I guess I'm goin to L.A.

[mcjohn]

Wife talked me into it tonight. Where should a guy like me with a little over 500TT and only 15 multi look for work? I have a couple friends there and we'll catch up with my wife's sister in West Hollywood. Nice place.

 

[KeroseneSnorter]

Ahh, the land of the $20 hamburger and silicon implants. I feel dirty everytime I have to fly through that place!

 

[FN FAL]

Wife talked me into it tonight. Where should a guy like me with a little over 500TT and only 15 multi look for work? Catching up with my wife's sister in West Hollywood. Nice place.

Lower Arkansas has a West Hollywood? Dang, I got to get out of the house more often.

 

[KeroseneSnorter]

What is it with the andriod motif the women have there? Was commercialing home a couple months back and had one come strike up a conversation with me at the airport pub........it was like talking to Data from Star Trek! I was hard pressed to see any part of her body that wasn't augmented in some way, her face had a definate "Plastic" look about it.

I guess as long as she thought she looked good. There should be a life size before and after picture of Michael Jackson posted in every plastic surgeons office that is required viewing prior to going under the knife.....Yikes!!!!!

 

[mcjohn]

That bad huh? My wife's sister is in the entertainment industry and is friends with some of those famous folks. She gets us into all the clubs and bars that require you know somebody. I'm into the weather there. Great VFR and head north for IFR. Bad traffic though. Perfect place to take to the skys. I think caneman lives out there. Maybe he can tell me where to find some smoooth flying gigs.

 

[mcjohn]

Next morning......yep she was serious. We both kind of hate the town where we currently live so it's fine with me. Problem is, I planned on getting close to the IFR mins and working for Ram Air or similar out of Charlotte to get my multi time. I don't know if there are any opportunities to do this around L.A. and I sure as hell can't afford to buy any multi time. I have ~ 15 multi. Where should I look to fly and gain multi experience around Southern California?

 

[jergar999]

Your CFI is going to be your best bet. Check out VNY for starters. It is one of the busiest GA airports in the country.

 

[81Horse]

mcjohn: http://www.ameriflight.com/Employment/employment.htm

Ameriflight at BUR. They hire sim and flight instructors, and it's a good way to get into the program before you meet 135 mins. PM some of the current AMF guys here, and find out more about it.

If you don't have your II and MEI, it still couldn't hurt to make some contacts -- then get those ratings. Not having them (esp. the II) is going to slow down your instructing career in SoCal.

 

[rickair7777]

American Flyers at Santa Monica is run by a good guy (Marco). You could get your CFI/II for probably $4-5K, and probably get a job there (single engine instruction only). There should be opportunites to work as an MEI in that area also, I think Bracket field has a twin training operation.

Note: I didn't say anything about American Flyers OTHER than Santa Monica...read between the lines.

 

[BRIGADEAVIATOR]

brackett

no twin trainig at brackett, the only flight school on the field is that of Mt. Sac. (and you have to be a enrolled student to fly there). I pay 160 for a seneca I out of el monte? good luck

 

[shamrock]

Lower Arkansas has a West Hollywood? Dang, I got to get out of the house more often.

And I was thinking of Lower Alabama, a much maligned area. :0

 

[mcjohn]

Thanks everyone. How about banner tow operations over the shores around L.A.? A long time ago a guy who didn't know I was in the South East offered to hook me up with a banner tow operator somewhere in SoCal when I was looking into banners. Can't find the thread.

 

[urflyingme?!]

I thought from your previous postings of which flight schools to attend that you had a solid aviation footing...
thing that make you go hmmmmm

 

[mcjohn]

Some schools ruin people financially and destroy their ability to obtain credit. I figure my profile over there makes the amount of experience I have pretty obvious.

How 'bout it folks. Who does banner towing on the shores of the L.A. region?

 

[mcjohn]

Anyone? Banner towing? Southern California? Looking at Santa Monica now.

 

[English]

There's a banner towing operation at LGB. I don't know their name though. Something like Aerial Advertisements...

