flight instructor

technician

scheduler

customer service representative

software engineer

FlightSafety International

If you are considering working as an Instructor at FSI you would be well advised to read ALL the reviews posted by former/current Instructors and Training Center Evaluators (TCE’s). A few reviews are positive, some are neutral, but many are very negative. Take the few positive ones with a huge grain of salt and pay close attention to the negative reviews, they are very accurate and consistent. I’ve worked at multiple FSI locations and experienced most, if not all of the negatives that reviewers have posted. The problems that Instructors experience are not limited to one or two flight training centers but are at ALL the centers, it is systemic. The negative reviews have common threads (i.e. Severely inadequate Instructor staffing, lying management, ineffective/incompetent management, top heavy management, non-caring management, horrendous schedules that constantly change, the expectation that the Instructor is available around the clock and at a moments notice. Instructors are effectively on call 24/7/365 (with the exception of two personal days and accrued vacation time), and a quality-of-life close to zero. I’ll address each of these common threads. When the term “management” is used I’m generally referring to corporate/upper-level management, however, there are times when negatives apply to lower-level management as well. Severely inadequate Instructor staffing: This is the biggest problem an Instructor will experience and leads to a host of other problems (i.e. lacking quality-of-life, constantly changing schedule, very long work hours, eventual ineffective Instructor training and ultimately Instructor apathy and burn-out). In every department I worked the instructor staffing level was below where it needed to be. Once an Instructor resigns, the company may, or may not hire a replacement Instructor. The process of hiring a new instructor is a very long and drawn out process. In the meantime, the already overworked Instructors are required to pick up the now increased workload. If a new Instructor is hired they will require training. This training is provided by the current Instructors in the new-hires assigned department. This leads to what is known as the Double-Whammy-Effect (DWE) suffered by all the Instructors. DWE occurs because the client training workload is not reduced for any Instructors tasked to train the new-hire Instructor, it becomes an additional burden heaped upon their already increased workload. The DWE continues until the new Instructor is fully qualified which can take months to years. Lying management: Most managers are honest, however, I’ve intentionally been lied to by more than one manager on more than one occasion, every time with a smile on their face. I know of new-hires who were misinformed about the yearly work requirements and expected schedules during their interview. This seems to be an acceptable practice at FSI as I never saw those managers disciplined in any way. If anything, some were ultimately rewarded with promotions. Ineffective/incompetent management: Management seems to spend the majority of their time putting out fires due to their poor policy and management decisions. They are also not above pointing fingers and placing blame for their ineptness on subordinates. Some management candidates are selected because they are most like the in-place management. Like inbreeding, it’s not good for the gene pool. Not all the management team are ineffective and/or incompetent, but there are enough of them that life for the Instructor eventually becomes unbearable. Top heavy management: A classic example of too many chiefs and not enough indians. I’ve often thought FSI managements goal was not to effectively manage but rather to self-propagate and protect their existence at any cost and by any means. Non-caring management: Upper-level management doesn’t care because the blowback from their poor decisions, policies or ineptitude doesn’t directly affect them. Unless it significantly impacts “the bottom line“ or them personally, they have no vested interest in increasing the staffing levels or otherwise improving conditions. The higher up the ladder they are the more isolated and insulated they are. They are extremely out of touch with what the typical Instructor has to endure. There is no mechanism or policy in place that makes them accountable, therefore they don’t need to care about their performance or the wellbeing of their subordinates, and they don’t. Horrendous schedules and the expectation that the Instructor is available for work at all times: Typically you will be assigned the following weeks schedule on the previous Friday. Therefore, you can plan your life only one week into the future, and that’s a big maybe. Your start time for any given day can vary throughout the week. As an example: