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FlightSafety International

Engaged employer

Avoid Unless You Are Desperate for Work. - Pilot Instructor FlightSafety International Employee Review

1.0
23 Dec 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

You will work with some highly qualified instructors. Medical coverage is good. Free parking and coffee. Generally good facilities and training devices. You will receive frequent, insincere flattery about your relative importance as a "Team Mate".

Cons

Instructors are salaried, chaotically scheduled, and expected to work whenever called; save for a few Federal Air Regulations regarding instructor duty (which only apply if you are instructing airline clients) there are no work rules save for "you work, we rule!" Starting pay is only attractive to people who haven't gone very far in their aviation career, people with marginal flight and instructing experience. For everyone else, pay is 35% below industry standard, all to work for a company who crows about their "elite training provider" status. Expect to work a frequently changing schedule of six days on with one day off, the one day off being an "on call" day. Job applicants should not believe the "four days on, three days off" lie. The overtime or incentive pay programs are a joke, only apply under certain "conditions" and are nebulously applied by what has to be the worst band of managers that you'll ever meet. Expect no extra pay for most work because it "doesn't apply in your case". Surprisingly, instructors are generally treated with disdain by management, no one will ever ask your opinion about pay, benefits or working conditions; everything is unilateral and "at company discretion". Center managers and below are generally vindictive and poorly qualified, think in terms of what floats to the top in a cesspool. If there is one wet-behind-the-ears, under-educated misfit instructor on the team, well then, you are looking at the next Program Manager. Nobody else wants the job, since they function (poor choice of words) as glorified schedulers and otherwise carry out whatever goofball whims or policies are sent down from the next layer of incompetents above them. There are always a few good people, but they are completely overwhelmed by the structure of deliberate incompetence. If you are asked to sign a multi-year training contract, why not join the Army? FlightSafety was bought by Berkshire Hathaway and, since then, it has been a "race to the bottom" since the Berkshire Hathaway motto appears to be "profits above all". FlightSafety senior managers are lavished large annual bonuses for trashing their own employee benefits; cancelled pension plan, measly 401k match, static pay, deceptive pay practices, all so the big annual check can go to Berkshire. Summary: Go where you are appreciated. If you take the job, expect to work a brutal schedule that will NEVER get better. Expect constant insincere nebulous promises of "coming improvements" that will never materialize.

Explore other reviews about FlightSafety International

5.0
6 Apr 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great schedule and company culture is very welcoming. Felt very supported during the training process. The facility is always clean, co-workers are extremely friendly and helpful

Cons

Had to complete many hours of eLearning assignments

1
2.0
26 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

PTO, somewhat of a 'decent' salary

Cons

Management, both in the center & corporate. The work tasks are too demanding for the BS pay we get. The verbal abuse we get from pilots. Management has zero issue letting you know when you've done something wrong but if they do something wrong.. nothing happens? Oh I'm away from my computer for more than 15 minutes and now I'm getting scolded by not being on the phone? We can't speak freely. We have to watch what we say on the phone cause everything is recorded. The St. Louis location is a joke, with their petty front desk staff & gaslighting managers. The only people who are cool in the St Louis location are their PM's. This whole company needs a redo. Oh & if you're a biological female.. you're not safe if a transgender woman wants to use your bathroom.

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