Express Jet Mins

[Nova]

I imagine that if you make it through training, that you are hopefully qualified to be in the right seat, even if you have sub-1000 flight time.

Well your qualified but are you knowledgeable/experienced enough? Will the captain be able to trust a 600 hour pilot up front for 5-10 minutes when they go back to the can or when the @#$% hits the fan?

I'm not saying it can't be done as attitude makes up a good part of that equation but not all of it. All the positive attitude in the world couldn't make a 100 hour pilot a competent FO, but will it for a 500 or 600 hour pilot? I would hope that most of those 600 hours are in at least in some fast/complex recips or turboprops.

 

[mmmdonut]

Will the captain be able to trust a 600 hour pilot up front for 5-10 minutes when they go back to the can

Oh jeeezus I doubt it.... you know how much effort it takes to let the autopilot make that 10 degree turn over Holston Mountain.

 

[greyhound]

So it matters "HOW" you got the time!

I'm ages away from touching the twins at the school where I teach at.

At 500 TT and 50 multi, I couldn't just buy the 50 hours or split time with someone? ( I have an MEI).

This would get my total time pretty close to where I could at least apply, right?

Or would it comeback to haunt me at the interview?

 

[mmmdonut]

it would get you there... do it..and apply quickly

 

[LJDRVR]

Here's some advice, worth exactly what you paid for it.

Don't sit around wondering whether or not you might get hired, APPLY and let us decide for you.

This is probably the biggest mistake professional aviators make. "Gee, I've got the minimums for____, but things are pretty competetive right now, I'd better wait until I have (choose one)

• Another 500 hours
• More PIC
• A doctorate degree
• A facelift
• SR-71 type rating

The list goes on forever. Meanwhile you're missing out on a fun job because you feel better qualified than your potential employer to decide whether or not you're employable. Send in the application.

Don't let guys like MJG worry you. They get paid the big bucks to handle situations like a low time FO.

 

[Vik]

What if the time isn't by instructing or flying 135?

What if I'm flying a light twin around 40hrs PIC per month. Its my own plane and I'm flying it for my personal business.

So I'll be applying with 600 TT / 300 ME / well over 20 actual ... ???

Just be sure that you have earned your multi time either by instructing or flying 135, and that you are current. You can meet the mins, but if you aren't current, or don't have a current flying job you may be disqualified.

 

[SkyBoy1981]

Vik, I've heard from several others on this board and gouges that they want you to have a current flying job. I would take that as meaning you're a paid professional pilot of some sort. Never hurts to try though.

 

[CiFIknow]

I was hired without being in a "current" flying job. Had over 450 hours of dual given and hadn't been instructing for six months. Like Vik, I was flying my own 310 about 30 - 40 hours a month for the past few months leading up to the interview. So, it is not a hard and fast rule that you must be currently working in aviation. I'm sure it helps though. Especially if you are lower time. Anyone want to buy a twin???

 

[generaltso]

What if the time isn't by instructing or flying 135?

What if I'm flying a light twin around 40hrs PIC per month. Its my own plane and I'm flying it for my personal business.

So I'll be applying with 600 TT / 300 ME / well over 20 actual ... ???

Sorry but if you have your "own plane" and you are flying it for "my personal business"... then what the hell are you thinking applying to a regional airline? You seem to be doing well, why would you make yourself suffer?

There are a few things in this industry I can not stand. Career changers are just as bad as the gulfstream pukes and the 500TT wonders. Here is a guy who owns a twin and seems to own a good business. Yet, he wants to switch to a job where he can make $20/year and have 10 days off, and be on reserve for several months. I don't get it... wish these people would "see the light".

 

[tomcat]

Oh, so now we add career changers to the dreaded hate list (to go with the PFT, ERAU, Mesa....)?

 

[Vik]

I've *always* wanted to be an airline pilot. I went broke half way through my CFI, then my parents went broke, and with $200 I started my business.

I work 80 hours/week and pay my entire family's bills, my sister's college tution, and *still* want to "suffer" working for a regional airline.