on Monday you could have a start time of 8 Am, on Tuesday a start time of 8 Pm, on Wednesday a start time of 10 Am, etc. This type of schedule is not unheard of. You can forget about having a normal sleep schedule. If the simulator breaks down (it happens more often than you’d expect) but can be repaired, you are expected to complete the training when the simulator becomes available again. If it takes four or five hours to get the simulator back in operation then you are expected/required to continue the session at that point. Does it matter that you may have non-work related plans like a doctors appointment or kids that need tending to? Nope! Too bad for you, you’ll just have to suck it up. The days are mostly very long. My average day spent at the training center was anywhere from ten to twelve hours. Although it didn’t happen often, I’ve spent as many as fourteen hours there. I’ve even slept there because of a late end-time followed by an early start-time and didn’t want to sacrifice sleep to commute time. Arrive plenty early before the scheduled start time to prepare for the training session and spend a significant amount of time after the session has concluded to complete required computer and paperwork. You will receive zero credit for this pre and post prep time. The only credit received towards the yearly minimum requirement (known as DAL’s, or, ‘face-time’) is when you are the Instructor-of-record working directly with the client(s). You will work many non-DAL hours and receive no credit for them. An example of this is when a client arrives without a training partner and can’t be paired with another client. For an aircraft that requires a two-person crew an Instructor will be scheduled as a seat-filler for the client. You would think that the instructor filling the other crew seat would receive DAL’s for their efforts. You would be wrong. Why? Because the seat-filler Instructor is not the Instructor-of-record. There have been cases of Instructors working as seat-fillers for many weeks without acquiring a single DAL! When it comes to upper-level managements view of how productive an Instructor is, the only thing that matters is the number of DAL’s accumulated, period! Just because you have received your next weeks schedule doesn’t mean that’s the schedule you will work. The schedules change constantly. As an example, a schedule of six days on with one day off is typical, however, just because you have a day scheduled off doesn’t mean you will not be called in on that very day. It happens all the time, sometimes at the last minute. The company policy states you can be worked twelve consecutive days. My record was twenty one consecutive days before I got a day off, and these were long days. FSI can and will bend/break their own rules if it benefits the company. Poor Quality-of-Life: This one is easy to explain. Just take all the previously described common-threads and tie them together, the result is an extremely poor to nil quality-of-life, unless work IS your life. Other problems encountered: Becoming a TCE: If you become a TCE it means more work and a bigger target on your back. The only advantage to becoming a TCE is a minuscule pay bump. It really isn’t worth it. Employee Infractions: If an infraction is committed by an employee, the company policy states that the employee should first receive a verbal warning, followed by a written warning and finally disciplinary action. It doesn’t seem to matter if the infraction is accidental or deliberate. I know of situations where management skipped the verbal warning and went straight to the written warning and/or disciplinary action. It seemed to depend on which Instructor and manager(s) were involved and how serious those in management deemed the infraction to be. Some in management are just flat out vindictive. Just another example of management breaking/bending their own rules. Career advancement: Do you have a desire to enter management? Good news! You have the same chance as someone who may even be more qualified than you. It doesn’t seem to matter what an applicants prior work history, educational background or supervisory/management experience is. As long as management doesn’t view you as a threat to their way of doing things and they LIKE you, then you have an excellent chance. Don’t bother applying for the position, it’s a waste of time. If management wants you, you will be taken behind closed doors and informed that the position is yours if you want it. Eventually you will have to apply for the position to make the application/interview process appear legitimate to the other applicants who are no longer in the running. Although management will claim this doesn’t occur, well, it does. The application/interview process can work the way it’s supposed to, but only when management can’t find the person they want to take the position. Instructor Incentive  (Word count limit reached.)

