Many part-time openings exist (particularly for the person who's willing to work evenings and/or weekends). An ambitious pilot can even instruct in his/her own plane, thus increasing his/her earnings and flexibility.

The pay for CFI's ranges from a low of $3. 00 to a high of around $12 an hour, depending on the locality and other factors. (Wages tend to be higher in the West and North than in the South or Southeast.) While a monthly guarantee is uncommon, full-timers who work for busy schools usually bring home sizable checks.

GLIDER TOW PILOT: This is another job that's often open to lowtime pilots. Because gliderports are found neither in truly remote places nor in the middle of cities, towing is a job best suited to the homesteader who's chosen to compromise in his/her location. The pay isn't terrific ($1.00 per tow to start), but the opportunity for steady part-time work (evenings and weekends in particular) is excellent.

JUMP PLANE PILOT: Some folks bail out of perfectly sound airplanes "just for the fun of it" (or so they say). Even more incredible, these people will actually pay money for the privilege of doing this ... and that's where you and I come in. The pay here isn't great (only a little more than for glider towing), but it can be steady if you work with a good club. Here again, you can use your own plane.

FERRY PILOT: Delivering airplanes from factory to customer (or from seller to buyer, in the case of used planes) can be good work for the homesteader who has a wife (or husband) to look after the place while he/she is away "on assignment". Ferry work is enjoyable, a terrific way to build hours, and a fine (if irregular) source of income for the individual whose time is flexible. (That-of course-includes most homesteaders.) The pay is similar to that of flight instructors.

CHARTER PILOT: This catchall term refers to the pilot who flies passengers and/or freight for hire. (The company he or she works for is known either as an air taxi or air charter operation.) Charter jobs are highly prized and competition for them heavy, particularly near large population centers. What's more, most employers require applicants to have a minimum of 1,200 flying hours' experience ... sometimes more. Lowtime pilots are usually advised to instruct (or otherwise build time) for a while before seeking a charter job, although some low-timers—the ones who are stubborn, highly motivated, and willing to work in faraway places-do find charter work.

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