Raaus instructor pay

[mates rates]

Was just wondering whether or not there is some sort of award covering RAA instructor pay or is it just a matter of what you can negotiate?

 

 

[FlyingVizsla]

Pay?? What pay? Just kidding! The instructors I know are all single operators, most operating under a club. They do it for a small fee as the club insures and maintains the aircraft and school, the instructor gets maybe $20. Could be a different story at larger schools with a good through put and possibly aircraft for hire too.

 

There is an award for GA pilots which includes instructors:-

 

http://www.fwa.gov.au/consolidated_awards/AP/AP792332/asframe.html

 

There are other awards for airlines, choppers etc. Most of the GA instructors I knew were "contractors" - got paid by the hour flown and expected to answer phones, wash planes, tutor students etc for free.

 

Sue

 

 

[flyinghigh]

Rates are pretty-much on a per-school individual basis. If you instruct casually, it won't be huge: me, I do it for the experience and find it a great way to keep current and share my love of flying, the money doesn't really come into it.

 

 

[mates rates]

Thanks for the replies,guys.One would think that you would come under a specific award of some description.The GA award does not really apply as it is GA and the Instructor levels are not applicable to RAA operations.

 

 

[Guest basscheffers]

Most I have heard is $50 per flying hour; since a lesson really will be 2 hours, that's the equivalent of just $25/hour. And as others have said: it's all down from there. Only worth doing as a job if you get enough people through the school, but don't forget to save for the lean months!

 

 

[Chird65]

Mates rates,

 

it would be interesting to have that tested. RAA operates under the GA General Aviation rules. The only difference, at the moment, is there are exceptions for RAA.

 

The award is should cover, "5.2 This award relates to the industry of persons employed as pilots in any capacity whether full-time, part-time or casual in General Aviation excepting Helicopters and Aerial Agriculture operations".

 

In the end it is between the employer and Instructer.

 

 

[Chird65]

I need to bite my tounge.

 

Further reading restricts the award.

 

6. WHO IS BOUND BY THIS AWARD?

 

 

 

 

 

 

The award is binding upon each of the employers and/or operators named in Appendix A; each pilot identified in 5.2, and the Australian Federation of Air Pilots

 

I have not read the appendix but doubt that many RAA flight schools would be listed except existing PPL Flight schools.

 

 

[Chird65]

And Finally it took 3 years and 8 months to reach my 100th post...... and this is it.....not very note worthy but I thought I would celibrate.

 

 

[Guest davidh10]

Awards only apply to employees. The on costs of employing someone in a small business are such that it is very attractive to hire only "contractors". That way it cuts red tape, avoids a lot of overheads and means the rates are whatever are agreed.

 

 

[Ultralights]

sadly no one gets rich in the aviation industry, especially GA/RAAus, only the airline management and top captains do.

 

 

[mates rates]

sadly no one gets rich in the aviation industry, especially GA/RAAus, only the airline management and top captains do.

So if your a "contractor" as an RAA instructor there are some serious insurance concerns and costs.

 

 

[blueshed]

I always thought if you were to directly earn monies from being pilot in command you needed to hold a Commercial Pilots Licence, maybe there is an exemption in RAAus!

 

 

[ave8rr]

As I understand it, "Contractors" have to have their own insurance, pay their own tax super etc.

 

Cheers

 

 

[poteroo]

There need be no problems with insurance and tax, provided the paperwork is straight. If you were a self-employed person, and held an ABN, then you would have your 'casual' per hour rate, (+GST), paid into your business account. Your business would count that as income, and the ATO would be happy.

 

All this assumes that the FTF/AOC is legally operating its' aircraft, is insured for public liability,and the aircraft are insured for everything - including solo training and hire.

 

Yes, you can count on spending another hour with formal pre-flight briefs, and post flight de-briefs of students. Also, students need time and supervision to conduct a 'daily inspection' of the aircraft, and to practice their 'passenger briefing'. It all adds up to training time, and yes, it's unpaid, and often unappreciated. Probably explains why it's we oldies, with time to spare, who are doing much of the RAAus instructing.

 

When you understand that CASA expect a formal 'long brief' of some 40 mins, and really scrutinise this, at initial and subsequent testing of GA instructors, you can see where the future is for RAAus. Instructing will inevitably become more onerous in RAAus, with standards raised from the current 20 hr course with 75 hrs TT. Lets face it, if CASA have been so concerned with instructing standards that they now have a dedicated team inspecting and testing the instructing industry in GA - next stop will be RAAus standards.

 

I reckon you'll find that the 'real' value of RAAus instructors is more like $70/hr - when the instructor/owner breaks down the $165-175/hr they receive for their modern RAAus HP aircraft. Of course, casuals are more likely to be paid $40-50/hr as noted previously.

 

happy days,

 

 

[FlyingVizsla]

Was talking to a lass who gave up after the Certificate because the local operator put the hourly rate up to $210 and she couldn't afford the Xcountry. I know the airstrip and the Council fees are hefty, but this makes it dearer to do RAAus than to go with the local GA instructor in a Cessna. Something wrong with the world.

 

Sue

 

 

[poteroo]

Sounds unusual that GA would be less than RAAus. Jandakot GA is more like $260/hr dual + the landing fees, tower fees etc of nearly $30/hr. Here it's like $240/hr for a C150 dual, $280 for a 172. Our RAAus for a J-160 with EFIS & GPS, dual, is $165. I believe that's close to other schools in WA operating similar aircraft. Our City has decided that $11/landing is a reasonable fee....but at the moment that is actually a 24 hr fee. Avgas is nigh on $2/L. Costs are rising - and the only alternative is to find a paddock somewhere away from noise sensitive tree-changers. But this can backfire, because there's an expectation that RAAus is close to GA in many respects, including the provision of a schmick 'glass aircraft and a bitumin parking area!

 

happy days,