Am I the only confused one?

It's because we make beer :)Maybe that's why I'm biased, I fly alone so damn much.
You and me are very alike.

This is why I think single pilot cargo (in a van) is the perfect fit for me.


Not that I'm a loner and can't handle other people, I like to fly in peace
 
You and me are very alike.

This is why I think single pilot cargo (in a van) is the perfect fit for me.


Not that I'm a loner and can't handle other people, I like to fly in peace

I'm the exact same wave length as you when it comes to wanting to fly solo doing some freight work....hopefully sometime in the future. The only thing i can compare that to would be my weird obsession with driving for the hell of it by myself, it's peacefull.
 
You and me are very alike.

This is why I think single pilot cargo (in a van) is the perfect fit for me.


Not that I'm a loner and can't handle other people, I like to fly in peace

The only reason I would not be happy in a van is because it's a single. I do want to progress my career as well.
 
if the pay is decent, a van is all I need honestly.

I used to say that, but the pay I am getting now is extraordinarily good for the equipment and definitely enough to be comfortable on for a long time(the qol kinda sucks.).... yet I'm still looking at bigger airplanes for less money.
 
I'm the exact same wave length as you when it comes to wanting to fly solo doing some freight work....hopefully sometime in the future. The only thing i can compare that to would be my weird obsession with driving for the hell of it by myself, it's peacefull.

I've done the cross country drives by myself more than once...but still uncertain of how I'd like the whole single pilot thing. But like mentioned above, that probably has more to do with my 12 hrs solo of almost 1400tt. :)
 
I've done the cross country drives by myself more than once...but still uncertain of how I'd like the whole single pilot thing. But like mentioned above, that probably has more to do with my 12 hrs solo of almost 1400tt. :)

It makes a man outa ya :)

I get nervous hearing about Regional pilots with less than 250 hours PIC... c'mon people! Its not that much! I dont really feel comfortable riding in the back with guys with such little experience up front!

Can someone please explain why these companies would pass a pilot with some experience in favor of a "student commercial" pilot?
 
It makes a man outa ya :)

I get nervous hearing about Regional pilots with less than 250 hours PIC... c'mon people! Its not that much! I dont really feel comfortable riding in the back with guys with such little experience up front!

Can someone please explain why these companies would pass a pilot with some experience in favor of a "student commercial" pilot?

They have the student pilot by the balls. They can't really go anywhere since they are entirely unqualified to fly anything else with all but 0pic. Makes it cost a lot less when you don't have tire hire and train new people as much. Just a thought.
 
And while they may be great pilots, the time you spend flying alone is when you REALLY learn. z987k makes some great points and I agree completely.

Exactly. Most of those guys in 141 haven't scared the hell out of themselves enough to learn much. People bag on instructing because you don't do a lot of flying, but one thing it DOES teach you is how to get yourself out of a jam you didn't even put yourself in. Actually getting out and flying in the ATC system in weather will teach you faster than anything, though. All it takes is one major WX issue to get your critical thinking skills going.

Douglas said:
I'm not in the airlines but if I was in your shoes, I'd have a hard time not looking constipated and saying "what the blank is wrong with you!?" if I saw the guy that didn't have 250 PIC, especially if it affected my current day at the last minute.

I've had my fair share of those conversations. Probably have quite a few more before I move on and mess up someone else's day as an FO. :)
 
Exactly. Most of those guys in 141 haven't scared the hell out of themselves enough to learn much. People bag on instructing because you don't do a lot of flying, but one thing it DOES teach you is how to get yourself out of a jam you didn't even put yourself in. Actually getting out and flying in the ATC system in weather will teach you faster than anything, though. All it takes is one major WX issue to get your critical thinking skills going.

I've had my fair share of those conversations. Probably have quite a few more before I move on and mess up someone else's day as an FO. :)

Throw in some mountains and an underpowered airplane, and it really gets going.
 
