600 hours and frusterated

[Jeff775621]

Im a 600 hour commerical pilot with 100 hours of ME time. Ive been flying traffic watch the last 6 months. Its now november in Ohio, and the weather is changing fast, Ive learned what its like doing turns around a point with 30kt winds aloft. Anyway,Ive been reading alot of posts about the "regional" life and how it doesnt look the greatest. Im 21 years old and i have my associates degree in a non aviation related degree. Ive thought about going the CFII-MEI route becuase i dont think i would be a very good instructor and have the patience to teach. Ive been getting a taste of the corproate life by getting right seats in a Citation II. IVe got about 40 hours of Citation II time ive logged. Can anyone give me some kind of advice? Thanks for the help.

-Jeff

 

[U-I pilot]

Think of what would be an ideal job for you?

Find a company that most resembles this.....or will resemble this in the future based on your best guess and research. Talk to XYZ company and find out what you should do to be the best candidate for them and what they look for.
Beg, cheat and steal to do what XYZ told you.....enjoy life.

Sadly its not that simple but seriously......find the right company, make a plan of best attack to get there (it will change along the way). Go for it. Don't say what wont work......find what will.
There are happy people out there believe it or not...find them and talk to them.
Sounds like you have a lot going for you if you already have Citation time at 21 with a degree.....
my .02

 

[bizicmo]

where are you doing the traffic watch in ohio?

 

[ferlo]

7500 hours and more frustrated than you can imagine.

Get out now. AT 21 believe me, you have nothing to lose. The effort it took you to get those 600 hours seems like a lot, and in a way it is, but it pales in comparison to what you should expect by continuing to persue this "profession". Just my two cents.

 

[Draginass]

Go back to college and get your bachelors degree in something you enjoy.

Realistically, without a degree (Associates doesn't count), you'll be non-competitive for the liveable flying jobs eventually.

If you don't like the regional lifestyle now, chances are you're not going to like the major airline lifestyle in a couple of years, because the lifestyle is going to be about the same the way ALPA is bowing to the demands of CEO after CEO.

 

[CaptWidgeon]

totally agree with draginass, get a 4 yr degree. maybe something where you could run an airline that way you could fly the sims anytime you want, makes millions of dollars if you suck at it, many millions more if you're good.

seriously tho, if you really want to be in this business it is supply and demand. if the airlines need pilots, assoc. is enough, if they don't you'll have to have a 4 yr to even be considered, they don't care how much time you have. get that degree now while things are really, really slow. if i knew at your age what i know now i'd have paid more attention in school and studied something like finance or accounting. doesn't sound glamourous but knowing what to do with a little bit of money, no matter where it comes from, can lead to a big amount of money. i'm with a great company now, but am working on a safety net. the guys at braniff, pan am, eastern, etc. were with great companies.

best of luck

 

[Beechman]

Ive thought about going the CFII-MEI route becuase i dont think i would be a very good instructor and have the patience to teach. Can anyone give me some kind of advice? Thanks for the help.
-Jeff

Ok dude that sounds a bit oxymoronic. Apparently, you have no idea what flight instructing is. You think giving instrument or multi instruction isn't instructing? If you don't have the patience to teach don't bother with either CFII/MEI. Before getting on with a regional I instructed for three years as a CFI, II, MEI. What ever form of instructing your doing you need patience. If you ever make captain at a regional you better learn patience and a bit of instructor know-how. You might not understand what I mean now because your not flying with people in the right seat with 600hrs. Your FOs WILL make mistakes and you had best know how to show them otherwise.

 

[dojetdriver]

600 hours and can't spell is more like it.

 

[Jeff775621]

600 hours and can't spell is more like it.

And you dont have to be an asshole.

 

[Metro752]

the truth hurts

 

[Rick1128]

First of all PAY YOUR DUES!! At least you are not running around the idiot curcuit with a student trying to kill you the whole time. I see way too many newbee pilots on this board complaining about how they have 500 to 1000 hours and how they feel they should be flying a jet now. You will learn a great deal doing these oddball type jobs right now. You are should be adding to your bag of tricks as you do so. All these jobs and experiences add to your personal bag of tricks. Someday you will need to reach in and pull one or two out.

Next as a Captain on any type of aircraft, one of your duties will be to teach your FO on becoming a Captain. All FOs are prospective Captains and need to regarded that way. And it will be one of your duties and responsibilities to train them to become a good Captain.

