Low Hours/HighTime

[KeroseneSnorter]

Avbug...do you have a family? The Airlines are the way I would like to proceed. That is my goal. I am not sure why you are so inflamed with my choice. It is obvious I need more time. That is what training is for...correct? Perhaps they'll show me how to open the door.

Time line for me. It may give you a feel for what to expect, my career has been about on par with all my buddies from flight school.

Flight Instructed 2 years.

Flew part 135 freight for 2.5 years

Flew Regional for 3 Years Made Captain got PIC time for Majors.

Flew for a Major for 2.5 years, got furloughed

Flight instructed for another 10 months

Flew Corporate for 3 years, collected another couple of type ratings. Flight department shut down, sold airplane.

Flew for a 747 cargo outfit for 1.5 years, got furloughed..

Currently flying contract work and doing house renovation on the side while waiting on the next major to call (Hopefully!!)

Basically I have been a professional pilot for roughly 15 years and I am still in the same boat as you right now, making ends meet and hunting a job, only difference is that I have more hours.

Of course your milage may vary, but this timeline is common for pilots of my group. Currently in my upper middle 30's......hows that for a way of saying I am pushing 40!!!!

 

[avbug]

Avbug...do you have a family? The Airlines are the way I would like to proceed. That is my goal. I am not sure why you are so inflamed with my choice. It is obvious I need more time. That is what training is for...correct? Perhaps they'll show me how to open the door.

I am not inflamed. I said nothing about your choice. I made no reference to family. It's you that believes time is critical. It's you that believes at 450 hours you should make the move to the airlines, that time has run out for you, that you can't wait, that you're ready...

You're not.

I am 48 years old a cfi and soon will have cfii. Time is now critical, I need a job!

You have a job. Flight instruct. You haven't even achieved your instrument instructor yet...you're still in training. Finish training, go to work, get some experience, and then work up through the ranks like everybody else.

Walk before you try to run. Crawl before you try to walk. Time isn't that critical that you need to run before you can crawl.

 

[avbug]

http://www.findapilot.com/classified2-1094.htm

 

[Black Hawk]

What I meant by Professional, other than CFI, was that I would like to work as a pilot in another position that CFI. I have been a teacher for 20 years. I do know that a CFI is a professional pilot. Please do not take offense. At my age I just feel as if the process, and it is a process, is taking forever and my patience is wearing thin. Ask my students if they think I am a professional. I lost one the other day because I wouldn't let him wear flip flops! Was I over the top?

I hear what you're saying. Most CFI's are starting out, retired or part time hobbyists. None of that means you can't behave professionally in a CFI job or do a professional job of it. It's just that there are few CFI jobs out there that provide a real, full time living.

 

[aussieflyboy]

Geoff I think I may be able to help you out, seeing as you asked in the first place if anybody had been through the Ari-Ben training school and I have.

My situation is very different to yours, yet quite similar in a way, here's my story...

I'm a dual US/Australian citizen, mum from Michigan, born and raised in Sydney Australia. I began flying in September 2004 (2 years ago today actually). I completed my private license at a flight school in Sydney and towards the end of my private license I realised that I LOVED aviation and wanted to get the rest of my ratings and fly professionally.

Seeing as my grandparents live in Florida ("because they're over 65 and that's the law" - Jerry Seinfeld) and seeing as Florida has some of the best flight schools and some of the best weather in the country for flying, I chose Florida as the place to continue my aviation training because I had somewhere free to live, and because I figured that I could get the stuff done faster in FL than anywhere else in the US.

I was soooo right. I chose American Flyers in PMP as the school to get my IRA and CAX ASEL and began training with them on 9/16/2005. I know alot of people knock Flyers because they charge higher prices than the norm (and that's true) but the instructors really knew their stuff and I was able to complete my IRA and commercial in one month each, including having to do about 80 hours of timebuilding in a cheaper Cessna which I rented elsewhere.

Once I completed my commercial single I went up to Ft Pierce to get my multi rating and time-building done at Ari-Ben Aviator. I'd heard instructors and students at Flyers talking about the program up there and decided it was the right way to go. Another good decision. I have to say I really lucked out since I got to the US in that nearly every big aviation decision I made really paid off for me.

