Currency on furlough

[FlyinBrian]

I have a question for anyone who thinks they might have a constuctive answer:

When I return from my fulough status, I would like for training to go as smoothly as possible. To this end I would like to maintain some sort of currency. I am currently working a job outside of aviation. The only flying job that seemed available was instructing, which I just cannot afford financially, and I don' t think it would keep me terribly current anyway. I'm thinking I may find an AST 300 or something and shoot approaches on a regular basis. I know enough fellow CFI's that I could find an instructor/operator for free, maybe even get someone to go in halves on a monthly sim rate.I 'm curious if anyone has some other useful suggestions.

Thanks in advance,

Brian

 

[AWACoff]

.

There is a guy out in Denver who operates out of Centennial and Jeffco that sells unlimited blocks in an AST300 for $375 per 4 month slot. That $375 includes his time to train you how to operate the sim and printer. Well worth it if you live in Denver. The sim at Jeffco is much easier to get time in as hardly anybody ever goes up there.

 

[sim66]

I have been on furlough for 4 months now and I have to tell you as difficult as it was I have been instructing part-time at my old flight school, nights, weekends whenever. It is the best way to keep yourself current. I have been especially lucky to have picked up some multi students and an instrument student. In addition if you have microsft flight simulator 2000, fly that also I was surprised on how much of help that can be as well. The flight school I am at has two other furloughed CFI's in addition to the one down the street. In my opinion best way to stay in the game. Good luck. Thanks for the post on Eagle, although I am not furloughed from them I had a class date with them at one time.

 

[sim66]

PS - For what it is worth you are also building your total time.

 

[dsn1444]

Maybe you could not afford to flight instruct while on furlough because too many people find "free" flight instructors. Do ya think maybe even though the person is a friend he still payed a lot of money to get his CFI and should receive payment for his services.

If you are doing taxes on the side to make money while on currency would you do your friends taxes for free?

 

[Wiggums]

Maybe you could not afford to flight instruct while on furlough because too many people find "free" flight instructors. Do ya think maybe even though the person is a friend he still payed a lot of money to get his CFI and should receive payment for his services.

If you are doing taxes on the side to make money while on currency would you do your friends taxes for free?

I think you might be blowing the free instruction thing a little of proportion. Giving free instruction to a few close friends is not a big deal. Giving a friend who is a CFI instruction, as it would be in FlyinBrian's case, would be considered professional courtesy. I never charged my CFI coworkers for dual where I used to work. Now the real problem is people advertising to the general public that they will instruct for free. I get pretty upset when I see flyers on my car or on a notice board that say, “$50/hr Singe $110/hr Dual MultiEngine – Instructor Included”. These guys are the true parasites of the profession, the people making it difficult for professional instructors.

To anyone thinking about getting dual from an instructor that won't charge you, just remember, you get what you pay for.

 

[JumpJetter]

This is my take.

If you're on furlough from a major, and can stand being away from flying for a while, I wouldn't worry to much about it. In the military it was routine (but not liked) to have to do some sort of staff or ground tour for 1,2 or even 3 years. Are guys a little rusty when they come back? Sure. But the airline knows that. I think you would be suprised how 4 hours in the box for 5 days straight can bring you back up to speed. Now if your not on furlough from your dream job, it may be a different story, you may need to keep flying to show your "commitment to aviation" or to build time.

I'm furloughed from a major and am not flying in the reserves nor anything else. I do miss the "office". And the fact I'm not saving towards retirement (read A fund or B fund) like I'd like to be. However, I'm not living in a hotel, I'm not commuting, and I'm home alot with family. And I found something that is interesting, and I can make alot more than instructing, flying night freight or regional airline flying.

I say if you can't fly, try something else, you can definitely make more than at a "slave" regional airline. Been there, done that, got my hours, not going back. Just my .02 cents.

 

[Blasted]

Hey JJ, fill us in on what you're doing out there. After clicking on www.oddtodd.com for the 50th time, I'm still wondering what other options there are out there other than returning to the AD and clicking around on this board. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy watching Speedvision and looking at my watch every few minutes as if I had something to do watching the time tick away, but I'd rather do something more productive. Care to snap us to the fight?

 

[bobbysamd]

Sim time

I second the above posters. There's no harm or foul to give a friend or a friend of a friend a free BFR or a little dual as a courtesy. At Riddle we received three hours of free proficiency time in each airplane we flew. Instructors would go up with each other and give each other BFRs and ICCs. We wouldn't even think of charging each other. We were glad to do it.

Not a bad idea, too, to keep up your scan using a ground trainer.

 

[FlyinBrian]

Yeah, just to clarify... When I said I know a few fellow CFI's who would operate the sim for free, I was referring to close personal friends, not guys out there advertising free instruction.

Giving instruction away to the general public is extremely unprofessional, and I would never defend someone who does that. However, as Wiggums says, a little professional courtesy between instructors (particularly instructors who also go and drink beer together.) Is A-OK

 

[AWACoff]

Why don't you guys volunteer if you have so much free time. I volunteer at the Humane society as a dog walker. Give something back to the community. What goes around comes around. It doesn't hurt a resume to have a LOT of volunteer activities during a furlough.