The quality of life and work at FSI depend on which training center and which aircraft program the instructor works in, though there are similarities in all the centers. Some instructors have pleasant work schedules and single-customer assignments; they can settle into a comfortable routine and may find this a good place to work. Other programs have very busy schedules and constantly changing requirements for various FAR 135 customers. Very commonly the instructor must work 8 – 9 hours straight with no lunch break. For some reason, tired instructors with low blood sugar make a minor mistake every month or two. But let’s blame the instructors, not the managers who create those conditions. Many employees are willing to put in extra effort to “help the company through a tight spot,” but this isn’t a temporary rough patch on the way to better days, it’s just business as usual. 

If only one or two people leave it’s easy to claim they’re disgruntled and won’t be happy anywhere. But when 40% of the instructors in a program leave each year, middle management needs to look at the underlying causes for the exodus. They don’t talk to employees directly or have exit surveys to find out what’s really happening. There’s little communication from management on any subject except to announce more burdens at work. 

Management needs to consider the cost of high turnover. Recruiting, interviewing, doing drug and background checks, hiring and training new instructors is a time-consuming and expensive process. Instead, more effort should be put into retaining current employees who have already proven their worth. Equipping, empowering, and encouraging them would help the company’s bottom line. Everyone would win. Although pay raises might help in some cases, the causes of migration to other companies usually is more about how employees are treated. There are several solutions, but management is not open to gaining insight from experienced employees; they would rather impose their will on others, to the company’s loss. 

Diligent instructors who are overworked in an aircraft type are unable to move into different programs even after a year. They’re too valuable to the original program so they’re stuck where they are, and more pilots are hired off “the street” into the easier programs. Perversely, some new-hire instructors who have few qualifications for the job are given months of extra “training” time to essentially relax at home. They’re never held to account or given deadlines to achieve the qualifications that other instructors already had when they walked in the door. Diligence is punished; sloth is rewarded. Eventually the overworked instructors burn out and move on to another company, to safeguard their health and relationships. Employees will be abused as long as they’re willing to be. (“You teach people how to treat you by what you allow, what you stop, and what you reinforce.” – Tony Gaskins)

Strangely, many FSI simulators are deliberately built with the instructor station on the wrong side of the simulator and there is no place to store checklists or other materials while the sim is in motion. There is no reason for this, and other manufacturers have built sims correctly for decades. Even new simulators here have these fundamental flaws that defy ergonomics and make training more difficult. Many turboprops and jets can be flown single pilot, and the IOS needs to be on the right side of the simulator so the instructor can see what the left-seat pilot is doing. The faulty arrangement adds to instructor fatigue and reduces the client’s training quality. It’s a wonder that the FAA even allows it.

An ancient Persian tenet is appropriate here: “Do right because it is right” (i.e., not just because of what you might gain). Another principle is: “Do to others as you’d have them do to you.” If management would apply that and try to increase good in the workplace, they would find that the business would improve as a result of treating others well. A rising tide lifts all boats. Many other former employees on this thread are helping to inform potential applicants of the challenges you’ll find at FSI. We’re working to increase good by exposing poor policies and inviting managers to do what is right.

This could be a good part-time job for pensioners who can afford it. Without a full-time schedule you can avoid burnout.

While I worked for FlightSafety, Int'l for several years at two separate locations.  I also had chances to visit other centers from time to time giving me some insight as to the job culture at any given center.  

I can speak only as a previously employed Simulator Technician II.

Every location I either worked or visited had the same type of managerial mindset, and the simulation department would be the same too.  

What I mean by the above statement is this.  
Managers really didn't put effort into helping you obtain the skills necessary for a possible promotion.  The same for your fellow sim techs, save for a small few generally they would keep their experiences and knowledge all to themselves in fear of you maybe getting better at the cost of their lively hood.

Managers were great talkers, however not so much at taking action.  I've never in my life met so many procrastinators in management.  Wait until the absolute final moment to perform their duty.  When it was something that was the other way around where you needed to submit something for them however, it was "i need this back as fast as you can."  Less than a day later, "why haven't you finished it."  

My last Manager would literally hound me to death anytime an event that he would make up for people to get together outside of work about why I didn't come, or bring my wife.  

