Flying Traffic Watch

[MarineGrunt]

Has anyone here flown traffic watch before? CFI'ing is pretty slow, so I'm looking for other methods of time building. Where would I find a place that does this?

thanks for input...

 

[Captain Morgan]

I flew traffic watch in the Los Angeles area, boy was that fun... Police chases, burning Hummer dealerships, LAX, it had it all! The company I worked for was Exodus Air Service based at the Lancaster Airport (William J. Fox Field, KWJF). The maintenance was awesome, and just enough action to keep it fun. The only bad thing was the pay, but that is just the norm I suppose. For a single guy, or a guy who has a sugar momma, it's a great place to build time. I built something like 120 hrs a month. Good luck!

 

[5w5flyer]

I flew traffic watch over Durham, NC. Very easy flying. It was funny listening to all the crap that came over the scanners - the best ever was a woman arrested at K-mart for trying to solicit prostitution. Only thing different from normal flying is that during reports, we would climb a little and then pull the power back to reduce engine noise in the back ground. Really fun flying, and you don't have students trying to kill you.

 

[labbats]

You show up, start the motor and log all the time until the prop stops, then you leave. Beats instruction for timebuilding.

However, some companies are very unsafe and MX is just another thing to cut costs on. You may be asked to fly, watch traffic and do the reporting yourself for $15 an hour in a plane that wanted to be buried in the 80s. Be wary.

 

[Captain Morgan]

I agree, that's why I was so suprised by my company. I was based in Riverside, CA and everytime something needed done I would fly it to Lancaster to get the mx done. It was 2 hrs round trip and he paid us for that which was cool. If it wasn't flyable because of regs., or the obvious, that it wouldn't fly, then he came down with tools (It helped that he was an IA).

 

[MarineGrunt]

I guess I should have added that I am in SLC. Any leads on anything here is appreciated!

 

[Skygod]

5w5flyer:

I flew traffic watch for Gary Rose and then Ron Ginn out of 5W5. Small world. Really enjoyed watching the world from 1,000 feet for five hours a day. Time went quick talking with Mark Grady and the other TW pilots.

Like a lot of these jobs, network with other pilots, hang around airports, and be ready to go fly at 04:00 when the regular guy AND the reserve guy are sick.

 

[Captain Morgan]

Boy that brings back memories... up at 3:00, shower until 3:15, breakfast until 3:45, out the door at 3:50, preflight at 4:45, reporter show at 4:59:59, taxi out at 5:00, wheels up at 5:10... what a life!