How has your career progressed?

T

t-cart

Active Member
I was doing some looking over this forum and went way back into some of the threads. Lot's of good stuff to read. I even saw the main cheese's former site.

I saw a lot of users names in there that are still posting now. What was interesting to me though was that a lot of these guys were just getting started with their training and are now captains at various airlines or flying corporate. For instance, I saw some post's in there from Kellwolf, Now a captain for a 121 carrier, saw many more similar post's.

If you were posting back in the early days of this site, I think it would be interesting to see your join date and how your career has progressed to where it is today.

Thanks
 
My Join Date shows April 03... but I believe there was a domain or site changeover around that time and a few of us had to "start over". So I'd say it was a bit before that.

Anyway...

  • Lost a pilot slot in AFROTC in 1990 due to cutbacks and base closures.
  • Wife told me to go learn to fly for my B-Day in Jan. 2001.
  • Came on here right around the time I became a PPL up in PWM in spring 2003.
  • Started heavily researching flight school options since there was no Multi to be had in my part of New England and the weather wasn't the greatest for attempting to do my ratings quickly.
  • Started ATP in Summer of '03 after moving the family from Maine to Texas... you know... when no one was hiring, and all the airlines were furloughing and going bankrupt. ;)
  • Completed the program in October of '03.
  • Hired by ATP (CFI) in November of '03.
  • Hired by XJT in November of '04.
  • Held first ever DFW JC BBQ M&G in my backyard Summer of '05. :D
  • Captain in September of '07 (held CA almost a year prior but held off on upgrade due to the birth of my second daughter).
  • Been based in EWR, IAH, SAT, and ONT.
  • First visit to NetworkJC in October of '08.
  • Still enjoy the job... and the view... and my family. :)
Bob
 
I suppose I've got a pretty old account, and who doesn't like to talk about themselves? So, here goes:

I first logged on as an 18 year old student pilot. I thought at the time that Doug had it made so I planned to copy him :), although it turns out that it's easier said than done. I've been fortunate in that I haven't had to move a single time so far in my career as my domicile has always been within 200 miles of my hometown.


2001
Graduated from Tivy High School in Kerrville, TX. First logged onto Jetcareers. Took my 1st flight and Solo'd that summer; did a few x-c's until 9-11 hit. Enrolled in classes at the University of Texas at Austin.

2002
Took a break from flying until 9-11 got sorted out. Continued working on my college degree. Switched CFI's 3 times, but eventually found a great one who would sign me off for everything until my ATP over the next few years. Passed the private checkride in April, and the instrument rating in August. Flew with any spare money I had to build 250 hrs toward my commercial.

2003
More work on the college degree. Passed the Commercial Checkride in May. Took a Job at the Local FBO as a line service tech in June. Washed airplanes for flight time. Began work on my CFI.

2004
Continued Classes at Texas. Passed my CFI checkride in March, CFII in June, MEI in July. Used most of my CFI pay to rent the multis at a discount for cross countries/safety pilot time. Dropped out of school a year shy of finishing my bachelor's degree to take a job as a CFI at the small flight school where I'd been training. That flight school was bought out just 3 months later, but I manged to survive with a job thanks to some help from some friends on Jetcareers. Attended NJC in Vegas and met a lot of stand-up people, including a valuable contact for the airline mentioned in the next sentence. Instructed until october when a regional airline with a large fleet of brazillian made regional jets hired me as a first officer.

2005
Completed training at my airline and began flying the line. Gained a lot of experience flying in all types of weather, in mountainous terain, and internationally (within N.A.)

2006
Full year of line flying at my airline. Continued to learn the ins and outs of 121 ops. Re-enrolled at college through Embry-Riddle extended campus in an attempt to complete my bachelor's degree. Attended the Jetcareers LAX meet and had a great time.

2007
Upgraded to captain in January, recieved my ATP, and earned my first type rating. Finished upgrade training in February. Changed bases to an airport very near my hometown in may, enjoyed being based at home. Built PIC jet time. Attended NJC in Vegas again and had another excellent time.

2008
Displaced out of the base near my home, started commuting again. Survived the downgrades and furloughs and continued hold my captain seat, although hundreds of my coworkers and friends were not so lucky. Took a pay cut due to the dire financial situation of my airline and the willingness of my coworkers to accept one. Continued taking classes toward the completion of my bachelor's degeree. Was on call as a reserve pilot and unable to attend any Jetcareers networking events, but still found the time to participate in some Go Jet and union threads :)

2009
Spent 20 minutes making long winded post about my flying career. Continuing to work on my Degree. Industry outlook is bleak but I'm happy with where I'm sitting. There is still a lot of work to do career-wise.
 