 

[dojetdriver]

And you dont have to be an asshole.

Ahh, the common defense mechanism of using profanity when one's feeling's are hurt. Just wait till you finally get a job flying a shiny jet and your Captain aks how much time you have and you tell him how hard it was and how "frusterated' you were at 600 hrs.

Next, he decides to give you a history lesson/lecture about how many before you had to have thousands of hours and usually some type of 121/135 time just to get an interview for a job flying a loud 19 seat turboprop. Call him an a-hole, see what happens.

A little advice to you on your fledgeling carrer, get a better attitude AND a sense of humor. You won't go far in the industry without both.

 

[Lead Sled]

First of all PAY YOUR DUES!! At least you are not running around the idiot curcuit with a student trying to kill you the whole time. I see way too many newbee pilots on this board complaining about how they have 500 to 1000 hours and how they feel they should be flying a jet now. You will learn a great deal doing these oddball type jobs right now. You are should be adding to your bag of tricks as you do so. All these jobs and experiences add to your personal bag of tricks. Someday you will need to reach in and pull one or two out.

Next as a Captain on any type of aircraft, one of your duties will be to teach your FO on becoming a Captain. All FOs are prospective Captains and need to regarded that way. And it will be one of your duties and responsibilities to train them to become a good Captain.

I'll second what Rick said. Quit your whinning and pay your dues. Come back again when you've got something to offer - at this point you don't have much.

What is it going to take? It depends upon where you want to go in aviation, but to be competitive out in the real world you'll need your ATP and a couple of thousand hours - including 750 to 1000 hours of dual given. Then you'll have something to offer.

Even 2000 hours is a little "light" for a lot of 91 gigs. There are always exceptions, but an ATP, 4,000 total, 1000 multi and 500 turbine (and some kind of degree) seem to be what a lot of chief pilots look for. You're going to have to have that to be competitive.

Didn't mean to sound harsh, but that the reality of it especially these days with all of the 121 guys out looking for their dream 91 job.

'Sled

 

[FlyWithSean]

Go fly the canyon!

http://www.scenicops.com/scenicpilot/index.htm

 

[D.sanchez]

I would have thought they senosor the word 'asshole' on flightinfo, after all, we can't say *************************s.

 

[Skyline]

Jeff

Jeff ,

Like the true believers say, you had better enjoy the long and slow grind to no where because it pretty much sums up a career in aviation.

SkyLine

 

[mar]

I like my grind to be long and slow

What's the point of blowing your wad every hour on the hour?

Face it. Life is long and slow and every day I thank God I don't work in a coal mine.

Or on an assembly line.

Or in a cube.

Face it. As someone once wrote, Life Is Hard.

There will always be little twerps who take the shortcut and seem to get the payoff but nothing is free. Everybody pays to play.

 

[Cptn2b]

Dude...first of all...that is not a good question to ask on this site. Most of the people on here are crusty do nothings and all they can tell you to do is pay your dues. You are off to a good start if you had like 300 more hours you could piss everyone off on this whole website and go get yourself a regional job. My brother is 21 and got a job flying a CRJ at Pinnacle with 850tt and 150 multi. If your a sharp guy there are jobs out there to be had. Most of these guys are just sad because they went to the interview and got sent home so now they are sitting at home at their moms house typing vigourously on the computer telling you to go pay your dues so you wont steal their future job. I say get a few more hundred and go do it. After all, I plan to do it in about a year. HaHa.

 

[mar]

Capt to be...

...not quite.

You pay your dues because as Rick said, one dark and stormy night you're gonna need some skills.

If your first job is sitting in the right seat of a glass airplane and then you sit there for years and years clicking the autopilot on and off, well, it's safe to say that you have no skills.

Go fly a broken down navajo. That'll prove your mettle. Put hair on your chest. And is proven to be the best remedy against future possible whining on the flight deck.

 

[Thedude]

...not quite.

You pay your dues because as Rick said, one dark and stormy night you're gonna need some skills.

If your first job is sitting in the right seat of a glass airplane and then you sit there for years and years clicking the autopilot on and off, well, it's safe to say that you have no skills.

Go fly a broken down navajo. That'll prove your mettle. Put hair on your chest. And is proven to be the best remedy against future possible whining on the flight deck.

Yup, what he said.

About 10 years ago the mins for getting on at regional was 1500-2000hrs. So don't feel frustrated, you have barely begun your career