I had already explained to him multiple times, work is work and what I do on my time is my business.  I believe that by doing these small outside work meeting where only a select few show for whatever reason creates what is known in FlightSafety as the "Good Ole Boys Club."  Anyone not in it or decides not to participate is left out on potential job advancements and generally shunned on a day to day basis by not only managers but by fellow simulator technicians.  

What's really an eye opener is when you see what you receive for relocation incentive once you are know longer a lowly Simulator Technician.  As a sim tech I would be offered at most $2500 for relocating.  Didn't matter how far away.  

When I was offered the position as a Simulator Qualification Technician, which is the sub-supervisor if the supervisor is on vacation/sick.  The relocation for that was unbelievably great.   There was no worry about reimbursement.  It was a huge package deal where a moving company would come and do everything for you.  Your vehicles would be transported via a carrier service to the new location.  You would be flown out to the area for 1 week receiving pay +per diem to search for a place to live.  2 weeks after that you and your wife would be flown out once (another week) more to decide on the place to live while receiving pay plus per diem for you and your spouse.  

Finally you would be flown out for the last time to arrive at your new residence where your vehicles would already be along with all of your furniture, clothing, appliances, etc.  The heavy stuff would be placed into the home/apartment already, all of the smaller things you had to unpack and deal with.  

Well more than $2500 dollars.  What a massive difference I thought to myself.  I couldn't believe how badly the company would do majority of it's vital workforce.  While the upper 25% received such unthinkable care free aid w/o any worries about spending a dollar out of your pocket save for any meal or soda purchased, but that too was covered by the per diem.  

Good place if you are in the higher ranks, from what I've been told.  I turned down the SQT Position due to the Salary being subpar for the cost of living of the area I would be living.  

I ended up leaving FlightSafety, and now work as an ordinary Simulator Tech still but earn more than the salary offered to me for the SQT position.  

They are underpaying the living dickens out of so many people within the company, but not the upper management....no no.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The overall feeling within the company is really very good. It was wonderful working with the clients, the trainers, and the Program Managers. From all of them I always felt valued and received great feedback not only on what I was doing well, but how I could improve when I asked. The benefits were also top notch.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The Customer Service Supervisor was a passive aggressive narcissist. He would complain that people were not getting enough done, but he would spend most of his time just walking around chatting with people so it made getting work done almost impossible. There was virtually no positive feedback, but always a lot of negative, and often in a back handed way. It was also very frustrating to feel like I was giving 100% of myself to do what was asked and receiving great feedback from everyone else, but negative or no feedback from my immediate boss. He created an extremely toxic work environment in which the entire department had a very difficult time being non-territorial with any of their ideas or thoughts, pitting employees against one another, and generally making life quite miserable for the department. It was only the fantastic attitudes of most of the department and their dedication to excellent customer service that made the department function. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Other than the Customer Service Supervisor creating a toxic work environment in that department, it was a dynamic and very enjoyable work environment. The culture was quite generally very supportive, and there were wonderful benefits. Leadership seemed genuinely supportive and very willing to help in various ways.  Other than the above-mentioned supervisor, the company has a commitment to training and helping employees learn more about their own positions and how to improve, as well as possible upward mobility.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Working with clients to assist them with arrival and preparing their necessary documentation for arrival and departure was one of the most time consuming parts of many days. I loved the days when I was on phones which allowed for setting up transportation and hotel accommodations, solving client problems, and interacting with clients, trainers, and Program Managers. Scheduling of clients and working with their companies was also fairly enjoyable, but could also be stressful. I thoroughly enjoyed my time most of that time though and felt a great deal of satisfaction and positivity from said clients. Unfortunately, again, the supervisor of the Customer Service Department was very intrusive in just talking about random things about his life, the same stories over and over about his experiences, and taking our time and then complaining when our work wasn't at thorough or completed as he felt needed. I generally felt that most employees really cared and gave 100% of their time and attention to what they were supposed to be doing while at work.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The instructors I worked with were wonderful. Very kind and professional. They  really know their stuff and I highly recommend that pilots train with the company. They made me proud of what I did to improve their schedules and quality of life.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Customer Support is extremely toxic. Operations is the money maker so CS is basically is left in the dust.  Unless you are an instructor or work as a sim tech, you will be grossly underpaid and have absolutely no forward motion with your career. They do not support aging workers or those who have health conditions.  Their tech hardware is from the 2010's. You are issued anything they have sitting around in the tech closet. No tech support on site, only on the phone. Be prepared for weekly workflow and process changes that never stick. The multiple systems that you have to utilize do not sync or work together. I read other reviews and they mentioned the positive of being able to work remote. There are very few positions that are remote or even hybrid and the ones that are, are in Operations only. Being on call 24/7/365 is also a thing for some positions in Customer Support. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Toxic environment 100% of every single day. The "we are one big family" culture is something you should always run from. The Scheduling Specialist job has the opportunity to be really great position but it never will be with the leadership and mindset they have. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
The day is 9 hours if I was lucky. I spent most of the day hopping from system to system because nothing worked together to make the work flow make sense.  When I changed one thing it required me to do 5 extra steps to make it work. I enjoyed collaborating with other companies to get their pilots scheduled. Balancing the scheduling and learning and comprehending pilot training regulations can be fun for the right person. Even though I enjoyed those things, in the end it wasn't enough to make the job worth it.

