Hey guy's,
Yes this is a very OLD, OLD, argument. I've heard the stories about all the rich kid's that get daddy to pay for college, and then buy them a 172 for their 18th birthday. And then with the advent of abinito programs, they were able to spend 30k or so and zoom the little "silver spoons" right into your interview pool.
Then, you have those that go all the way up the CFI/II/MEI ladder, and teach housewive's how to do a preflight. These folks by the way, usually pay for the ratings themselves. I have never met a flight instructor that didn't seem to be working two jobs at the same time. The CFI ratings are not easy to get, and I applaud all of you for pulling the load.
And finally you have guy's like me. I paid for all my time myself. It took me years of flying, then stopping, etc... All in all, it was very expensive, and it was also about 25k or so. In the mean time, I kept falling into the cracks of the economy, meaning, I finally had the time, but no one was hiring, then they were hiring, but I was busy in another career. You get my point.
Along the way, I was one of those lucky one's, that was offered to fly right seat in a Merlin just by walking by and handing out resumes. That led to a KingAir, and some 700 hr's of turbine time. But most importantly, it gave me valuable experience flying part 135 charter. I knew what CRM meant way before they coined the term and it became a standard. I flew in some very bad conditions, alot of private gravel strips w/o lighting of any kind, and, oh yes, never an auto pilot.
So does that make me a better pilot than the CFI. or the Abintio grad? I will never know. All I know is that is not a matter of some being luckier than others, it's knowing who you are as an individual and knowing your talents and limitations. There are some 300hr pilots that are innatley talented, and then there are 3000hr guys that are dangerous.
I think true talent and experience will come out in the interview, and that will land the job.
What's frustrating, is the waiting and applying, and wondering if somehow one of those 300hr, 1500hr,or 5000hr morons got the job!
Your friend,
av8ter
Yes this is a very OLD, OLD, argument. I've heard the stories about all the rich kid's that get daddy to pay for college, and then buy them a 172 for their 18th birthday. And then with the advent of abinito programs, they were able to spend 30k or so and zoom the little "silver spoons" right into your interview pool.
Then, you have those that go all the way up the CFI/II/MEI ladder, and teach housewive's how to do a preflight. These folks by the way, usually pay for the ratings themselves. I have never met a flight instructor that didn't seem to be working two jobs at the same time. The CFI ratings are not easy to get, and I applaud all of you for pulling the load.
And finally you have guy's like me. I paid for all my time myself. It took me years of flying, then stopping, etc... All in all, it was very expensive, and it was also about 25k or so. In the mean time, I kept falling into the cracks of the economy, meaning, I finally had the time, but no one was hiring, then they were hiring, but I was busy in another career. You get my point.
Along the way, I was one of those lucky one's, that was offered to fly right seat in a Merlin just by walking by and handing out resumes. That led to a KingAir, and some 700 hr's of turbine time. But most importantly, it gave me valuable experience flying part 135 charter. I knew what CRM meant way before they coined the term and it became a standard. I flew in some very bad conditions, alot of private gravel strips w/o lighting of any kind, and, oh yes, never an auto pilot.
So does that make me a better pilot than the CFI. or the Abintio grad? I will never know. All I know is that is not a matter of some being luckier than others, it's knowing who you are as an individual and knowing your talents and limitations. There are some 300hr pilots that are innatley talented, and then there are 3000hr guys that are dangerous.
I think true talent and experience will come out in the interview, and that will land the job.
What's frustrating, is the waiting and applying, and wondering if somehow one of those 300hr, 1500hr,or 5000hr morons got the job!
Your friend,
av8ter