At Ari-Ben I dropped 8k and did my multi commercial instrument rating and built time until I had 100 hours multi in the duchess. That was a load off. I now had the rating and the prized 100 multi that the regionals and most multi-engine operators look for.

I completed my CFI-II at American Flyers in January this year and as soon as I'd completed them I began work at Flyers, worked my butt off and in the 6 months between 3/1/06 and 9/1/06 I'd taken my total time from 330 to 750. 420 hours total time at 70hrs per month average. Not so bad considering April and June were slow for us.

Interviewed with ExpressJet on August 14th with 700/110, was hired, and I'm beginning my training class in IAH tomorrow (9/11). I promise you once you have that 100 multi you ARE COMPETITIVE as long as you interview well. I prepared well, knew my stuff and was hired with relatively low time especially when considering that alot of guys who weren't hired had over 1500 tt with 300+ multi.
Then again, maybe it was just the Aussie accent (jk).

As I said, my situation is different to yours. I'm a 23 yr old single guy, with no mortgage, no commitments and no family to speak of besides my gparents here in FL and a few aunts and uncles. But my situation is similar in that just 3-4 months ago I was in precisely your shoes, 500+/- total time, and instructing.

My advice to you is to get your 100 hrs multi at Ari-Ben, get your total time up to about 650-700 and send out your resume, you might get an interview or two, and then it's up to you to sell yourself.

As I said, I had low time, I'm young... hell I haven't even finished my bachelor's degree yet. I thought during the interview process that I didn't have a snowball's chance in hell of getting hired, yet here I am packing my bags for Houston tomorrow.

Chase your dreams, Geoff... the hell with the naysayers

Connaz

 

[minitour]

I hear what you're saying. Most CFI's are starting out, retired or part time hobbyists. None of that means you can't behave professionally in a CFI job or do a professional job of it. It's just that there are few CFI jobs out there that provide a real, full time living.

That's very true.

One thing I like about flight instructing is it's a new experience.....every day and every flight.

If you really want to get to the airlines, use your flight instructing time to learn. Your goal at this point should be to be the best CFI you can possibly be. I have learned more by flight instructing than I ever could have learned going to some FMS Standardization Training Course.

My problem started when I struggled to pay the bills CFI'n. It's not uncommon for CFIs to struggle, so I started doing other odd's n ends. My hobby became ferry flights. That gave me quite a bit of experience and I was able to apply lots of my knowledge gained from being a CFI to some of these flights.

It wasn't too long before the hours started adding up. I'm at the point now where I could probably qualify for most regional airlines interviews. Does that make me qualified to pilot 50 people around at 350 in an RJ? I'm not sure...I guess that's up to the airlines to decide (if I wanted to go that route). I at least feel like at this point I'm much more qualified than when I was some smartass kid with 250 hours straight out of school thinking I knew it all.

My point here is to enjoy what you're doing now, do some instrument instruction...have a student get you almost inverted trying to intercept the LOC and freeze up on the controls so you get to recover. Maybe even toss on the MEI and really scare the crap out of yourself.

Flight time is cheap as avbug I'm sure will tell you...$.89 for a bic pen, $5.00 for a six pack and over the weekend you too can have enough hours to do whatever you want. What you need is experience.

Those certificates are all licenses to learn. Use them for what they're for...you'll get where you want to be. Just be patient.

Good luck!

-mini

 

[Sawmill]

Interesting thread guys. I took my first flight lesson about 5 1/2 years ago. Since then, I earned all my ratings, bought an airplane, built time, did a little flight instruction, flew corporate and charter, flew for 2 regionals...then gave up the dream....because that is exactly what it was...a dream. If money is not important to you...any money...then definately fly for a "living". I decided that earning a comfortable salary and building a reliable retirement account was more important to me than flying. I hated the decision mind you, but I figured that I could still fly for fun...and I have found it to be so much more enjoyable than the airline lifestyle. Thats just me though...I heard (maybe on this site) and strongly agree with: "Being an airline pilot is a great job, but a terrible career". By the way Geoff, my sim partner at XJet was on his second career and 48 years old. Good luck!