Thanks Alchemy, You know, there are a lot of guys that work/worked at the FBO just to give their money right back to the FBO.:) I really enjoy reading these.
 
t-cart said:
Thanks Alchemy, You know, there are a lot of guys that work/worked at the FBO just to give their money right back to the FBO.:) I really enjoy reading these.
Click to expand...

Yep! What's really remarkable when I go back and think about it, is how much this website has helped my career. So many things on the internet are a waste of time but this is not one of them. I can't think Doug & Kristie enough for making it happen, not to mention the rest of the crew that keeps things in line and puts together the events.
 
Alchemy said:
Yep! What's really remarkable when I go back and think about it, is how much this website has helped my career. So many things on the internet are a waste of time but this is not one of them. I can't think Doug & Kristie enough for making it happen, not to mention the rest of the crew that keeps things in line and puts together the events.
Click to expand...

That is for sure. Lots of information and experience here to pull from. Thanks for your reply.
 
Alchemy - Who was your CFI back in the day and which school? I was a few years behind you down there but I knew a bunch of CFIs that had been there forever.
 
mhcasey said:
Alchemy - Who was your CFI back in the day and which school? I was a few years behind you down there but I knew a bunch of CFIs that had been there forever.
Click to expand...

My CFI's name was Phil Bossley. We still stay in touch with a phone call once a year or so. He tried the airlines for awhile but for various reasons it didn't work out. I don't think he flies much anymore, which is a shame, because he really had a talent for instructing. I also flew with George Farris for a bit, who was really friendly too. I started out with the UFC during my first semester at UT, then switched to Lone Star Wings (now defunct of course) where I earned all my ratings up to MEI.
 
Started training in Sept of 2001 (yeah, I know), and was doing the "pay as you go" thing. Finished my Private in May of 2002 then SLOOOOWLY worked on time building and my instrument. Got the instrument in early 04, then started working on the CMEL. Hurricane Charlie came through and blew out my flight school. Moved home for a while and worked as a gate agent/ramp agent/ticket agent at ExpressJet to circle the wagons and figure out where to go. Met jtrain down in Texas and we checked out Skymates. I re-started training there about a month or so later (my kid was born in-between when I checked out the school and when I started). Finished my CMEL, CSEL, CFI-I, MEI and CFI at Skymates in about 2 1/2 months, and was offered a job starting two weeks later. Went home for a bit to spend some time with the family, then moved (by myself) back to Texas. Instructed at Skymates for roughly 7 month. Tried applying at pretty much everyone that was hiring, but at 600TT and 200 ME, no one would even call me back. When I was around 900/250, I got interviews from BOTH ExpressJet and Pinnacle. Captain Bob was awesome and stopped by Skymates so I could copy some Mexican Jepp plates and study for the interview. Went to the Pinnacle interview, honestly, to get practice for the ExpressJet interview. While on a trip with a student, I got the job offer from Pinnacle. I talked to a LOT of JC members over what I should do: go with Pinnacle, or ExpressJet. Eventually, I decided the non-commute with Pinnacle was the best thing (at the time my wife and kid were living about an hour and a half south of MEM in Tupelo, MS), so I called and cancelled the XJT interview. If I wasn't gonna take the job, there was no reason to waste their time when someone else could potentially have my interview slot. Started training March 06 for Pinnacle and I upgrade to CA in April of 08.

I've thought a lot about the decisions I've made, and honestly, the only thing I would change would be getting all my ratings at Skymates. Air Orlando was a great school with good instructors and top notch equipment, but I would have saved TONS of $$$ getting my private and instrument at Skymates. For a while I thought I'd blundered by going to Pinnacle instead of ExpressJet, but even that's worked out for me. Reserve sucks but a) I've got a job at a time when a lot of people are losing theirs and b) I've managed to hang on to the left seat by some miracle. I'm not in any hurry to get to 1000 TPIC since there's really no one hiring right now, but I feel pretty confident that I'll be in an okay position once hiring does start again at the majors.
 
1997

Started my private pilot training in Bay City, MI. I was 16, just about to solo and then had my medical deferred. This pushed me back a 9 months as winter was coming and I wasn't able to fly much then. I did my training fairly slowly throughout high school, eventually getting my private pilots license in 2001.

2002

Finished my instrument rating at the same airport between my freshman and sophomore years of college. 2 days after I took my instrument ride, I decided to take this short girl I was trying to hit on for a flight. The rest, as they say, is history.

2002-2005

College, and TheShortOne. I flew a handful of hours, but largely stayed out of the airplane for a about 2.5 years while I finished college and dated Emily.