Actually getting out and flying in the ATC system in weather will teach you faster than anything, though. All it takes is one major WX issue to get your critical thinking skills going.
Absolutely. I did a little hood work for my instrument rating and even some actual (probably about 8 in actual) but it wasn't until after I got it and flew in IMC by myself that things really get going.

With an instructor a lot of times I don't need them talking or anything but I always always always have a new question at least every 20 minutes. If Im by myself I just have to hope that the question that pops in my mind isn't about anything I'm dealing with at the moment!
 
Absolutely. I did a little hood work for my instrument rating and even some actual (probably about 8 in actual) but it wasn't until after I got it and flew in IMC by myself that things really get going.

Heh. I remeber getting to TX to finish up ratings and hearing "Damn, son. Where did you get all this actual time?" Me: "Uh, I did time building for my commerical in Florida. In the summer. Also, Flight Watch is your friend there." :)
 
Heh. I remeber getting to TX to finish up ratings and hearing "Damn, son. Where did you get all this actual time?" Me: "Uh, I did time building for my commerical in Florida. In the summer. Also, Flight Watch is your friend there." :)
hahahah yep! The IFR here is good when you're not flying in a TS because we rarely have to worry about icing!

The bad part is that it's almost always some type of cumulus so it's bumpy a lot.
 
You and me are very alike.

This is why I think single pilot cargo (in a van) is the perfect fit for me.


Not that I'm a loner and can't handle other people, I like to fly in peace


You've clearly never jumpseated on a 121 carrier. Those crews have me dying of laughter sometimes!
 
Internal recommendations FTW. There really aren't any other substitutes.

The only job (or interview) I've ever had without an internal was my CFI job and that was just dumb luck by another CFI resigning 30 minutes earlier and a couple of "problem students" onboard that no one wanted to work with.
 
Internal recommendations FTW. There really aren't any other substitutes.

The only job (or interview) I've ever had without an internal was my CFI job and that was just dumb luck by another CFI resigning 30 minutes earlier and a couple of "problem students" onboard that no one wanted to work with.

Agreed. As DH, Lostplanetairman, relayed his experience in PHX in Sept at the meet and greet...he walked into the local airport and the owner was looking for a manager, but only had young kids. They hit it off and he got hired. Then, one of his CFI students was a Captain at a commuter and walked his resume in. That's how he got hired (even though his 2500 hours was short of requirements--yes I didn't add an extra 0--that's what it was back then). And his next job came via a recommendation as well, although now he had lots of PIC time too.

It works for all industries. I lost my job in 2009 due to the economy in the worst economy. I was working immediately due to networking! Network!
 
Internal recommendations FTW. There really aren't any other substitutes.

The only job (or interview) I've ever had without an internal was my CFI job and that was just dumb luck by another CFI resigning 30 minutes earlier and a couple of "problem students" onboard that no one wanted to work with.

Oddly enough, the only job I got in aviation without an internal rec was....well, Pinnacle. I knew a couple of people there, I tossed my app in (even though I was 30 hours short on the TT), and I had an e-mail invite to an interview 15 minutes after sending off my resume. Well.....THEN I started calling people trying to get info on what I was getting myself into. :) The ramp job at SWA: best friend's girlfriend was a CS supervisor. CFI job: was a student at the school. Odds are pretty good that landing a job on the next rung up is gonna have a foot in the door somehow. Lots of friends at jetBlue, a couple at Allegiant, same for Delta and I'm a former SWA employee. I've got a couple of internals over at FedEx, but they're already sponsoring people.
 
Thanks!

I feel like a broken record, but I keep telling folks that if the just log online and shotgun resumes to whoever they see on the job boards, might as well just make paper airplanes out of their resumes and throw 'em over the airport fence.

Not that they can't or don't work, but it's one thing to stand in line with 500 other people at a career fair, but it's something else entirely to have a company pilot conduct a personal introduction to the recruiter and say some nice words.

I get a lot of "Hey Doug, do you know anyone with XYZ experience" private messages and emails all the time about all sorts of opportunities.
 
I would throw my resume out there to peeps but I don't feel like being laughed at. Being at 500/100, I'm still well below mins for everyone.
 
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