Flight academies

[banned username 2]

Archer,

Congratulations on finally making a decision....

Good luck to you in your adventure...

One small word of advise... Your "expected times" in each position (i.e. CFI, 135 etc.) are incredibly optimistic... do youself a favor and plan to CFI 3 years, 135 for 5+ years and then part 91... if it goes faster than you will be pleasantly surprised... and if it doesn't you won't be shocked... I think my times I quoted are MUCH more realistic... even for a real go-getter of a person... at least in this environment...

Good Luck!

 

[Archer]

Well, by part 91 I didn't mean flying a Citation after 3 or 4 years, more like a Baron under Part 91.

And I was hoping after a year or year and a half of instructing, getting some other "low time" job around 1200 hours.

Yesterday, after my Instrumetn written, while I was waiting for my ride at the FBO, a Citation cam in.

There were two Captains and a FO. I dont' know why, I only saw one plane. They Captains looked like they were in their late 40s or 50s. (i.e very experienced for a Citation pilot).

The FO was much younger.

They were originally trying to go to Chicago, but there were thunderstorms, golf-ball size hail and tornadoes. 100 ft ceilings and quarter mile vis...

I had a talk with one of the Captains. He was a formber B-52 pilot, military guy, he had flown in Europe too. He told me the industry sucks, but it should pick up in 2 years or so, when I was planning to start getting a flying job.

He told me it's times were you want to hold on to your pilot job real tight. I asked him about foreign people working in the US, he said there are a lot of Swedish and Norwegian pilots working in the US after they flight insctructed...

so that gave me a little hope.

Archer

 

[bigD]

Sounds like you have a plan of attack Archer, and that's cool. Now I'm certainly no authority on matters involving professional aviation, but I've been around pilots long enough to have learned two things....

First, be willing to be flexible with your plan. Having a plan is good, but if you get too focused on executing it exactly as it's laid out - you may miss other opportunities that are sitting right in front of your face. The industry changes, and also be willing to accept that your priorities may change as well - and that may require changing your direction a bit. Just keep your eyes open, and be flexible.

And second, copy the quote at the bottom of all Falcon Capt's posts. Paste it into a Word document and print it about a thousand times. Cut the printed quotes out and paste them everywhere. Inside you logbook, your school binders, notebooks, on the dashboard of your car, on your cat - everywhere. Every time you step into a plane to go fly - say it to yourself first. I stress this because you seem like the kind of person this needs to be emphasized to.

The flying you're doing now is just as much a part of being a pilot as strapping yourself into the left seat of a Falcon, Citation, or whatever else. The payoff will be worth it, but be sure to love what you're doing right now. The process is every bit as important as the goal.

Okay. I'm done. Sorry for the rant. It's a good reminder for me, too!

 

[Archer]

on your cat

I like that one If I ever get a can, I'll try

Well, regarding your two points.

1)I really don't have anything specific. I'll be building hours, multi hours preferebly wherever I can, IFR x/c hours. I know Part 135 is a good point to start after instrucing, banner towing, flying jumpers etc. Part 91 whenever I'll get a chance.

2)I am not your typical pilot. I havn't flown a single hour professionally, but I KNOW I won't like Part 121 flying in big jets. I just don't like the idea, just like I found out however much I like engineering, I can't see myself behind a computer/in a lab for the rest of my life.

I will be looking hard for jobs in which you fly Barons, Senecas, Navajos, 300/400 series Twin Cessnas. I see myself flying light twins for MANY years, all over the place. Just because I like the type of flying done in a small airplane.

And that's good as you need to start with small airplanes anyways right? No ones gets to fly jets at 1000 hours nowadays.

BUT, I wouldnt want to be stuck flying pistion aircraft my entire life. I would like to move on to turbopropos and jets.

King Airs are not that much bigger than 400-series Cessnas...so seems like a gradual transition...so I expect to be flying King Airs a lot...many years.

so what that get me up to? 7/8 years? Well, after that time, with some 4 or 5000 hours of total time, 4000 or so of it multi, 2000 of it or so turbine or something like that...I'll be ready for transition to a jet. Not just because the industry demands it but for 2 other personal reasons:

1) Safety. I know flying a jet with all it's advanced systems must be harder than flying a piston aircraft. Though I've heard from people on this board that flyinga CE 414 is harder than flying a CE 750. I'm still trying to understand the reasoning behind that. Probably because everything is automated in the jets, more info, more advanced systems = safer.

2)As I said, I like flying small airplanes at low altitudes, and I expect I'll be doing a lot of that.

I just need to figure out how to get permission to work in the US...that's my first, greatest obstacle.

 

[banned username 2]

They were originally trying to go to Chicago, but there were thunderstorms, golf-ball size hail and tornadoes. 100 ft ceilings and quarter mile vis...

Gee... JetPilot500 and I got into Chicago that night... We ended up at ORD, and just barely squeeked in at minimums....

 

[banned username 2]

Well, by part 91 I didn't mean flying a Citation after 3 or 4 years, more like a Baron under Part 91.

Just an FYI...

Most of the Part 91 Barons, Twin Cessna's and such that are out there are usually flown by the owners... There aren't a lot of Part 91 jobs out there flying this kind of equipment. Most pilot jobs in this equipment are part 135.

Once again, plan on Instructing for 3 years and until you have 2000 hours (or more).... If you plan for less there is a good chance you will be disappointed.... If you get out of it sooner, then so be it...

Plan with pessimism, execute with optimism...

just my $0.02 from someone who's been there...

 

[Archer]

Gee... JetPilot500 and I got into Chicago that night... We ended up at ORD, and just barely squeeked in at minimums....

Yeah, ORD wasn't as bad when we checked weather...100 ft broken and 700 ft overcast...but still pretty crap.

I think they were trying to get into Midway...


So Falcon, you think a guy without permanent residency like me has a chance at getting a CFI/CFII/MEI and instruct somewhere...and then find a 135 job somewhere with a company that will help out with paperwork? Have you seen it done in your experience as a corporate pilot?

Archer

 

[banned username 2]

Yeah, ORD wasn't as bad when we checked weather...100 ft broken and 700 ft overcast...but still pretty crap.

When we got in they were calling it 100 Overcast and RVR of 2400 ft.

So Falcon, you think a guy without permanent residency like me has a chance at getting a CFI/CFII/MEI and instruct somewhere...and then find a 135 job somewhere with a company that will help out with paperwork? Have you seen it done in your experience as a corporate pilot?

I certainly think it can happen, I don't personally know of any individuals, but I think it is certainly possible.

 

[Wiggums]

So Falcon, you think a guy without permanent residency like me has a chance at getting a CFI/CFII/MEI and instruct somewhere...and then find a 135 job somewhere with a company that will help out with paperwork? Have you seen it done in your experience as a corporate pilot?

The chances of that happening are really, really low. There will always be plenty of qualified guys that can be hired with no hassle. Plus, it's unlikely that the INS would have a VISA that you could qualify for. You best bet is to either play the green card lottery, or find some nice American girl to marry you. Either way, I would forget about flying the US for now. This is coming from a green card holder, who is currently being screwed by the system.

 

[Archer]

Yes, but the only other places are Canada and Europe...

Europe requires JAA licences which are hard to get/covert to, expensive to fly in, and crappy small pilot maket for those not interested in airline flying.

Canada...well, it's too cold up there

But I see your point, it aint going to be easy...but again, it seems becoming a pro pilot isn't easy anywhere

Archer