Summer of 2005

As kellwolf said, we rolled on down to Arlington, moved into a crashpad together and finished our training. By the end of the summer we were both CFI/II/MEI's. He stuck around, I went back to school to finish my degree.

Fall of 2005

I finish my degree, me and TheShortOne are splitsville and I interview with no less than 15 flight schools in the midwest. Commonly I'm told when I start the interview that if I didn't go to UND or Riddle that they're not interested.

January of 2005

Seggy gets me a job flight instructing in Jersey. I drive out, sit for a week or two and bail. To be frank, I had already grown sick of what you had to give up to be a pilot.

February 15th, 2006

Unable to find any work, at all, doing anything, I move to Arlington, TX to Skymates to make a few bucks and hopefully get back to Michigan by the summer. Yeah ####ing right.

Sometime during the summer of 2006

I interview with Amflight for a position as a training captain in Burbank, CA. Got this job through another JCer. Had tons of fun there, LOVED the flying, couldn't stand LA. In the end, I learned more at this job than I had any other.

Sometime during the spring of 2007

Me and Emily are back together, I'm not flying much, hate LA and the prospect of being there another year and a half until I have enough hours to transfer to the SLC base means I interview at a few airlines. Eagle offers me the job, ExpressJet offers me the job and Mesaba is calling me twice a day to get me in for an interview.

I take the job at ExpressJet and move to SLC, where TheShortOne is living.

2007 - October 2008

Instead of being based in LAX, like I thought I would be, I'm based in EWR, meaning I'm doing a 4.5 hour SLC-EWR commute. I think at one point I'm averaging being home 36 hours a week. Me and Emily get engaged, and on October 1st, 2008 I'm furloughed.

October 2008 - the present

I'm unemployed for two months, take the LSAT in December and now work teaching kiddos how to ski. I'm putting in my law school applications at the end of the week, and I couldn't be happier about it. I don't miss the flying lifestyle, at all. Like, at all at all. The flying was fun, and good crews were awesome when I paired with them, but in the end I felt like I gave up too much to do this job. I feel like I moved quickly up the aviation ladder, but in the end nothing was good enough to being home more.

Funny note

If I had gone to Mesaba instead of ExpressJet I'd be a Saab captain right now, probably living back in Michigan with Emily and buying a house while doing day trips in said Saab. I decided to not go to the interview because Mesaba had, in the past, seemed to furlough at will and I honestly didn't think the company would survive their last chapter 11 filing. So I took the great contract and cool cats I knew at ExpressJet with two bases 1.5 hours away from me figuring I'd have a 4 year long upgrade and an easy commute to LAX or ONT. Not exactly how things played out.

Such is life, and this path has taken me to where I am today which is happily married and looking forward to buying my own plane to fly around in 10-15 years. Flying airplanes is a whole heck of a lot of fun, but for me it's a horrible way to pay my bills.

One day, I'm hoping to come back to aviation as an attorney for ALPA. We'll see how that shakes out.

Oh, and you guys can thank pilot602 for me showing up here. I was hanging out over at studentpilot.com and got sick of the union bashing. Just about then, pilot602 sent me a PM and told me about this place. He's not around these parts much anymore, but managed to knock up his wife and is flying for Skywest right now.
 
Trained to be an Army helicopter pilot in 2000 - had a vague idea to be an airline pilot when I got out.

After a deployment I decided to learn to fly airplanes. I picked up a rating or two at every duty station I went to.

In Jan 2006 I found and joined JC (thank god!). Picked up my CFI, II, and MEI.

In Oct 2006 went to NJC. Next thing I knew I was given recs for a 135 operator. Decided I wanted to be a freight pilot.

Left the Army in Jul 2007 to fly freight.

Left freight in Jul 2008 after realizing flying for a living wasn't for me. Haven't flown since!
 
1997

Flew about 10 hours when I was 16, didn't even get to the point of soloing before my parents pulled the financial plug on that one.

2001

Graduated high school. Was accepted to Kent State, had my major declared as computer science. I can't remember what it was but something got me thinking about flying again, I ran the numbers on price and it was doable, so I changed my major to Flight Tech and started in Aug 01.

2001-2006

Got my PSEL in September 02, continued on and finished my CFI-SE at Kent State and graduated in December 06.

2007

Did an internship at ExpressJet from Jan 07 to May 07.

Went to ATP in Orlando in June 07 for my MEI/II.

Got hired by ATP and worked in their call center in JAX for the month of July. Got sent to Richmond VA in August 07. Taught there until October 07 when I had the times for my xjet interview.

Got interviewed and hired at xjet in October, my class started on November 5 07, and was the 2nd to last class before they stopped hiring. Passed my PC a few days before Christmas 07.