A typical day at work was always hectic and chaotic. Fires were CONSTANTLY being put out – some of it was because of the dynamic nature of the aviation industry but I found that it was mostly due to inept leadership, being reactive rather than being proactive, and lack of accountability within all the ranks. There was a running joke about how some things were, “not my problem,” or, “this sounds like someone else’s problem to me.” It was very much a “pass the buck” culture.

I did learn a lot about the aviation business but having never worked in such a toxic and hostile work environment, I also learned how to recognize the indicators of this.

I found leadership to be very unhelpful. My immediate supervisor was only useful from an administrative capacity but not from a technical standpoint. I also had other issues with leadership outside the department due to the “pass the buck” culture that’s engrained in the office. 

The hardest part of the job was the unrealistic workloads. Other non-exempt salaried associates in the department that were restricted to a 40-hour work week voluntarily worked over 40 hours just to keep up with the workload and it appeared that this practice was openly known by leadership rather than strictly enforcing the 40-hour work week..

I was one of three new hires in the department that began in May 2023, and we all resigned one by one. I lasted the longest by about a week and a half, putting in a grand total of about 2.5 months. I ultimately decided that I’d rather be unemployed, actively seeking employment, than spend one more minute there. It truly was the worst, most toxic, and most disappointing employment experience in my nearly two decades of professional employment. The benefits were great, but the salary was terrible. Had they paid me A LOT more, based on the level or workload and responsibilities, which would’ve been unrealistic for them, I would’ve considered toughing it out. Unless you’re a flight instructor considering employment there, or you’re considered for senior leadership, stay away.

Typical old-fashioned company. If you're on the leadership's good side, you'll get everything, even if you can't perform your job or are grossly unqualified to do the job you've been hired to perform. Lack of ethics, transparency, and true leadership qualities is very apparent in the upper levels of this organization. 

Anonymity and trust is non-existent. Don't expect to bring an issue with your manager or leader to HR and NOT face retaliation. Leadership cares about one thing and one thing only...themselves. Their lack of experience and education provide them the mentality to attack yours, and often will do so behind closed doors, demeaning your accomplishments, achievements, and performance while making themselves, and their lack of those same values, seem holier-than-thou.

Blame placing is also a favorite of theirs, blaming others for their faults and failures.