I'm 25. I'm not a "career changer" because my life has been dedicated to flying. Just because I needed to do something else to pay bills, doesn't make me a career changer. Thats like saying the guy that worked loading bags into the plane before he got hired is a "career changer" and he sucks.

Anyway, I've spent the last year hiring and training management so that I can go work for a regional airline and still let my business continue. I've trained both my parents to help out.

Since you claim to be flying the B777, you probably know many major airline pilots, most that have some other side business that they do. I just happened to start my side business *before* joining an airline.

Since 9/11, I think many people have realized that they need some sort of backup to aviation. I encourage anyone I run into that says being on reserve sucks to spend that free time and start a business or figure out a way to start another stream of income, even if its selling crap on Ebay.

Sorry but if you have your "own plane" and you are flying it for "my personal business"... then what the hell are you thinking applying to a regional airline? You seem to be doing well, why would you make yourself suffer?

There are a few things in this industry I can not stand. Career changers are just as bad as the gulfstream pukes and the 500TT wonders. Here is a guy who owns a twin and seems to own a good business. Yet, he wants to switch to a job where he can make $20/year and have 10 days off, and be on reserve for several months. I don't get it... wish these people would "see the light".

 

[Vik]

Don't forget the minorities, foreigners, poor people, bald people, elvis impersonators, flight attendants, SCABS, and eventually, I'm sure HERPES will end up on there too.

Oh, so now we add career changers to the dreaded hate list (to go with the PFT, ERAU, Mesa....)?

 

[Flying Illini]

As far as flight time, you guys are amazing, second guessing someone with 500-600 hours being "trusted" alone for 5 minutes with an RJ? Gimmie a **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** break, I came from the civilan commercial aviation, flying military now, and I know guys with less than 400 total time, flying DC-10's over bad guy land passing gas to entire wings, flying Hornets off of carriers etc. We all had minimal time once, but everyone seems to forget how ready they were to get at it and tackle anything thrown their way, and trying to overcome the hours issue.

Well put Patmack.

 

[Nova]

Eat a d!ck dude... someone gave you a break once, and we've all been a little (or a lot) out of currency.

As far as flight time, you guys are amazing, second guessing someone with 500-600 hours being "trusted" alone for 5 minutes with an RJ? Gimmie a **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** break, I came from the civilan commercial aviation, flying military now, and I know guys with less than 400 total time, flying DC-10's over bad guy land passing gas to entire wings, flying Hornets off of carriers etc. We all had minimal time once, but everyone seems to forget how ready they were to get at it and tackle anything thrown their way, and trying to overcome the hours issue.

Um, the military training environment is a bit different than the civilian one. Those 400 hour military pilots have more experience under their belt than a 400 hour civilian counterpart. Does that 400 hour KC-10 pilot have only 100 hour of Piper Seminole time to their name when they first set foot in that cockpit? Was most of their time in the Cessna 152? I doubt that pilot even has 1 hour of recip. time in their logboook. It's for that reason that the majors have always given a flight time break to the military guys transitioning to the civilian industry.

 

[Guitar Guy]

Vik, I've heard from several others on this board and gouges that they want you to have a current flying job. I would take that as meaning you're a paid professional pilot of some sort. Never hurts to try though.

I was hired at regional back in 2000 with 536 hrs TT, 130 multi and I did not have a flying job - I was an engineer/specialist in the flight department of a major with no affiliation to the regional I was with.

I think the emphasis on hours is wrong. It's not the hours that matter, it's the ability to fly and think that matter. My boss at the major felt the same and pointed out that he was turned loose in an A-4 Skyhawk with all of 200 hours TT. He then went on to fly combat missions in Vietnam.

Perhaps the scariest newbie F/O I ever had at my last job was a CFI-I with over 1500 hours. He badly botched an ILS in low IMC and I had to take over the controls. Yet according to some folks, a guy with 1500+ hours ought to be the right guy for a regional newbie. I would say that I preferred a guy with good, basic skills and good grey matter over a guy with a bunch of hours in the logbook.