Max talks with Greg Brown about one of the most important—and often underestimated—roles in aviation: the flight instructor. Greg is one of aviation’s most respected CFIs, writers, and pilot mentors. A pilot since 1972 and a flight instructor since 1979, he was named the 2000 Industry/FAA National Flight Instructor of the Year, became the first-ever Master Flight Instructor, and was inducted into the Flight Instructor Hall of Fame in 2021. Many pilots know Greg from his aviation books, including The Savvy Flight Instructor, The Turbine Pilot’s Flight Manual, Flying Carpet, You Can Fly!, and Job Hunting for Pilots, as well as from his long-running “Flying Carpet” column in AOPA Flight Training magazine and his Cockpit Adventures from the Flying Carpet podcast.
In this episode, Greg and Max focus on practical advice for people who are becoming CFIs, looking for CFI jobs, or trying to build a better flight instruction business. Greg explains that he did not become a flight instructor immediately after earning his private pilot certificate. By the time he earned his CFI, he had already accumulated a great deal of flying experience and had discovered that he loved teaching. He instructed about 800 hours in his first year while still holding another full-time job, and soon discovered that instruction could lead to unexpected aviation opportunities.
One of Greg’s key messages is that becoming a CFI should not be viewed as a dead end or merely a required stepping stone to an airline job. He tells the story of teaching an instrument student who owned a scientific instrument company. That student eventually invited Greg to become the company’s chief pilot and help select and fly a cabin-class twin. Greg’s point is that CFIs meet people, build trust, and create opportunities in ways that are impossible to predict.
Greg also offers detailed advice on how new instructors can get hired. He explains that many applicants simply send resumes and end up in a large pile with everyone else. A smaller number know someone at the flight school. But the strongest applicants are those who have built a personal relationship with the owner, chief instructor, or people already working there. Greg urges aspiring CFIs to visit flight schools, ask for advice, stay in touch, and create a simple system to maintain relationships over time. In a tight CFI job market, he says, networking and reputation can be more important than raw hours.
Max and Greg also discuss different paths into flight instruction, including academies, Part 61 flight schools, flying clubs, universities, and independent instruction. Greg says flying clubs can be a terrific environment because instructors often know their students, have access to aircraft, and may face less bureaucracy. They also discuss the idea of buying an airplane to teach in. While that can work for some instructors, Greg and Max point out the financial and insurance challenges, along with the practical limitation that when a student solos your airplane, you no longer have that airplane available for dual instruction.
A major theme of the episode is that flight instructors must also learn marketing and sales. Greg recommends that CFIs create photo business cards with an airplane or cockpit image, a QR code, and contact information. He says the card does the work of explaining who you are and often starts conversations with people who may be interested in aviation. Greg also recommends having at least a simple web page, so potential students searching online for flight training or a local flight instructor can find you.
Greg also strongly recommends earning a ground instructor certificate. He explains that the advanced ground instructor written test overlaps substantially with the commercial and flight instructor written tests, making it a practical step for many aspiring CFIs. Teaching ground school can help a future instructor get connected with a flight school, develop teaching skill, and attract future flight students. Max adds that teaching ground school before his CFI checkride made it far easier to stand at a board, explain concepts clearly, and teach an examiner during the practical test.
The discussion then turns to how CFIs can earn more and build long-term credibility. Greg compares flight instruction to golf or tennis instruction: the best instructors are not necessarily the cheapest, but the ones who provide the most value. He recommends building references, earning additional instructor ratings, pursuing credentials such as Master Flight Instructor, and developing expertise. Max adds that specialization can move an instructor up the value chain. A CFI might become known for tailwheel training, glass cockpit instruction, instrument training, mountain flying, aircraft ownership, Cirrus training, Mooney training, or another niche.
Greg and Max also explore the deeper human side of flight instruction. Greg tells two stories about challenging students. One student showed poor judgment and returned from a long solo cross-country with nearly empty tanks and a damaged wing after failing to refuel. Another student, a CFI applicant, performed terribly on a checkride because of severe test anxiety, even though he had been well prepared in training. Rather than dismiss him, Greg helped connect him with support. That student eventually became an airline captain. The lesson: some problems reflect character and judgment, while others are barriers a good instructor can help a pilot overcome.
Near the end of the episode, Greg asks listeners to think of the flight instructor who most influenced their lives. Max names his primary instructor, Dick Johnston, and recalls how his advice still echoes decades later. Greg remembers his own primary instructor, Bob Vetter, who let him recover from an inadvertent spin under careful supervision and taught him lessons that shaped his own approach to instruction.
Max closes by describing flight instructing as a sacred responsibility. CFIs are not merely preparing students for checkrides; they are helping pilots build the judgment and habits that may keep them alive for decades. Greg agrees and shares how meaningful it is to hear from former students, now airline captains, who still remember the role he played in their lives. This episode is both a practical guide to CFI jobs and a reminder that flight instructors can profoundly shape the future of the pilots they teach.
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