Eagle Jet International and Ameriflight

[shadow]

Considering a piston program offered via Eagle Jet International. Understand it is with Ameriflight in Burbank. I would like to hear from the Ameriflight guys or anyone about the pro's and con's of this program and what the possibilty of emploment is after completion. It will put me at 1200tt, 200+ multi, 135 mins...

Also, does anyone know who eagle jet does their C-90 program with?

Thanks....

 

[puddlejumper]

Eagle Jet King Airs

I'm definitely not an expert on Eagle Jet, but I have been involved with a little bit of their program. I've been flying for a skydiving/aircraft leasing company for a couple of months now and have been "assigned" a few Eagle Jet co-pilots. I've flown with timebuilders in A90s, B90s and Twin Otters so far. I'm required to be in the left seat and for one of the guys, I was required to do all takeoffs and landings. He'd pretty much fly the climb, jumprun and descent profiles with my coaching. It's really up to the discretion of the PIC. I think you pay like $80/hr. It's frustrating for me, I'm essentially a puppeteer/babysitter for the first few loads. I'm not paid to be a King Air instructor but as a MEI, I do what I can. You could be assigned to a PIC who is not an MEI however. I try to incorporate CRM, but if an intercom isn't installed, that's about impossible. One guy got hired to fly skydivers right after completing his 50 hours, so that's always a possibility.

Gotta run, I'd be more than happy to answer your questions when I can.

-PJ

 

[naviondriver]

Eagle Jet International

Shadow,

How did things work out with Eagle Air? I'm down here in South Florida and was thinking of doing their Pistion Twin or Caravan program. I was thinking of Gulfstream until I read all the posts!! I have about 550 hours but not much twin time (6hrs!!), and thought it might be a good way to build some hours and get some 135 experience. Any thoughts??

Naviondriver

 

[klm # 789]

Eagle jet

I need information about Eagle jet international.

I know it is al expensive, but i need to know what kind of company it is. Please forward al the info you have for me.....

Thank you,

Greetzzzz KLM 789

 

[puddlejumper]

Eagle Jet

I believe Eagle Jet deals with different operators around the country and waits until there is a seat available. When an opportunity comes up, they pay the operator/owner for the timebuilder to go fly their airplanes. I'm sure the experiences vary dramatically. With the company I flew for, you (the timebuilder), show up expecting to log some PIC time in a King Air or DHC-6. Once you get there, you may find out that the guy you're flying with just got checked out in the airplane himself (as was the case with one of the guys I had last summer with the Twin Otter). Also, you may find out that there are restrictions. ie, you can only fly from the right seat or you can't do takeoffs or landings or the actual PIC is not an MEI, so you can't log any of the time he/she is flying...

Ask about what sort of part 91 operators you would be going to if you signed up. Right seat in a skydive airplane may not be the experience you think you are paying decent money for. Good luck!

-PJ

 

[hopeful]

It is a PFT sham like all of the others. You will pay roughly $16,000 to go ride around in the right seat of an aircraft not requiring you. (I.E. you can't log it) I have heard some of the dumba$$ F/O say they are logging it and have some dreamed up scheme on how they think it is legal, but bottom line is this-

If you are not a required crewmemeber and you are not the sole manipulator of the controls then you can't.(which you won't be since Ameriflight is part 135 and you won't be checked out as PIC) You might get in some aircraft that don't require two pilots and have a captain that is a MEI and log some dual, but why would you pay that much money to log some dual multi time.

Besides, you are going to have to explain why you have 300 hours of dual in a piston or light twin turboprop. (even the crappiest aviator doesn't require 300 hours of dual) It is just flat not worth it.

Quit trying to cut corners and go out and find yourself a job. Pay your dues and move on like the rest of us.

Shadow-

If you have 1100tt then go out and fly another 100 hours and get hired in the left seat. You will save money and pride. Do the right thing and don't give Eagle or Ameriflight a penny to go ride in a Navajo. That has got to be the most pathetic idea I have ever heard. Have some pride and suck it up.

 

[Speedtree]

Attaboy Hopeful,

I agree.

Shadow, I can see how you would be tempted to spend your hard-earned, or not so hard-earned, money on this kind of program. I am not familiar with this exact one but the whole thing sounds very sketchy, bordering on illegal (based on how one would log the time). Take a step back and look at the big picture and you will hopefully see that honest time spent building honest hours is much better than paying for someone else's get rich scheme. You might get some interesting experiences but any kind of program in which you pay to ride along where you are not needed is, in my opinion, not real flying.

You could buy a lot of twin time and do a lot of cross-country flying for that amount of money. Better yet, do as hopeful suggested.

 

[bobbysamd]

P-F-T - not!

Don't do it, especially in this kind of program. I like Puddlejumper's description of P-F-T at his company. The time logged may be attractive, but is it legal? Possibly. Possibly not. I'd tend to think not, especially because the P-F-T "SIC" isn't being allowed to take off and land the airplane - a basic requirement of being a legal SIC. Do you call that real flying? I like his "puppet" description.

For a moment, let us assume the time is legal. You attend an interview and the pilot board sees time that is incongruous with your level of experience. If any one of the pilots is anti-P-F-T, I'd go to Vegas and place a $1 meg bet that you'll be blackballed. Why make a similar bet with your P-F-T "tuition"? Search the rest of the board about P-F-T. I submit that opinions expressed therein are a representative cross-section, pro and con, of P-F-T sentiment among pilots.

One other thing. How do you know for sure that you won't be conned out of your P-F-T "tuition"? How do you know that the P-F-T company won't take your deposit, train you, deem you untrainable and wash you out, and not refund your deposit? Aside from how P-F-T hurts pilots overall, as I have opined prolifically elsewhere, that notion stinks to high heaven, at least to me. Not making takeoffs or landings falls under this "scam" heading, too.

I realize that I am vehement in my opposition to P-F-T. I do not intend to start or incite another P-F-T discussion. But this was a solicitation for advice that merited an $0.02 response.

Good luck with any decision you may make.

 

[LittleDeuce]

Twin Otter

Would any of you Otter drivers tell me where a good place to do some part time Otter flying would be?

I have 3000 hours in the DHC-6-300 as a Captain/Instructor/Check Airman and would LOVE to fly one again!

Thanks!

 

[bobbysamd]

Otter flying

Would any of you Otter drivers tell me where a good place to do some part time Otter flying would be?

I have 3000 hours in the DHC-6-300 as a Captain/Instructor/Check Airman and would LOVE to fly one again!

Thanks!

Scenic?

Just a thought.