Don't expect to be compensated nor promoted; not unless you're "in" with them and make them look good. They don't value work or innovation; they value only those things and people who will make THEM look good to their narcissistic colleagues. Pay is FAR inferior to what others, including their competition pays, which may be one reason people are leaving this cesspool of a company. Talent acquisition will hire anything with a heartbeat to fill a seat, and then whine about attrition rates, again, blaming it on others rather than their inferior capabilities of truly hiring the best candidates.

It's all a numbers game to them, and those with the largest numbers, win. 

I started at FSI as a temp at the front desk when I worked at the St. Louis, MO location. I was a recent college grad and was excited for a new opportunity, but I had no idea it would become such a wonderful addition to my work history. Let's face it, working with pilots is cool! I worked my way up to be a Maintenance A & P Customer Support Representative, Records Account Executive, and a Scheduling Specialist for the Embraer Legacy 500/Praetor 600 and Citation Latitude.

My managers had my back, and the way FSI as a whole handled COVID when it first happened showed what a great company looks like. The dev team got WFH capabilities online so quickly. 

The hardest part of the job was probably managing the influx of training requests post-COVID, when there were only so many simulators and instructors we could use per day. You really need to get to know your customers' and clients' specific needs to thrive. Don't be afraid to take that extra care, as it goes such a long way. 

The most enjoyable part of the job was definitely getting to know the pilot clients and my teammates, as well as seeing the awesome simulator bays. FSI wants their Customer Support team to understand what they are scheduling and they offer many opportunities to learn. Program Managers, Instructors, and Directors are always there if you need help with aviation terms. 

If you're looking for a different/special type of office environment, communicate well, and can keep up with a fast pace & many moving parts, I would say this job is for you! 

FlightSafety provides extremely stable employment in an industry notorious for lay-offs. It offers above average benefits, but low-average salary. Only gross incompetence or pornography on work computers will cause dismissal.

The manufacturing divisions offer the chance to work with very talented people.

Among its employees, the company, like the industry, tends to a high average age. You will not get forced out because of a calendar. You will more likely get asked to reconsider your voluntary retirement than encouraged to accept early retirement.

FlightSafety provides extremely stable employment. Promotions and pay raises come very rarely. I've had exactly two promotions and three raises in twelve years, despite high competence and superior results. Increases are no greater than absolutely necessary to keep staff.

The manufacturing divisions require very talented people. If you can't measure up, you'll hate it.

FlightSafety hires the best staff it can afford. If you expect too much money, they'll pass on your job offer.

Among its employees, the company, like the industry, tends to a high average age. It also tends to have mostly white employees in gender-traditional positions. I.e., women as secretaries and receptionists. This is a tendency, not an affirmative action violation. If this bothers you, you'll hate working there. If you expect new ideas and fresh thinking, forget it.

Every day was filled with taking care of clients who were in the center to get their recurrent and initial flight training in a variety of aircraft simulators.  They were greeted at the door by management and then brought to the customer support area where we would provide them with their training materials and escort them to their classrooms.  During the day we would work with scheduling and setting up future training.

I learned how to provide a much more diverse level of customer support for clients who were training for a week or more and needed both professional and personal service.  This was different than working with different people every day.

The co-workers and management were great.  It was an excellent environment.  Everyone had a very great time together while still maintaining professionalism and completing what was necessary.

The aspect of the position that was most challenging was rearranging training at the very last minute when a client was unable to attend.  Many arrangements, new classes, and change in materials was needed quickly.

The most enjoyable part of the job was the camaraderie with all of the people I worked with.  Everyone was willing to help out when there was a need.  Management was an active part of the team.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Flight instructor 26 salaries reported	$120,592 per year
Technician 11 salaries reported	$84,673 per year
Scheduler 8 salaries reported	$72,075 per year
Customer service representative 8 salaries reported	$49,277 per year
Software engineer 7 salaries reported	$73,143 per year

Working at FlightSafety International: Company Overview and Reviews

FlightSafety International

FlightSafety International Ratings

Popular jobs at FlightSafety International

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected