Bare Minimum Time For A Job?

[Steve]

Timebuilder

Timebuilder, One question about Airnet. I have read in a few places that Airnet REALLY prefers CFI'S. Say I would get 300-400 hours flying jumpers of dragging banners, and the rest of the time (about 600) would be from instructing. How much of a negative would the non CFI time be, as opposed to it all being Instructing time? Thanks for your help. I'm just a future Airnet wannabe and want to get in a position in which I will be exactly what they are looking for.

 

[Timebuilder]

I'll make the best guess I can here, and say that the non-CFI time is fine. If you do some banner towing, and then demonstrate the willingness and ability to instruct for several hundred hours, you should do just fine.

Instrument and MEI experience are always good selling points to any potential employer, along with actual instrument, cross country PIC, and class B experience.

My impression about the computerized screening that is done with the online application is this: make certain that you've done a lot of flying over the previous six months, like fifteen to thirty hours a week. Bob pointed this out to me as a potential negative, since I had been laid off for three months.

The irony for me is this: now that I have my new job, I will fit the Airnet hiring profile in the next three months.

If I were in your position, I'd start working on the CFI and FOI material right now, regardless of when you intend to begin instructing. It's a great review of aviation knowlege.

 

[13579ms]

If you're trying to avoid instructing look at some of these 135 charter outfits. I fly and log the dead legs part 91. Some of these places need co-pilots because the customer requests them or the plane doesn't have autopilot. There really is no mins for a charter co-pilot. I hope that helps some.

 

[Sean]

TimeBuilder

Question for you:

I emailed you a while ago about getting my CFI through you in PA. I ended up going to ATP because I already had a job lined up at home and wanted to get done soon.

I have over 200 hours dual given so far...to get hired at Airnet what is the min. hours they will look at???

Can you give me more info?? Web page etc...

Thanks Sean...you can PM me if you want

 

[BigFlyr]

My goal is to get to the majors, and I want to avoid flight instruction.[/B]

I said the same thing once... ONCE! Anyway, there I stood with Commercial ticket in hand and no place to go so off to CFI school I went... I can tell you this, DO NOT limit yourself by starting off with the pretence of being able to work your way up without a CFI ticket. Go to school...and get your CFI and MEI as soon as possible. If you find something in the meantime then do it. If anything it will make you a sharper pilot and it may even save your life one day as it has mine. All those VMC demos! Yikes!

 

[weekendwarrior]

I think being a CFI is a falicy that most people think they "have" to do in order to get a job. If one has no resources to build time (friends, partial ownership, etc) then maybe a CFI is the way to go. For me, I own my own airplane, a C-140. I build my time in that, plus it gives me the tailwheel experience I need to get a job towing sailplanes if necessary.

$6,000 The cost of getting CFI, CFII, MEI) can buy alot of gas in my Cessna 140. I have a perfect time builder that for the price and time I"d spend on getting a CFI, etc I could have built the time I need to meet the minimums. Then all I need is the multi time which I couldn't get around here with 10 hours of multi time anyway. Insurance requirements at my school for MEI's are 250 hours multi and 1000 TT to be an instructor.

Towing gliders is also another option. I'm approaching the tailwheel minimums for that as well. It has been done by people that I know, so I'm still going to avoid the CFI thing if I can.

My point is, no, you do not have to have your CFI. Being resourceful, finding a good deal on a cheap airplane, buying into a partnership, washing and detailing airplanes in exchange for time, etc, will get you the time that you need. And, it is on your watch, not a flight school that is going to under pay you for long hours.

If I run out of money, don't have an airplane to fly, and am stuck at 600 hours, then ok. I'll give. But in the mean time, the task at hand is to get the bare minimum requirements to start flying somewhere.

 

[willi7]

cfi

It's not just how many hours you have, it's the type of hours you have!! Towing gliders and flying around in a 140 by yourself will not compare to the experience of working with different personalities and teaching! An employer wants to see certain things on your resume not just TT.

 

[weekendwarrior]

Good point. I see where that could show the personal ability. As far as aircraft flying is concerned, it's probably about equal, as most time will be in 152, 172, Warrior, etc.

My logic is that if I can shine in the interview with personal skills and good references, they will hopefully see that I have the TT, as well as the personal skills. One thing for sure is that being a CFI has it's advantages, as you really get to know the material since you are breathing it everyday, as opposed to just flying....Both sides work for me, but I really don't care to instruct new pilots how to fly. If I could get comm/IFR students, it would be ideal, but that's in a different world I'm sure.

 

[BigFlyr]

I know of guy who, years ago bought an old Aztec, parked it for about one year, painted it, sold it, made money and pencil-whiped some 500+ hours of multi-time which helped him to land a commuter job!!! Where he is now, I don't know but there I was working my @$$ off... Don't get me wrong though, people who cheat eventually get caught and I'm sure he'll get his if he hasn't already. The point is... if you're going to fly your own airplane to build time in it you should have a way of verifying it's usage. By using it for flight instruction would be one such way and the money you make could at least pay for the airplane.

 

[weekendwarrior]

He's only cheating himself. With my situation, if someone wants to verify my time, they are more than welcome to look at the tach time and note the maintenance in the aircraft logbook. That would be absolute proof, since it is my airplane that has logbook entries for routine and major maintenance. But since I run an honest logbook, I'm not concerned about it. Also, when I take people with me (which is quite often) I put their names in my logbook. Both for memories, as well as something other than "practiced touch and goes". And hey, I definately have the fuel bills to show for it!