Other ways to build time, other than....

[JeremyAV8R]

CFI training. Who here has gone other routes? Pipeline jobs, ETC. Is it just better to CFI or is another route something to consider?

Thanks,
Jeremy

 

[bobbysamd]

Building time . . . or

. . . . here we go again.

The long and short of it is that flight instructing is the easiest job to get at 250 hours. I realize that banner towers and pipeline patrollers also hire at low time, but everyone and his brother are trying to get those jobs. The same is true for flight instructing, but that CFI in your pocket is a tangible credential. Your chances for finding work are far better with instructing.

Aside from the comparative ease at getting the job, you learn tons about flying by teaching it. Studying up to present a lesson offers a different motivation than learning it to pass your ratings. It is a more focused motivation. The learning you received while earning your ratings is reinforced when you have to present it to someone who understands nothing about it. Those are a couple of reasons why I feel the best way to go is to instruct.

I am sure others will have different opinions and ideas.

 

[JeremyAV8R]

I was thinking, that's what the response would be. I can get a job with the flight school, I'm training at. But If I can find one of the "rare" jobs for a low time builder. I will most likely take that into consideration. I appreceate you sharing your experiance.

Take care, fly safely!
Jeremy

 

[Archer]

I dont really understand why pipeline patrol and banner towing are such "typical" low time jobs...

surely there must be SOME other jobs out there for low time pilots? They can't all require thousands of hours except for CFI...no?

I guess, if one is lucky, he/she could fly for some private person who owns a plane...be their "personal" pilot and build time/get paid that way...

but that requires "networking" as someone put it earlier...and CFI is a great job for getting to know many people it's said...

Archer

 

[gundriver]

Let me be quite honest with you. If you can get a job at the company you're flying with right now I would take that and hang on to it very tightly. There are 2000+ hour pilots looking for instructing, pipeline, banner towing, skydive and everything else you can think of. Just call a few places and see what kind of response you get.

Plan on going the instructor route, then as you build time, other opportunities will open up. Be very lucky you have that opportunity. I just got on with a 135 company and it is very common for 3000+ hour pilots to send in their resume looking for a job flying a light twin. Times are tough and you should be grinning from ear to ear that someone will actually consider paying you to fly with 250 hours of "experience" under your belt.

Cheers

 

[bart]

Colonial Pipeline

I hear Colonial Pipeline in Atlanta is hiring and they have all brand new 206s. They require Commercial, instrument, 1500 tt, 1000 pic. I know there are some traffic watch gigs that only require 500, however those are all full right now.

 

[bobbysamd]

Low-time Pilot Jobs

I dont really understand why pipeline patrol and banner towing are such "typical" low time jobs...

surely there must be SOME other jobs out there for low time pilots? They can't all require thousands of hours except for CFI...no?

I guess, if one is lucky, he/she could fly for some private person who owns a plane...be their "personal" pilot and build time/get paid that way...

Actually, there are not that many types of jobs available for low-time pilots.

Although the FAA might say that at 250 hours you can fly for hire the insurance companies think otherwise. Insurance is what really drives hiring requirements. That's one reason why there are so few types of jobs available for low-time pilots. It is the old Catch-22; to get the job you need the experience and to get the experience you need the job. Insurance demands more experience for more advanced jobs, such as those involving schedules and flying cargo (in this case, pax count as cargo because they are also payload).

Yes, theoretically, you can get a job flying someone for hire under Part 91. But, once more, it boils down to the pilot's insurability. If it is a job for hire, the insurance will demand a more experienced pilot.

 

[PUflight]

Even the CFI jobs are hard to find to right now, if not next to impossible, at least in the Indiana area. I'm a CFII with around 250 hours dual given and I've sent out roughly 40 resumes trying to find a CFI job. Out of those I got 2 responses, one of which was because I knew somebody. Here's hoping that at least one of those interviews goes good!

 

[JeremyAV8R]

Sounds like I should take the CFI job, that my flight school offers after completon of my training seriously. Clinching it tightly....

 

[rchcfi]

I feel I need to respond to this "CFI timebuilding" issue. If you are going to look at being a CFI just to build time, think about it again. There is nothing wrong with looking out for yourself (that's the only way you're going to get somewhere in life), but being a CFI just to build time really hurts the students.

I went through 4 instructors just to get my private because they all were just timebuilders. After I earned my CFI certificate I realized that those time building instructors only taught me what I needed to pass the checkride, and not what I needed to know to be competent and safe.

I went the CFI route to build time as well. But when I realized what I missed throughout training, I committed myself to my students. And the school I taught at was full of those time building instructors. I watched as their students failed checkride after checkride only to get discouraged and either quit or try to change instructors.

All I'm really saying is that when you get your CFI, please let it be for reasons other than just building time. Remember, there are future pilots out there who might get discouraged and give up their dream because their instructor just didn't care.

Fly Safe!!!!

 

[350DRIVER]

The "experience" that you will gain as a CFI will do you no harm and will look good to future employers. Look at your situation in terms of gaining "experience" versus just gaining "flight time"- Time means nothing IF the skills aren't there to back the logs up- A good pen could solve the TT issue if that was the main objective. Pre-911 alot more jobs were available than present day so you may run into a problem if you choose other routes however keep ALL options open since this is one very unpredictable industry. If you are patient and work hard then good things will happen for you...

G O O D L U C K

3 5 0

 

[bigD]

I have a couple of friends that have been hired to do some flying for private individuals in single and twin engine planes, in in every case the owner's insurance company required the PIC to be a CFI, and in the multi engine cases, an MEI. They just wanted the certificate. The traffic watch gig here in town requires one as well. Even if you don't actually do any instructing, the certificate itself will open doors.

 

[PUflight]

I heard of a guy that actually did that and was caught. Turns out he was going for his ATP ride and the examiner was looking over his logbook, and it turns out the guy had some "flight time" in the examiner's airplane. Needless to say he's no longer a pilot.

 

[rumpletumbler]

In case nothings changed Colonial Pipeline also used to require an A&P and wanted you to be ex-military because everyone else was.

RT

 

[uavchaser]

you could always chase UAV's in circles in a 206/210 with 300 hours. i already do that and i don't want you to take my job. i lucked out i guess.

 

[qwerty]

there are jobs out there

just be prepred to be treated like $hit

i got a cfi job, traffic watch job, part 91 job, and a 135 job all since 9/11

built alot of hours and could survive, barely

if you want it, its out there

don't listen to everyone saying that there is nothing out there, they aren't the hard chargers.

 

[Vik]

If you don't want to CFI, do your future students a favor and don't waste their time and money.

Go get a regular joe job, live with your parents, and buy time. Simple as that. Find someone else to split the time. You could probably build some great 152 PIC time for cheap.

Find another CFI, buy time and give each other dual. He just logs it as PIC and you log it as PIC Dual Given. I don't think its illegal for him not to log it as dual recv'd.

 

[F172]

pay for training

or you can see if some charter company will let you fly the right seat after you have paid for your own training. I think you can get your SIC qualifications at Flight Safety, or other, but most of them will require Part135 minimums.