An overview of corp. pilot requirements

[Geigo]

Have the best of both worlds!

Archer,

Go for the best of both worlds. I grew up with a guy that got his private at 17 and when he went to college he got his degree in Aerospace Eng. I haven't talked to him in a long time, but a couple years back he was on the cover of GA Flyer as the flight test engineer in the Maverick or Eclipse can't remember which. All by the age of about 26.

Now, I have no idea how many positions like that there may be, but something to look into. You will "make the big bucks" and still get the joy of getting out of the cubicle and going flying. Maybe not as the pilot, but still flying and most likely will even get some stick time.


Geigo

 

[Archer]

Yeah, I am aware of the 1500 hour requirement. I wasn't implying I would do this within the next two years or something. Hell, if I get my commercial within the next two years that will be an achievement for me, along school.

I was thinking long term, and if you have some flying buddies, and lots of friends, it's not impossible to fly very frequently. Renting the Archer with two other friens would cost 23 bucks an hour for me (wet). With three others (for local flights and less fuel) it would cost about 18 bucks/hour.

I'm not saying this is totally cheap (and taking three peple with me on the Archer is probably a bad idea, even if it's within W&B limits), but it's better than the 100+ bucks I pay now for training...

well anyways, these are long term goals. my PPL and IR are shorter term goals.

But thanx for the advice. I just want to go out there and fly safely with friends and have fun and visit new places...that's all. I don't care about ratings, the reason I want to have them all is to keep the learning process going, and improving myself as a pilot while I learn from experience....

Archer

 

[CRJ puppy]

Archer...

Just to reiterate: Follow all the good advice here.

With 2000 hrs. of flight time I just left a flight instructing job where I made $45,000 to start training in the CRJ-200 where I will make $18,000 (if I'm lucky) the first year. How do you think that affects one's quality of life?
I had to move from a part of the country where a 2 bedroom duplex was $550/month to a section where a 1 bedroom apt. is $1000. All this was necessary in order to advance my career and get more experience.
I have $10,000 in credit card debt remaining from when I earned my certificates 3 yrs. ago and drive a car with over 120,000 miles on it. I'm sleeping only 5-6 hrs. a night while I am in training and go no where except to the training center.
And I love flying.
I do not believe that this lifestyle is for you. Yet this is not an atypical aviation career path. Is this how you anticipate your aviation career?

BTW, life is just a series of mistakes (or small "adjustments"). Don't spend too much time agonizing about what decisions to make. Make a good decision and move on. If later you find it was an incorrect decision, so be it. That is how one gets 30 yrs of experience and wisdom. The amount of energy you've put in writing these posts would have been better spent in your studies (aviation or enegineering). Your indecision reflects an inability to analyze and make a decision and stick with it that could kill you in aviation. Be cautious.

Blue skies........

 

[imploded]

Archer,

I'm going to jump in with everyone else here -- I'm an established engineer (head of engineering, actually); I'm young (20's); I have, if I want, a good track to top level management in my industry.

I worked really hard to get here, hating it the whole time. I am here because this is where, in many repsects, my family wanted me to be. I always loved engineering, but I hate the profession with a passion sometimes. I'm now working, with whatever I have (there is a policy in my house -- FFF, food, flying, fuel -- everything else is secondary) to get my fixed + helicopter ratings. I want to fly lifeflight for a hospital. I don't care how little money that I will make -- I can figure all of that out as each situation presents itself.

You seem pretty set on doing the MBA, engineering program. If that is what you want (or you want to do what your parents want) -- just do it. You'll have to say (like I have had to say) "Screw off guys, this is my life, thanks for the advice, but I'm going to hoe my own row". It's tough, but if your parents love you, they'll never stop supporting you (I was lucky in that respect, I guess).

Good luck, whatever you choose.

Cheers,

-Andrew

 

[Archer]

With 2000 hrs. of flight time I just left a flight instructing job where I made $45,000 to start training in the CRJ-200 where I will make $18,000 (if I'm lucky) the first year. How do you think that affects one's quality of life?

Wow, 45 grand as a CFI? Is this airline instructing or Private and Commerical students instructing?

Well, after having read hundreds of posts by dozens of pilots, and articles all over the place, I have come to understand how things are in the aviation industry. It's a hard and long road to get to a position where you get a good pay. It seems it usually takes some 10 years of low pay, high work-load jobs, and periods of unemployment. I understand that.

And pilots say, you gotta love flying professionallly A LOT to be able to deal with the "suffering" of getting there.

As many people said, they have had computer programming jobs that paid twice and three times as much as flying, but they would give up that anyday to get a low paying flying job.

And for those who say I probably could not become a pro pilot, I understand why you say that, and I agree to a certain degree.

The biggest reason is that I've been spoiled, and never had financial problems in my life. So going through years of low-pay flying jobs would be a BIG jump...

Plus, I have an added difficulty that 95% of the pilots on this board don't have. I'm not a citizen or permanent resident...yet I would love to fly in the US because aviation seems to have a huge market here, and GA and corporate is huge.

Well thanx for the advice anyways. I probably need to talk face to face to my CFI and see what he thinks of my situation. He has worked for some airline I think, or commuter or something, I need to ask him about that...

ne ways, we'll see how things turn out. Maybe in a couple of years I'll be still posting here, and I might post as a part-time pilot/full time engineer, or a full time pilot....or all the way from Europe...

who knows, but I know for sure that I'll be flying, whether professionally or for leisure...I'll be flying...

Archer

 

[bigD]

who knows, but I know for sure that I'll be flying, whether professionally or for leisure...I'll be flying...

Right on Archer. Regardless of what you do - just keep flying man. Just keep flying.

 

[CRJ puppy]

That was ab initio instruction with heavy emphasis on commercial, instrument and "advanced" instructor ratings, CFII, MEI...as any good CFI will tell you, you CAN make a decent living as a flight instructor. You won't get rich, but you'll make a good solid living. Just won't be "lunching" in Paris often. And to think that I started flight instructing for $9/hr!!!

Good Luck in your future...

 

[cl65@350]

i have always told people that flying is a disease....some people catch it and some don't....if you haven't caught the insatiable disease by the time you get out of that 152 dripping wet after solo: then you don't need to spend another dime on flying! **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED**.... it is expensive these days to rent planes!! 125/hr for a 172 plus instructor where i live!

 

[bigD]

$125 for a 172 and instructor? That better be an R model!

 

[U-I pilot]

Reading all these posts just makes me realize how much people like myself and people in the industry must love aviation.

I started flying in high school while I was learning to drive and now that I am in college and flying, I can't picture my life being any other way. I know the road ahead is a long, bumpy and windy one but nothing good in life is free. I am gonna start commercial training next semester and can't wait to get into the new arrows we have for the first time. Like was stated in above posts, Aviation is a disease and I got it at a young age. The bumps in the road will weed out who really wants to make it and who doesnt.

All my friends and family wondered why I didnt become an engineer or a doctor or lawyer or whatever else is common nowadays, but I just cant see life any other way than from above.

Nice advice all.
Thanks for showing the world of aviation as it really is, not just money and nice planes!

-Bryan

 

[Archer]

125/hour...it must really be a new 172...

I am kind of lucky of being member of a club that is non-profit, and gets tax exempt...thus, the Archer I fly is 6 bucks cheaper than the Warrior the FBO offers...and the VFR Warrior I fly, is the same price as the 152 they offer...

It woudl be really awesome if we had an Arrow and a multi like a Seminole, so I wouldn't ahve to rent from the FBO at all...but I think I'm going to have to rent the 99/hour Arrow and maybe...in the future, the 155/hour Seneca the FBO has...

splitting costs with friends is really the only way I'm going to rent...basically, my flying is going to depend on them a lot...if they don't wanna fly...I can't fly...if we share, we pay 17 to 30 bucks each, depending on how new or advanced of a plane we want...but that sure beats 62 to 120 bucks I woudl have to pay on my own...

I can't wait till I get my Private...so I can see how this "flying with friends " business is going to work...

and about the "reality of aviation" today...I thank this board and others for making me see how it truly is out there for pro pilots...

it makes you think twice before venturing...yet I"m still thinking...

though I have more difficulties than almost every here (because of lack of permanent residency and citizenship)...I might consider one day

ARcher