Where to begin? Management. There is much truth on these reviews as to how bad it really is. If you are considering employment with FSI, I would read and HEED the comments on management style or lack thereof - the reviews that point out the foibles of FSI management are about spot on from what I see in our center.
Schedule - none really. It is a 7 day a week on call type of rig. Changes occur hourly.
Pay - well below industry standard. You'll start at instructor level III, unless you are in a Gulfstream product, then it's level IV. Before tax starting pay at level III is 65K, for level IV it is 70K. Not much going to happen beyond that, unless you become a TCE, Then you get like an extra 3K before taxes, but get the bonus plan of having to work every weekend. Don;t try to negotiate during the hiring process, these are the figures you're going to get - take it or leave it. Allegedly there is a some sort of performance bonus your program manager can give out. But due to the ridiculous politics of the place, the bottom instructors end up getting about the same percentage as the top performers. They preach performance based merit pay, but their actions are way far off from that lie. It is a paycheck, so take that for what it's worth. If you are doing this gig to mark time between flying jobs, then perhaps it might not be bad option for you. But you'll probably go insane from all the other goings on that will drive you out the door.
Heard a rumor, and think some OP have mentioned, that at some centers they are making new hire instructors sign a 24 month training commitment. I would avoid this like the plague. If you think you can sit out 24 months at an FSI center, you must be a masochist. Not to mention, if you bail out early, they charge you for the training, at rates even higher than the customers pay. How's that for employer-employee relations? If FSI needs to slam a 24 month training commitment on new instructor hires, perhaps they REALLY need to address why their talent leaves in the first place...can someone say center management?
