front desk agent

educator

flight instructor

instructor

general manager

iFLY

If you're a management professional looking to have a meaningful impact of profit margins, efficiency and sales you should not apply for the job. The instructional staff and customer service representatives run the show and will complain to HR, the RM or basically anyone who will listen (like a celebrity guest) about the problems with their pay, schedule or how the building is staffed. Upper management will not support you, even though you are following the labor plan they put forth. Be prepared to have to "ask" for permission to write someone up, stay open beyond regular hours, hold a teambuilding event, run a special, or host a large scale event. Marketing materials will arrive either the day before or the day after the event, and the corporate team will likely have spent your entire budget on it. The IT systems barely work and constantly go down, and the maintenance teams have no plans in place if a major component of your wind tunnel breaks. 

The sales goals are aggressive, and just when you think you might actually hit them, the corporate team will release multiple discounts via e-blast (and not tell you). 

Oh, and if you're lucky enough to earn a bonus (the criteria constantly changes), they won't tell you when you're actually going to get the money because they haven't figured out a time frame. You also have to be there for 18 months before you are eligible for a raise, despite being in a location that is outperforming everyone else. 

My tenure at iFly can best be described as disappointing.


The job itself is challenging and fun, and one of the biggest perks is the opportunity to fly. As an instructor, you are very involved in all aspects of the operation, and the role is extremely physical. Shifts can be long, and the schedule is floating, which makes it difficult to plan personal commitments in advance since hours and days can vary week to week.

Instructors are responsible for a significant portion of the operational workload. There is also an expectation to participate in cold calling in order to generate bookings and, in some cases, to secure opportunities to fly. This can be frustrating for those who view flying progression as a core part of the role.

From my experience, management may not always prioritize instructor flight progression as highly as some team members would hope. Advancement into higher coaching levels is possible, but the path can be challenging and they don't really support development. 

Compensation starts at a lower base rate, with commission opportunities. While it is advertised that coaching can significantly increase earnings, reaching those higher earning levels would take a really long time. 

Overall, it can be a good fit for someone who is passionate about flying, comfortable with a physically demanding job, and adaptable to a flexible and unpredictable schedule.

You know you're company is desperate when the leadership team is made up of WW CEO, Starbucks Exec and Enterprise RD.  No one has any entertainment experience and it shows.  The directions/goals changed every month.  The discounts/Costco/Groupon were desperate money grabs.  They tell you your salary includes performance bonuses but don't pay them out after you hit the goals because "they were updated last month."  It's a leadership team made up of buddies who knew the old CEO before he bailed to race cars.  The business model has a lifespan of 3 more years so they are grabbing whatever they can, before selling again to another investment broker.  The local managers and staff get no appreciation even when you're profitable.  No recognition, only harping on emotional intelligence.  LOL.  How about using some business intelligence and run a business instead of being a good ole' boys club.

A typical day at work is customers walking in and out of the doors, meeting and greeting them, checking them in, getting them upstairs to fly, and making sure at the end of their visit they enjoyed themselves. Management at iFLY SF Bay is attentive and always there for my co-workers and I even if they aren't at work. They are helpful whenever I have an issue with something. But when it's crunch time they want us to be on our toes and get through the day as smooth as possible. My co-workers are right by my side, to guide me and lend me a hand when I know I shouldn't go to my manager. We all work together to accomplish our goals of the day and make sure everyone leaves with a smile on their faces. The hardest part of my job is when a customer is so upset that I'm not able to assist them because they are demanding a manager. The most enjoyable part would be seeing our customer with a smile on their face walking out the doors. Or when we ask "Did you have fun?" all they can do is, smile and say, "we'll be back."

There is no work/life balance with this company. You are NOT permitted to call out sick, no matter how bad you feel. Extremely long hours ranging from 12 hours all the way to 16 hours a day without a real break sometimes. They do not schedule enough staff so one person is expected to handle 3+ phone calls at a time while also dealing with customers up front. If you miss a phone call, an email is automatically sent to your manager and you’re punished for it. Morale is low and corporate does not care about the well-being of their staff. Customers constantly angry because ifly refuses to ever give refunds, instead they keep raising prices. Overall the instructors are not friendly towards the customer service reps at all. Pay is low, and the “commission” isn’t worth it. I was literally being paid $10 an hour to work horrible hours and deal with hostile customers nonstop. 

As a flight instructor my job was extremely fun. HOWEVER, management destroys the spirits of even their best employees. Most people hired into managment rolls have no clue what they're doing, and it dismantles their teams. Corporate couldn't care less about their employees at the operations level... only at the corporate level. They're too busy handing out high salaries and bonuses to people who literally contribute nothing to the company. Meanwhile, the instructors can't afford to eat, and live in their cars in tunnels parking lots.

If you're a skydiver looking to refine your body flight skills, then becoming an instructor makes sense for a little while. Take advantage of the flight time and training, and then get out ASAP.

This was a poor experience from the start. Overstated what systems were in place when none existing. After start everything went downhill. 4 layoffs, 3 CEOs, countless VP changes, and an ever decreasing culture through 3+ years of corporate employment. Constantly asked to make decisions that C-level executives should have been responsible for. Minimal raises and barely a promotion path unless you're underqualified, then the sky is the limit. Not bad if you're desperate, but just about every other company is a better option. Instructors and tunnel employees are great; and if you don't mind a bunch of wear and tear on your body/mind fun place to be. If hired, be cautious of honesty; it's usually punished.

iFLY's mission is to deliver the dream of flight to everyone.  It is something the team, as a whole, is very passionate about.  That passion can be felt in every tunnel location and at the support center.  There have been growing pains during the last couple of years, but that is a normal part of a small company growing very rapidly into a big one.

For the individual employee, iFLY offers many opportunities for career growth and development if you are willing to work for them.  When I was hired I was told I could go as far as I wanted to with the company and that how far that would be was dependent on my own work ethic and drive.  My experience here thus far supports that statement.  Nothing will be handed to you at this company.  You will receive guidance and support if you ask for it, but being successful depends on YOU.

The main benefit to working at iFLY is the flight time benefit. The pay is close to minimum wage with some commission incentives and tip money. The only opportunity for career advancement is if you pursue a management role. An hour of tunnel time for full-time employees and 45min for part-time. Expect physically demanding, monotonous work but enjoy learning how to skydive and bouncing off customers enthusiasm. The turnover rate for employees is 2-3years including management. Most employees learn how to skydive really well, develop shoulder pain, and then leave for the skydiving industry. Work/life balance is poor, weekend and holiday availability is a must, many locations are understaffed and will ask employees to work on days off or extended hours with little appreciation.

I have worked with iFLY for over 2 years and they continue to amaze me with how little they care about their employees. Underpaid, over stressed. Micro Managed, unappreciated. Little to no career progression. I would highly recommend NOT working at iFLY unless you hate yourself or really want to deal with it for 80-90 minutes of flight time a month. I could go on for a long time about how terrible the company is, How they don't appreciate their employees and run their business like a cash grab rather than a sport. But at the end of the day it's your decision of whether the pro's out-weigh the cons

Goodluck

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Front desk agent 38 salaries reported	$16.01 per hour
Educator 47 salaries reported	$33.40 per hour
Flight instructor 13 salaries reported	$20.54 per hour
Instructor 50 salaries reported	$20.09 per hour
General manager 19 salaries reported	$88,026 per year

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