Freight Hauling jobs...

[starchkr]

Try GTA Air in Dallas. They are a 135 co. that will hire VFR 135 guys with 500 hours, but the lifestlye STINKS there. I have had a few coversations with those VFR guys and they talked about 14 hour duty days with only a couple of hours of flying, plus having to do a lot of company paperwork while sitting at the airport during IFR conditions. One huge drawback is that they DO NOT get paid...well at least when i talked to the VFR guys they didn't about a year ago, and knowing a litle about the company i am sure they still do not. It is basically a work for free job, however it is NOT PFT because you neither pay nor get paid, so maybe it is a BFT(Blood for Training) type job. OK, so my joke skills have seemed to slip on that one! However, this job will at least get you hours in a way other than instructing, but instructing is kind of fun... except for those days when you are so happy to be alive youhave to kiss the ground upon returning to the airport.

Good luck

 

[Timebuilder]

Here's another insight on AirNet:

I spoke with hiring honcho Bob at Airnet, and they put a LARGE and definite value on having instructed. Get that CFI and use it.

Secondly, recency of experience is a big consideration. Thirty, ninety days, six month totals.

Thirdly, I filled out the online app some time ago, and I'm still waiting for the call. This probably indicates that there are boucoups pilots in the hiring pool.

I think the majority opinion still recommends flight instruction for experience in preparation for a job.

 

[bobbysamd]

CFI Experience

I speak from prejudice because instructing is all I ever did in professional aviation, but it's unbelieveable how much you will learn about aviation from instructing. The old saying is true, that the best way to learn a subject is to teach it. Another, practical consideration is the written exams that airlines give during the interview process. I know people who fretted over these exams. I never understood why because these exams tested basic instructional knowledge that you would teach your students.

One more consideration is the CFI is a credential that represents a certain and particular benchmark of aviation knowledge. Recruiters like to see a CFI for that reason.

Good luck with your plans.

 

[Freight Dog]

Well, to say it's easy to get a break... well... no it's not.

But to say that one has to do a lot of homework to get a break, oh hell yeah!!! I got my first VFR 135 job at 500 hours flying air tours, first cargo job at 830 hours flying VFR 135 in C210, got my first cargo twin job with 1000 total and 8 MULTI as PIC in a Seneca. Got up to 1200 hours, went to Ameriflight for 9 months and now at a regional. No CFI ticket, no money, and all kinds of desire and WILL to move up.

You really have to hustle. Take a folder-ful of your resumes, and walk into different places. Talk to people. Don't be afraid of rejection. If you have 500 hours total time (no way around that per FAR's), take a stack of your resumes to Vegas, and go say hi to every operator at every airport in the Greater Las Vegas area. Always be on the lookout for that next job, always be informed of what's going on.

Good luck!

 

[1900cpt]

Have to agree with what the other posts say. As for the CFI route...you will learn more than you ever thought possible. I also think Freight Dog has the right idea. Start beating down some doors....the worst they can say is no.....well atleast now you have a definite answer. May not be the one you want to hear but you might be surprised also.

The people that turn you down might also be able to point you in the right direction too. This industry is all about networking. The more people you know the better off you are. Some day down the road that person may be able to help you get on somewhere.

This should also be something you do to. I have helped several of my friends land some jobs. People helped me and i try to help others too. This is not to say that you dont need any experience...you do. It is almost a catch 22....people want you to have experience, but wont hire you to get the experience.

Also with the freight...depending on what a/c and company it is you will most likely be doing single pilot. That in itself can give you gray hair. You will learn a lot and you better learn it quick. I know i scared myself several times while doing single pilot seneca charter. It will make you a good pilot.

Thats my take on that,

1900cpt

 

[seattle]

Freight Dog,

Are you based out of PDX or SEA by any chance? If so, can you tell me when the sun is coming back?

Seattle

 

[hyper]

Timebuilder's post is right on about Airnet. And yes, we are still hiring for the SIC program. New routes are coming out weekly (mostly weekends with the new DOT contract) and our biggest problem is filling them due to pilots bottlenecking through the training program.

 

[jaybird]

hyper, what do you mean by bottlenecking?

thanks

 

[hyper]

Can't get them through fast enough to fill the slots.

 

[jaybird]

Sweet, thanks!

 

[inline]

I cannot see how flying around a traffic pattern all day with a student is valuable time. The best way to gain experience is to fly alone. Get together with two or three of your buddies and buy a used IFR equipped C-150 and fly X-country, IFR, in all types of weather. You and you alone will be responsible for the flight and will be gaining valuable experience in the process. Then, as soon as you build up the required time, try and get a job with an operator with an IFR certificate that flys a light twin or single engine planes-single pilot. The experience will make you a better pilot when you eventually get on with an operator in mulit-crew cockpits.

 

[tdvalve]

Unless you've instructed, you have no idea of the learning curve of a new instructor. You're going to see every possible mistake repeated over and over. You not only learn how to recover from every conceivable situation, you'll learn the answers to questions about aviation that you otherwise would never have dreamed of. And, you'll learn how you'll react to situations you'll rarely or never experience in other types of flying. IHMO, the knowledge and insight gained from a few hundred hours of instructing outweigh a few thousand hours of routine line flying.

 

[hyper]

Inline,

Get your CFII and MEI to add to your CFI and then give your student some real quality time...i.e. actual and emergencies galore in twins and you'll be singing a different story. It ain't all flying squares. Let 'em get one foot in the grave without dragging you in.

 

[hyper]

Photopilot,

I would be the first to agree that there are other acceptable avenues than instructing. I don't remember anybody saying that any other job is b.s., including Airnet. I would however, point out that with instructing, you are put into some unique situations that you did not create or expect. Much like an aircraft does to us in eventful moments. You are consistently going through emergency procedures and creating different scenarios for them, something that you don't regularly do in other jobs. Given the nature of haulin' freight at night to minimums consistently, I would GUESS that this may be the reason Airnet prefers instructors. I honestly don't know.

I chose instructing certainly not because I wanted to or had to. I chose it because I knew that I would learn a ton about flying just by teaching it, and I did. Probably more than I wanted to

 

[Freight Dog]

Freight Dog,

Are you based out of PDX or SEA by any chance? If so, can you tell me when the sun is coming back?

Seattle

LOL... neither. I'm based in HNL, and sun is always around, and it's nice and warm.