5 Reasons to Transition from the Tools to Teaching Aviation Tech

I am so happy right now, because if you are reading this, it means that you have made that first MASSIVE step already to transition from Engineer to Instructor.

I want to make it clear, that you don’t have to kiss your License goodbye, there are plenty of ways in which you can combine working on aircraft, exercising your B1 or B2 privileges and also be in the position to give back and also get rewarded for it! So, if you are on the fence here are my 5 reasons why transitioning to an Aviation Instructor is a good idea.

1. Adding an Alternative Income Stream

In the modern day of Globalisation sometimes one skill may just not be enough.  Everyday, more and more people are trying their hand at second jobs because the way the World is going, no matter how much money we earn nowadays it never seems to be enough! 

Personally speaking, in my 35-year career as an aircraft engineer, my livelihood was put at risk by two Gulf Wars, September 11^th and the Global Financial Crisis that followed, SARS, bird-flu and recently Covid 19.  What better way could you imagine an alternative source of income from doing something different like Instructing, where you really are the subject matter expert? 

2. Giving Back

I was asked the other day “what is the benefit to me, a 30-year seasoned instructor of joining your Train the Trainer SYSTEM community?”

Well, it is my opinion that in this World there are two types of people; the givers and the takers;  What an absolute shame that such a celebrity Instructor still feels they are entitled to take rather than giving back and propping up the industry?  

I’m not saying I do things for free either, but as an Instructor myself, we are a breed that inherently give.  So give – and you WILL be rewarded!

3. Quality of Life

As a Licensed Engineer I either worked 4 on / 4 off when under permanent employment, or all the hours possible as a contractor.  

Looking back at all those years, there were so many family significant events that I missed because of shift-work, so many kids' sporting events, so many Christmas days or family gatherings.  

As an Instructor working a five-day week and office hours, you will be able to do the job you love and also never miss out on any family events or significant holidays.  Theory courses can also be taught online, which gives you the opportunity to work from home.

It is also a “clean” job, no more Skydrol or Fuel smells in your hair, no more driving home with the sun rising up on the horizon at the end of your windscreen, no more taping up black film on your bedroom windows to simulate night so you can get to sleep…

4. Personal Development

Only since Covid have we really started to realise how big the gap is between where the standards in aviation are now and where they effectively should be.  

As many left the industry or retired during Covid, every field within aviation is in shortage of manpower and looking to improve staffing levels.  

Apprentice training was put on hold, resulting in a gap in the flow of newcomers into a Company.  This has had a significant avalanche effect on the MRO in all sorts of ways.

Despite all this negativity however, every cloud has a silver lining.  The opportunities for personal development within your organisation (or even a new one) have never been better than what they are today!  So grab one of those opportunities and make a difference.  Be that person who wants to improve; be that person who wants to progress and develop.

5. It's easier than you think!

If you look at your Job Description / Mission Statement as a Certifying Engineer under the Part 145 in your MOE, you will see that among your duties is also “supervision and monitoring of the junior technicians in their maintenance activities.”  So I ask you this;  How are you able to conduct supervision and monitoring without the simple acts of 2-way communication and feedback from the technician’s activities?  What do you do if they have performed an activity wrong or not up to the required standard?  Of course, you will tell them to do it again, by helping them understand how it’s done and why it is done the way the Manual prescribes it should be done.  Well that my friends, is Instructing - you are already doing it daily, you just don’t realise!

If you would like to know more about how we can support you in transitioning please email us at [email protected]