 

[lawfly]

Banner towing is the 1st thing I thought of when I saw your times. I have never done it (thankfully) but it is an option. It is seasonal, obviously. And you'll fly low and slow. As for instructing, the other posts appear to be right on. I think Marco, however, is no longer at AF-SMO. (He is elsewhere on the field, I hear.) As for getting into bars in L.A.--I wouldn't move here just for that. If that's your thing, visit once in a while. But to each his or her own. Good luck.

 

[mcjohn]

As for getting into bars in L.A.--I wouldn't move here just for that. If that's your thing, visit once in a while. But to each his or her own. Good luck.

Whoops! Didn't mean to sound like that's a reason to go there. Couldn't afford that anyhow. Was probably just thinking about the amount of fun I always have out there as a cheesy tourist.
I have to move to a big city if I plan to do well in aviation and have my wife start the kind of business she wants to start. My wife will move to either Charlotte N.C. or Los Angelas area where she has family. If I get hired by a good company then she has agreed to go where ever. However, I won't get hired by a good company until my total time is much higher. Aaaanyway, we are dying to get the hell out of this silly little town where I live, in which I have a substandard instructing gig that's been paying me $150-200 a week. (Have I told you about the uniform yet? I have 3 stripes!) Sorry for ranting. I just woke up all pissie knowing that I'm going to work for free.

Thanks for the helpful info. I know the banner biz is seasonal in the South East but I assumed it was year round in So Cal.

 

[English]

Banner flying in SoCal is year round.

You can also do traffic watch year round in SoCal.

 

[Rokit88]

2 options for low time jobs in So Cal ...


Banners (BTW that place in LGB is a good operation, something like 9 Bellanca scouts... website www.adsthatfly.com ) Hope your up on your tailwheel time.

Traffic Watch.. I did this when I lived in LA.. Made a lot of friends, had a lot of fun. I think Exedous Air out of Lancaster has the contract these days. Planes are kept at whiteman. Call em up. You won't make any money ( maybe 8 p/hr.) but at least your not paying for a plane!!!


PM me with questions ( I used to live out there)


Rokit88

 

[mcjohn]

Thankyou much guys. By the time I make it out there I'll probably have 600-700TT. I still have to sell my house and get my CFII at this so called "JOB" of mine. So far I've been building only about 35 hours a month. That's pretty bad. I quit my fulltime job to pursue instructing fulltime so you can imagine how I feel. I'm giving this until June, if I don't have a better student load, I'm outta here! Trying to get by as a CFI has got to be the most depressing challenge I've had so far in life.

 

[charter dog]

The times they are a changin'

American Flyers at Santa Monica is run by a good guy (Marco). You could get your CFI/II for probably $4-5K, and probably get a job there (single engine instruction only). There should be opportunites to work as an MEI in that area also, I think Bracket field has a twin training operation.

Things change quickly in this biz. ADP closed it's doors at Bracket. Heard an unconfirmed rumor that they were opening at Chino. In other news, Marco is now the manager of Supermarine at SMO. Opting to run the jet FBO is probably a wise financial decision. Good for him! He really has a following of loyal friends aquired through many years in the instruction business at SMO.

mcjohn:

I wish you the best of success in your move to LA. I hope you are prepared for the staggering cost of living and the other negative aspects of SoCal life. I presume that since you have been here, seen it and have opted to move here anyway, you have weighed the benefits against the challenges and found that potential opportunity wins the argument. Well, that's what this place was built on.

Van Nuys is the airport for corporate and charter, hands down. There is also plenty of flight instruction going on there and at SMO. It's a tight market for CFIs though. Market is flooded by alot of recent UND and other flight university grads. Still, opportunities exist from time to time as these folks get hired at the commuters. The most persistent and omnipresent seem to fill them. Some flight schools like Justice flight in SMO, give preference to those CFIs who train with them. And he pays better than most.

The traffic watch jobs in LA go to those who are known to present employees. A friend of mine who does this got in through his association with people he met as a flight school desk jockey. Whatever you do, get some kind of aviation job that will put you in contact with the right people. It's not that it's a closed club, just that the people who hire feel more comfortable hiring "known quantities" if they can. And it has to be easy! Often as not, flight schools and other operators will choose the guy who is ready to go to work now (and was introduced) over more qualified people who are not standing right in front of them like you are.

So good luck in your job search. You have been given a couple of good leads in some of the other posts.

Best,