2008

Did IOE the first 2 weeks of January 08.

Got based in CLE (my first choice, and where I lived at the time). And got furloughed on 10/1/08.
 
Growing up always wanted to be a pilot but never really did anything about it. Graduated from college in '00 and was broke as a joke. Joined this website somewhere around '01 or '02...think I had a different username and rejoined at somepoint.

Worked a few year after graduating for IBM, paid off my student loans, bought a condo, and had some cash to play with Started thinking about flying again.

Got my PPL in '05 and then started really thinking about flying for a living.

Talked with my 2 CFI's I had for my PPL and a FlyChicaga on the board here....decided that I didn't want to turn my life upside down in order to fly for a living.

Now I just rent occasionally and have a blast doing it. I'm glad in my decision. I think that I'll be much happier flying where I want and when I want than being on a schedule.
 
I am not an old member here and nor am i at the airlines, but i'll share my progress thus far.

2004.

Graduated high school.

2006
Began my training for my PPL. Got it in Nov of 06 and continued with college.

2007.
While still in school, i got my Instrument ticket in July and in September i did a Dispatch course in FlightSafety (while earning college credits) and graduated in December.

2008.
Feb - Took the dispatch oral with the examiner and got the licneses. However, because i am under 23 i was issued a letter of aeronautical comptency and upon reaching 23, i need to take that letter into a FSDO where they will give me my temporary.

March - Started getting hours towards my commercial licenses.

Septemeber - Got my CMEL and CSEL, it was a great feeling!

December - Graduated College with my Bachelors degree.

2009.
January - Goy my AGI and IGI.

Present - Currently working on my CFIs and i'm about to get ready to go and do some ground.

Overall, i was consistent in achieveing my goals and luckily never had a really long break from flying, longest was about 6 months. I also have the chance to become an Air Traffic Controller as well. I took the AT-SAT and scored well on that, just waiting for the next step. Lets see how that goes but i know once i get that, flying for a living won't be an option anyone. Currently i have a sable, decent paying job which i am contented with and i am using this opportunity to pay out of pockets for my CFI/CFII/MEI and for other self improvement reasons.

and there you have it. Hopefully in a few years time i'll look back at this post when i'm in a RJ. :D
 
I started flying through a present from my parents when I was about 15. A friend of a friend was a CFI, and we worked on it that way. I realized that flying once every other month, with money I was getting from mom and dad just wouldn't cut it, so I got a job. Soloed when I was 16, and got my private at 17.

Took about a year off from flight training, and took the girlfriend flying etc. Finished Highschool.

Started college and my instrument rating simultaneously in 2006.

Worked at a parts store, then the FBO where I was getting my ratings until I finished my Commercial in summer of 07. Built time the whole summer working for the company I was flying for by flying parts out to the bush. Hit 500TT and went to ATPs for my multi.

Winter of 07-08, decided to take a year off from school to fly, worked for Alaska Central Express with a few of my friends, found jetCareers. Fly 600hrs in 5 months, and decided in March (when I found out I couldn't upgrade) that I'd try Hawaii.

Hawaii didn't work out, so I came back to Alaska, and went to Kodiak for the summer.
I was away a lot, and was really stressed out, came back to Anchorage at the end of the summer to work for a place right across the street from my old flight school.

Enrolled in college, and have been flying full time since I got on with them.
 
These have been great to read, even through the ups and downs. It's really cool to see how everyone has progressed.
 
mattp1803 said:
These have been great to read, even through the ups and downs. It's really cool to see how everyone has progressed.
Click to expand...


I really enjoy reading about how someone gets to where they are. I see a lot of JC networking being talked about here. This is good stuff.
 
First paying job was part time work in the right seat in a BE200.

A couple months later I got my CFI and started instructing full time.

I Continued to CFI and a couple weeks after my initial I picked up work as a traffic watch pilot during the morning and evenings.

Later that summer, I was brought on as a Part Time C208 SIC for a 135 Operator.

In the mean time, the traffic contract expired and was not renewed, so I lost that job after 7 months...Furthermore with the economic downturn, the demand for part timers with the 135 Operator decreased, and I haven't flown a trip in months...

On the bright side, I have completed initial and recurrent training in the King Air through my company, although the airplane doesn't fly all that much.

So here I am, January 27th, 2009, a full time flight instructor with very little students, a BE200 PIC in an airplane that doesn't fly very much, and a C208 SIC that doesn't have any scheduled trips in the foreseeable future.

It's been a lot of fun so far, but I'm taking a part time job with the 2010 US Census just to pay the bills.

Hope things get better.
 
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