Building multi engine time, need advice!

[buckdanny]

Hi,

I'm getting to the point where I don't know how much longer it will take to get that hard to get ME. I got my MEI last September, and am still waiting for my first ME student. I have some that will eventually do, but it will give me 30 hours or so between now and June (I'm at 73 now).

I have sent my resume to 135 freight companies, with no success yet. My wife thinks I should consider to just get into a time building rental place like Ari-ben and take it as a good investment. My argument is that employers don't necessarily like pilots who paid for their ME time! I really need advice because I don't see the end of this. Am I going to jeopardize my chances to get a job when they see in my logbook that I got myself a 100 hours block of ME time? How many of you did that and are getting jobs? Do other pilots see buying ME block time the same as those first officer programs (which I will NOT do)?

Thanks for any advice on that subject. I am sure that I am not the only one in that situation and would appreciate any input from others who were in that situation.

Buckdanny

 

[azpilot]

I am sure it depends on the airline/company but I know plenty of people that bought all of their multi time and are flying for airlines.

I hate the fact that I have to buy the time but I don't really see any other way to get all of it in a timely manner.

- AZPilot

 

[NDPILOT]

I bought 75 hours of twin time and used it all on IFR x-c stuff and approaches, it haven't been able to trick an airline into giving me a job, but i sure can fly those ILS approaches - AZ pilot has a good point about getting that ME time in a "timely manner" it's tough to do. I finally broke down and bought the time.

Good luck

 

[GuppyPuppy]

I actually bought a 1/5th share of an Apache in 1991. We did almost all of our own maintenance, which was a bunch on that plane! My share was $5,000. We each had to pay $100/month for insurance and tiedown...the extra went into the maintenance fund. Each partner bought his/her own fuel and we charged eachother $9/hr for oil and maintenance.

In 1997 I sold my share for $5,000, exactly what I paid for it. I was able to build over 250 hours on the plane at, what came out to be, an hourly cost of about $55/hr. All in all, it was a great investment.

This didn't hurt me at all when in an interview situation. I've had 10 airline interviews and only US Air (1999) has turned me down. I think it actually helped me when I spoke of aircraft ownership and the responsibilities that go along with it.

Good luck.

Cheers!

GP

 

[Timebuilder]

If you can't get a share of a twin, start marketing your services to multi owners on your field. Many are occaisional flyers, and need a good instructor to enhance safety on some flights; I'm thinking of doctors and lawyers that only fly once in a while. Some will need BFR's, some will need some recurrent training.

Your dilemma points out the value of getting your MEI at a school which has a good flow of multi students, and can assure you that you will have a shot at instructing at least some of them if you train there.

Too often, there is no work for a CFI or MEI grad at many schools. One of my private students from 2001 is facing that very problem this spring.

Good luck.

 

[GuppyPuppy]

Ditto what Timebuilder says.

GP

 

[wingnutt]

Your dilemma points out the value of getting your MEI at a school which has a good flow of multi students, and can assure you that you will have a shot at instructing at least some of them if you train there.

if there was any advice i was given as a fledgling, that was it right there.

i got my PPL at a small school in Colorado Springs (that is now defunct) and was appalled at the way the twin time (in the only twin they had) was hogged exclusively by the chief pilot. my instructor urged me to find a school in that this was not so ploblematic, although he seemed to have no solution at the time. this is what led me to Ari-Ben as a student, the promise of multi time. say what you will (as there will always be someone whining about any school) but 1200 total and 1000 multi is a heck of a way to get a leg up on the competition...even though this is all moot, as i ended up foregoing the CFI route

to answer danny's question, i see nothing wrong with block time, if its used to complement the hours hes already gained. its the guys who come right out of their multi-commercial and go to alpine air that may not get what they bargained for in the long run. i talked to one of theirs the other day in amarillo that was typed on a 1900, and flying as a VFR captain with only 800 total time. seems he bought 900 hours from them...we looked it up, and it ran him an additional $60,000 after his initial training

 

[Timebuilder]

ouch

 

[bobbysamd]

The old standby . . . .

Further to Timebuilder's comments, along with marketing yourself as a multi pilot/MEI, why don't you apply to schools that do a lot of multi training? I realize that jobs are tight, but it's worth a shot. One suggestion would be Mesa Pilot Development . Quals are 500 hours total and 100 dual given. The real deal at MAPD continues to be the chance to interview at Mesa for an FO position. Those quals will be the same as off the street, 1000 total and 100 multi, but instructing at MAPD puts your foot in the door. You'll build those times at MAPD easily in a year, or less. You'll be teaching Mesa line procedures, which will also be valuable.

Avoid buying time. I think it sticks out like a sore thumb. It may not gain the respect that you want or need and might have the opposite effect. It bears repeating that you must not do you-know-what, no matter how tempting it may be. Bear in mind the old cartoon of the devil sitting on one shoulder and the angel on the other.

Best of luck with your efforts.

 

[Kaman]

Hello,
I'd suggest applying with RAM Air Freight out of Raleigh N.C. They prefer low-time multi-engine pilots because they will stick around for awhile. Here is the website:

http://www.ramairfreight.com/


Regards,

ex-Navy rotorhead

 

[bobbysamd]

Central Air Southwest

For that matter, Central Air Southwest requires but 50 hours multi, but you need to meet the other 135 quals.

 

[Jump Pilot]

If you got to BUY BUY BUY! I had the same dilema. The airline guys I talked to said not to worry about it.

I bought time in Barons and Seminoles. To get the most out of it, we flew night, X-C, under the hood (actual if we could), and approaches.

The question I've gotten when approached for a job has been "how much multi ya got?" Not, "oooh, did you buy that multi time?"

The more I see of this game its who you know and get the time anyway you can.

 

[superrav]

ditto

Some people have no other choice but to buy the time...I'm in a situation where my flight has a seminole but its offline and I cant afford to look for another CFI job where the FS has a twin...so I say if you have to buy..than buy.

 

[GEUAviator]

What's Wrong w/ Buying???

I would think that BUYING would be more appreciated than instructing in a multi!

At least with the paid for route, you'll have more stick time.

Instructing consists of a lot of sitting and a lot less flying!

For those of you that say buying is a bad option, please explain!

GEUAviator

 

[wingnutt]

Re: What's Wrong w/ Buying???

I would think that BUYING would be more appreciated than instructing in a multi!

 

[172driver]

1. Instructing in a twin consists almost entirely of running emergency after emergency. 100 hrs. dual given will have seen 60 hrs. worth of emergency flows and many more hrs. of talking about them on the ground. Multi time is valuable to employers because of the more complex decision making and checklist usage. I think buying the time can be just as valuable if treated the right way both in the airplane and the interview. However, most bought time is spent running for $500 hamburgers...or at least it's perceived that way. By the way, you don't need a lot of 'stick time' to be a great pilot. Knowledge is half the battle.

2. Most interviewers built their time instructing and see it as 'paying your dues.'