[quote]there are a lot of companies and a lot of jobs that are based on the availability of minimum wage pilots[/quote]
The purpose of flight instruction is NOT to
provide a pathway for 200 hr CPL's to
progress their careers.
The purpose of flight instruction is to provide
flight instruction.
Are all rotary wing instructors 200 hr wonders?
[quote]only the rich or elite could afford to do it[/quote]
I don't buy that argument. Fuel costs
and insurance and navcan and airport
fees soar, and flight training keeps on
trucking along.
I don't think it is necessary to pay 1980
era wages to instructors, for flight training
to survive.
Instructors are paid 1980-era wages
because they choose to do so. They
believe that the hours in their logbook
are their primary compensation, and
any money that comes their way is
more or less incidental.
One could even cross the origin and
have instructors start to pay per hour
to instruct.
Airshows are like that. I have been at
really big airshows where the performers
are NOT paid - their sponsors buy slots
for the performers, at $20k per slot.
