Your huckleberry in Aircraft Leasing.
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Independent CFI's
​For many newly certified flight instructors, finding work can be
challenging. That leaves many CFIs struggling to stay current or
earn enough flight time to advance their careers.
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We offer an alternate path forward:
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A dedicated aircraft lease model built specifically for independent CFIs who want to teach on their own schedule and build experience without waiting for a school to hire them. With our model, you can operate independently, set your own rates, and build a loyal student base, all while using a reliable, professionally maintained aircraft.
Lease Structure for Independent CFIs
Our aircraft lease options for independent instructors are designed to provide full access and professional freedom without the financial burden of ownership. Each lease is fixed monthly, rather than hourly usage fees, allowing you to operate the aircraft as much as your schedule or student load allows, all while maintaining consistent, predictable costs. Just like leasing an office or workspace, you have exclusive use of the aircraft for the term of your lease. You can schedule, teach, and manage your students independently, without needing to coordinate with flight schools or compete for aircraft availability.
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Utility Fee
Alongside the monthly lease, a structured utility fee contributes to a dedicated reserve account for major maintenance events, such as overhauls or system failures. We maintain full transparency about how the reserve funds are used, and you’ll receive detailed reporting on maintenance status and remaining reserves for your aircraft.
Aircraft Lease Examples:
Prices listed are consistent with industry standards
Low-Cost Example
Cessna 172/N​
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Fixed Monthly Rate:
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$3,000​​
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Utility Fee:
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$25/hr in overhaul reserve​​​
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$5/hr in emergency reserve​​​
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Premium Example
Diamond DA-40 NGX​
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Fixed Monthly Rate:
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$4,500​​
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Utility Fee:
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$30/hr in overhaul reserve​​​
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$10/hr in emergency reserve​​​
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Add-ons
At Huckleberry Aeroworks, we understand that starting as a freelancer can be like drinking from a firehose. We address this by providing in-house coaching, admin services, and insurance. These help you focus on building time and maximizing your capacity for flight training.
Add-ons for Independent CFI's​​​​​​​​​​​​​
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Insurance ​
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Hull
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Liability
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Renters (for students
Administrative Services​​
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Scheduling ​
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Mx Coordination
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Finances/Taxes
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Branding/Marketing
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Web Design/Digital Marketing
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Setting up Legal Business Entity
Coaching:
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Aviation Entrepreneurship Coaching
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Professional Guidance​​​​​​
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Insurance is required. You can source from us or get approved on independently
Why lease an aircraft as a freelance CFI:​
Our lease programs for Independent CFI's are tailored to reduce the stress and increase the autonomy of flight training. ​
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Your choice of aircraft
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Split costs with other CFI's (if desired)
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Attract your own students, build a learning community rather than a pilot mill.
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Far higher earning potential and flight time ​
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​Greater independence and flexibility of schedule with aircraft.
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Short-term leases, friendly to instructors who have enough time to instruct independently but not enough time to start a full-fledged flight school.
Independent CFI Basic Business Model:
Huckleberry Aeroworks pricing modeled with Cessna 172/N
Independent CFI leasing with
Huckleberry Aeroworks
Typical Pricing:​​
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$195/hr Aircraft Rental
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$65/hr Instruction Fee
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Student Load + Utilization:
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6+ Students, 3 times a week.
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1.5-2.0 hrs per flight.
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Revenue: (Per Month)
Flight Revenue Per Month: (excludes instruction billing)
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40 flight hours a month- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $7,800​
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60 flight hours a month- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $11,700
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80 flight hours a month- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $15,600
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100 flight hours a month - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -$19,500
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Instruction Revenue Per Month: 75% of flights billed with instruction, + 30 hours of ground instruction per week.
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60 instruction hours a month - - - - - - - - - - - - $3,900​
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75 instruction hours a month - - - - - - - - - - - - $4,875
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90 instruction hours a month - - - - - - - - - - - - $5,850
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105 instruction hours a month- - - - - - - - - - - -$6,825
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Costs: (Per Month)
Fixed Costs Per Month: (Market Standards) $4,850
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- Lease: $3,000
- Insurance: $700
- ​Tie Downs: $150
- Admin Fees (full admin package): $1,000​​
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Variable Costs Per Month (Market Standards):
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- Overhaul Reserve: $25/hr
- Emergency Reserve: $5/hr
- ​Hourly Fuel Cost: $66/hr
- 100 hr reserve: $25/hr
- Service Consumables Cost: $5/hr​​​
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40 flight hours a month- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $5,040​
60 flight hours a month- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $7,560
80 flight hours a month- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $10,080
100 flight hours a month - - - - - - - - - - - - - -$12,600
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Profits: (Per Month)
(Total revenue - total cost)
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- 40 flt/hr + 60 ins/hr - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $1,810
- 60 flt/hr + 75 ins/hr - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $4,165
- 80 flt/hr + 90 ins/hr - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $6,520
- 100 flt/hr + 105 ins/hr - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $8,875
Workload
We understand that these numbers can be overwhelming. We summarized it below to help you understand the earnings potential associated with each workload. Our model can help you develop a manageable work-life balance while making significant strides towards your long term career and financial freedom.
Annual Earning Potential & Workload
Weekly Workload + Annual Earning Potential:​​
(8 non-billed work hours per week)
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​25.5 avg hrs/wk - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $21,720/yr
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30.5 avg hrs/wk - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $49,980/yr
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35.5 avg hrs/wk - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $75,000/yr
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40.5 avg hrs/wk - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $106,500/yr
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Supported Aircraft:​
We support a wide variety of aircraft types and cost ranges beyond the aircraft listed. Explore our portfolio of supported aircraft to discover a platform that best fits your needs.