VFR part 135 Companies

[flyifrvfr]

Does anyone know of some air freight companies who hire VFR 135 pilots. I have just over 500 hours. I'am a CFII/MEI with 45 hours of multi time. I have to get this career going and I'am willing to work as a single engine pilot while building hours for the IFR 135 mins. I need company names. Any help will be appreciated.

 

[T-REX]

there was a discussion a little while ago about this...theres not a whole lot of those jobs out there, but its always worth a shot. Good luck!


http://forums.flightinfo.com/showthread.php?t=17453&highlight=vfr+part+135

 

[flyifrvfr]

I did a search on the thread before posting. I was hoping someone knew of some names of companies that would hire 500 hour vfr 135 freight pilots. Thanks for your help though.

 

[Lead Sled]

Don't limit yourself to freight flying. My first flying job was with 500 hours - flying air tours from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon. (It seems that it's pretty hard to show someone a 17 mile wide canyon unless you've got at least 17 miles of visibility.) I don't know what Canyon tour companies require nowadays though. I would guess that there are other areas around the country where you can find similiar opportunities.

'Sled

 

[moving2vegas]

VFR 135 work

If you want VFR 135 work go to Alaska, thats what I did. Almost everything up there is done 135, tons of operators that hire at 500+ hours, and the pay is much better than down here. Season doesn't start till April. Other than AK there isn't alot of VFR 135 work out there other than flying the ditch. If you can live on 600$ a month try king airlines in Vegas http://www.kingairlines.com/ you'll be flying 402's in a month and the season is just starting.

 

[Vladimir Lenin]

How's Alaska time looked at by the lower states' operators? Is really a majority of it VFR? Is most of it single, too?

What about flying up in Maine?

 

[Dan CFI/CFII]

Of course most of the flying in Alaska is VFR. I shudder to think that any of the operators out here would push their pilots on that.

Simply, there is a lot of flying in Alaska that goes into airports without instrument approaches (especially in the West), so being limited to VFR just isn't all that big a deal to most companies.

I sure hope people down south might look favorably on Alaska time. The flying up here is truly awesome. There's a bit of everything. Rough gravel strips, low cielings, nasty winds, icy runways, ice... You name it, it's here. Well, Starbucks isn't really here, but they're starting...

I can, however, see a downside to the "bush pilot mentality." I could easily see that being a little stigma for pilots who want to go back down South to more organized operators. Nothing that can't be overcome though. That depends ENTIRELY on the individual, and I'm not convinced that the same undesirable traits manifest themselves in freight dogs down south.

There is a frequenter of this board who has flown the Canyon, and western Alaska. Both in 207s and Navajos. Hopefully he'll chime in here.

Dan

 

[moving2vegas]

"How's Alaska time looked at by the lower states' operators? Is really a majority of it VFR? Is most of it single, too?"


I made the transition to the lower 48 operators no problem, and I miss Alaska everyday. As to how the time looks.... I have yet to hear "well I know you come from bush flying, short dirt, nasty winds, and crap weather, but now let's see if you can fly off this long paved runway with an ILS." Yea right. It's about experience not time and Alaska "time" is about the best you can get.

 

[starchkr]

GTA in the Dallas area.(Lancaster actually i think, just south east of Dallas) They will put a VFR guy in the Bonanza until you get your 135 mins and then let you transition to their twins. One HUGE drawback however...NO PAY until you get 135 mins. So make sure you have a significant other who makes a lot of dough or you have a rich family, because you probably will not have spare time for a second job to pay the bills.

 

[ACT700]

Try New England Airlines, out of Westerly, RI. They fly PA32 Cherokee 6s VFR 135 all over the Northeast. All you need is 500 hours, because you're limited to VFR while flying pax in a single engine a/c.
A lot of fun flying, from short runways (Block Island) to complicated ones (BOS).
The season is over, though. If I remember correctly, it starts in April/May and goes strong until September-Labor Day.
I've done a few 120 hour+ months.
You can get their info on raa.org under "airlines".

Good luck.

 

[flyifrvfr]

Thanks for all the replies, I appreciate it very much.