Minimum Hours?

[weekendwarrior]

Anyone know what the likelyhood of getting a job with 650 TT and 20 ME? Is cargo the best way to get the time building going?

If I've lost my mind thinking I can get a job with this kind of time, what should I expect for minimums? 135 mins?

 

[cloudsurfer227]

goog luck dude

 

[fr8r]

weekendwarrior,
First, open your FAR/AIM to the 135 section and you will find the published IFR mins. Second, if you fly in the Military, keep up the good work. If not... get your CFI and start busting it out. This is the best advice I can give you for now.

 

[SheGaveMeClap]

Nobody in the 135 world will touch a 650 hour pilot. Go get your CFI and go to work. If you fly hard, you'll instruct for less than a year and then go fly 135.

 

[210FR8DOG]

tough road

WW,

with 650, your options are very limited, but not impossible. Flight instructing is typical path. Also, there are traffic watch positions, some VFR freight ops mostly in the southwest where it is VFR 95% of the time. There is also photo-flying and possibly ferry flying but you have to be very ambitious and flexible to get around to some of these jobs.

Here is the real question: Do you really want to stay on the career flying path?

I love flying as much as anyone and I am basically an optimist, but it is a VERY tough market we have right now. I am flying Mon-Fri in a Baron 135 IFR and I have sent resumes to ASA, Comair, MESA, Commutair, Pinnacle, Skywest, COEX, TSA, PSA, Shuttle America.....you get the picture, and no calls at all yet. There are literally thousands of pilots with significant jet time looking for jobs right now.

My advice: Keep flying in your sights but work on another career right now. Fly on weekends renting or instructing if you get the instructor cert. Just don't throw all of your energy and time into nothing but flying. Fly for fun, enjoy some $100 hamburger trips, and hopefully things will be better in a few years. I'm just trying to keep it real. Cosider all factors like are you single, kids, rich parents, able to move/live anywhere? Just my opinion.

Jeff

 

[labbats]

I think the biggest flame bait on these boards is either "Mesa" or "Minimums Hours to Get a Job".
Start sending out resumes and keep sending them out when you get another rating/milestone. You can't get a job without some effort. It's unlikely, but people DO win the lottery too.

Keep your chin up

 

[fr8r]

hey weekendwarrior,
I didn't mean to come down hard on you if it came across that way, but I think the idea of flying traffice watch and things like that is a great idea. I lived in salt lake, utah for a while and some of my friends flew traffic watch and were flying between 3-6 hours a day. they usuallly flew in the morings and afternoons when the traffic was high, so it didn't really interfere with their day jobs. of course, they did it for free, but they wanted to stay away from instructing, they say, to protect their hard earned certificates. I guess i don't blame them, but if you tell your students the bottom line, they usually understand. or, if you don't trust the student, don't instruct him... it is your choice. and never let them make you feel guilty. this can happen. there is also the "teach advanced students only" route. get your CFII/MEI and do that to help remove any risk.

well, I hope this helps...

 

[Dave Benjamin]

Weekendwarrior,

Don't take all the negativity too seriously. You don't have the hours to fly single pilot Pt 135 IFR. You could try for a VFR 135 position somewhere like Vegas doing Grand Canyon flying. I got a 135 VFR gig when I had around 700 hours and that was in 93 when things were pretty bad in the industry. You can get a list of 135 operators from the FAA. You could try for an SIC postion also. Knock on doors and network all you can. Good luck, we're all counting on you;-)

 

[weekendwarrior]

After spending the money on my Comm/Multi/Inst last year, I'm not going to give up. The problem I have is that I am not really flexible with my family and National Guard commitment. I am getting rotor hours, but will only have about 250 when I'm done here next year and then it's back home to hit the pavement I guess.

I really don't want to do the CFI thing. I will at a last resort, but I'd rather make the same or less flying bank checks at night before I flight instruct.

Heck, I'd take a helo job if I could. The Grand Canyon operators want 1000 hours helo before they'll take you, so that's out.

I realize it's flame bait asking the question, but I've been away from the boards for a while, and really don't have an idea what the low time guys are doing right now. I am tailwheel endorsed and have over 100 hours tailwheel, so maybe banner towing or glider towing may be in my future.

Thanks for all the feedback, smarta** or not, I can take it all!

 

[Riddlebratt]

Hey weekendwarrior I have just been hired by a company in Montgomery Al flying fo on a Hawker 700. I will only be able to log the non-rev portion of the flight until I get SIC qualified. This is a excellent opportunity for me to log multi-turbine time. The downside is I only get $100.00 per day plus expenses when overnight is required. My friend got me the hook-up. when he started he only had 500tt &125 multi. Keep your head up and make some connections for yourself thru networking....You will make it.........

 

[Peter Gibbons]

I can understand you not wanting to do the CFI thing but it does keep you flying, its challenging and I know that I'll look back at my carreer and say I earned it. I also learned more doing CFI work than I could have ever learned flying traffic watch five days a week. Good luck...my advice...CFI, CFII, MEI.

 

[Freight Dog]

I really don't want to do the CFI thing. I will at a last resort, but I'd rather make the same or less flying bank checks at night before I flight instruct.

You gotta be IFR 135 qualified before most check-hauling outfits will be able to touch you. There were a couple of exceptions in the Southwest, but those days are long gone. The big question is here, how do you get to 1200 hours without CFI'ing...

I flew skydivers and I got lucky with a VFR 135 gig back in 99. Never know... but keep your chin up and keep pluggin' away.

 

[vossdr1]

low time jobs

Weekend,
Put yourself in the employer's mindset. If you want to be competitive, what do you have to do? If you were going to hire someone to fly for you, what kind of experience would you want? Would you want someone who can interact successfully with people? Would you want someone who has a thorough knowledge of aviation? Would you want someone who has passed numerous flight checks? Would you want someone who knows how to prepare successfully for those checks? Would you want someone who can recognize a hazardous situation and take control to remedy it? Would you want someone who genuinely cares about people?

Admittedly, there is some degree of all of these qualities in every flying job. However, for someone with your flight experience, I think you will agree that being a good flight instructor will benefit you (and your students and future customers-passengers, employers, etc.) much more than most other options.

Remember that the flight instructor is the PIC. I really don't understand why people are frightened of instructing. A competent instructor will build his/her knowledge of aviation, human behavior (especially your own), your airmanship, and business savvy.

Well, there it is. You asked for it.

Good luck.

 

[fr8r]

Hey weekendwarrior I have just been hired by a company in Montgomery Al flying fo on a Hawker 700. I will only be able to log the non-rev portion of the flight until I get SIC qualified. This is a excellent opportunity for me to log multi-turbine time. The downside is I only get $100.00 per day plus expenses when overnight is required. My friend got me the hook-up. when he started he only had 500tt &125 multi. Keep your head up and make some connections for yourself thru networking....You will make it.........

Get a clue riddlebrat.... there is no downside to $100/day when you fly a Hawker 700 with only have 800 hours. I make less than that and I fly freight 5 days a week and have a 14 hour duty day... no multi time in that either. however, I am happy for you and wish you the best, but there is NO DOWNSIDE...! Moral of the story: "Don't look like a baby with that kind of luck... just count your blessings!"

cya
fr8r

 

[Riddlebratt]

FR8R..... Lets not turn this tread into something that it is not..... I am not complaining one bit about this gig... I will only get about 1 or 2 flights a month until i can get sic qualified....and believe me I am counting my blessings daily.......If I were you I would do the same with so many people out of a job....Futhermore this tread is to help the weekendwarrior to understand that people can get jobs with low time.... Not about putting my every word under a microscope....keep it positive my friend....

Weekendwarrior......I agree with some of the other replies... get the cfi....I also did'nt want to instruct but now I am happy that I am......Approaching 1000tt in the next few weeks.....Keep your head up

 

[NDPILOT]

what's a "tread"?

 

[weekendwarrior]

Thanks for all the replies. Where I live, even a CFI job is hard to come by. The schools only hire who they train within, but the school I did my Commercial training with isn't hiring. They have former students who are in line waiting for that job. Hence, the reason I don't want to pay for the CFI training. They wouldn't have a job for me even if I did my CFI training with them. None of the other flight schools in my area hire from other schools. Kind of a catch 22 I guess.

I will get my CFI if that's what it takes to build time. I just wanted to be sure that was my last resort, in the event there was any hope at a time building job elsewhere.

 

[Riddlebratt]

NDPilot.....oooops me mis steak....me weel try to do beater nest time....

 

[PumpkinPony]

Banner Towing

You mentioned banner towing as an option for building flight time. I did that for two summers and really enjoyed it, just be careful who you work for! There are some schemers in Florida that are just after your money. And also realize that any time you get towing banners will not enhance anything other that total time and tailwheel time. I flew 600 hrs towing banners, then flight instructed until I had the night, instrument, and cross-country time up to mins and am now flying freight. yeehaw! I think the banner towing paid better than the freight flights do...

 

[FlyForFood_NOT]

hey weekend

I'd say CFI is your best shot now, unless you can find a banner towing job (you seem to have what they're looking for, tailwheel time + endorsment). Many will charge you for their training though, and it's only a summer job (unless you're in FL), but you can get maybe 400 in one summer season.

I'm now working as a 135 pilot, and got my min. hours by teaching first (yes, it's a pain in the butt, but very rewarding at the end and gets you lots of hours, quick). Most companies now require 1500TT and 200ME for 135 (I know, 1200 are min, but that's the FAR mins, not the insurance who are really the ones that set the minimums at any job). Most companies WILL NOT take any VFR pilots anymore (unless they're students from inside or buddies with the management). Not even AirNet does it anymore - and that was one of the main ways they got their pilots before 9/11. Think about it, a VFR 135 pilot is not really dependable for a company (schedule wise). Checks can't just fly on VFR days ... and if it's IFR out, they still gotta call the other guy to fill in, so why bother with two pilots if you can have one.

anyways, good luck with your job search