Just Want to Fly

drunkenbeagle said:
Pick up the phone or ask around, pretty much is that easy.
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No money either way.

Nick - what's in Texas?

Boris - That's what my plan is - I gotta just pay off my debt right now, flying isn't my priority, which not to be corny, really breaks my heart because I've invested so much time and money into...

I got an interview next week with General Atomics doing mx, does anyone know how hard it is to become a UAV pilot for them or for anyone? Their mins are 300TT, which I have I just don't know what else they look for or what impresses them?
 
There is a skydiving joint most on here will advise against but if that is your only option... apply with a regional airline for MX working night shift and airport bum during the day some, might pick up some hours that way.
 
lae4288 said:
No money either way.

Nick - what's in Texas?

Boris - That's what my plan is - I gotta just pay off my debt right now, flying isn't my priority, which not to be corny, really breaks my heart because I've invested so much time and money into...

I got an interview next week with General Atomics doing mx, does anyone know how hard it is to become a UAV pilot for them or for anyone? Their mins are 300TT, which I have I just don't know what else they look for or what impresses them?
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Sounds like they are impressed with you enough to offer an interview. I have applied for a couple of jobs there and haven't heard a peep out of them. But I did not apply for any of the jobs that required 6 month deployments. As far as the UAV jobs go I don't have words of wisdom for you.
Have you looked at some of the other UAV companies? INSITU comes to mind. I think they lean heavily to individuals with degrees. Sometimes they have maint and operator jobs listed.
 
slemers said:
Sounds like they are impressed with you enough to offer an interview. I have applied for a couple of jobs there and haven't heard a peep out of them. But I did not apply for any of the jobs that required 6 month deployments. As far as the UAV jobs go I don't have words of wisdom for you.
Have you looked at some of the other UAV companies? INSITU comes to mind. I think they lean heavily to individuals with degrees. Sometimes they have maint and operator jobs listed.
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I have also interviewed with RITI about two weeks ago..
 
do you have a tailwheel endorsement? banner towing jobs are easy to get. they like A&Ps too. van wagner does year round, others are summer only. Meat bombing. or be an airport bum, just from hangin out at the airport i have several ferry flights coming up that are pretty good money. although I have a ton of tailwheel time. I was at your same position earlier this year and in 6 months with banner towing and ferrying, i have about 750. im saving up for the cfi tests though.. the low time jobs are not easy to find. good luck
 
<----- used an A&P to pay for flight training... all the way to CFI. I have a job flying now.

Don't get me wrong.... It wasn't easy. I drove a pos car, lived in the "not so good" part of town, and worked 3rd shift in the freezing rain covered in skydrol. I worked GA, Corporate, Regional Airlines, and more. If I were you...? Like somebody else mentioned- hit the books and do the CFI. It's worth it. I might add- Fly RC planes on weekends with your buddies. Or tow banners on the weekends. Whatever!


Ohhhhh! I see you live in Port Orange, FL! I have lived in New Smyrna, Ormond, Orlando, and Sanford. Since you are familiar with the area...

My first "break" as an A&P was from working at the Port Orange YMCA as a lifeguard. Anyway, I got to know Ryan Lotche's dad, Steve. (He was the swim coach I'd chat with as I twirled my whistle. This was before Ryan Lotche was famous. Steve always told me his son was gonna be good. I guess he was right, eh!)

One day Steve Lochte and I were talking about how I ended up where I was, and what my goals were, etc. I told him that I was an airplane mechanic/private pilot, looking for my first aviation job. I gave him my sob story about finishing school right after 9-11 and how I wanted to fly. He said, "Oh, one of the girls on my swim team- her dad is the DOM for________ Aviation. Her Mom is sitting over there, I'll introduce you." I got the job and worked there for two years. Thanks Steve!

I almost forgot! Working at the YMCA was my part time/2nd job! My other job at the time was working at Go-Kart City off Nova road as a Go-Kart mechanic... which I ended up being getting FIRED from because I, "Didn't fix the go-carts fast enough." Ha!!! At the time, it was so depressing. I spent 5 years getting a degree, A&P, and as many pilot certs as I could and here I was--> getting fired from a minimum wage, go-cart place because I didn't fix them fast enough! Not funny then. Hilarious now! Especially considering 5 years after that... I would be working on the Space Shuttle. But that's a whole different story altogether. :-)
 
b17 said:
do you have a tailwheel endorsement? banner towing jobs are easy to get. they like A&Ps too. van wagner does year round, others are summer only.
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I work for Van Wagner, but I'm not at all familiar with the banner towing side. Seems like they have good equipment from what I've seen and heard. One of the better banner towing gigs.
 
b17 said:
do you have a tailwheel endorsement? banner towing jobs are easy to get. they like A&Ps too. van wagner does year round, others are summer only.
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I thought VW and most of the other banner tow ops had fairly high mins...?

~Foxy
 
drunkenbeagle said:
You can ALWAYS find people that own aircraft and need BFRs/insurance instruction/etc. Didn't take me long to find more students than I had time for.
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Couldn't say better. Since my CFI left flying turbines I had trouble finding ANYBODY for comm dual. One is sick, other busy, third need to fly plane first with other CFI to see how it handles etc. I am pretty easy going guy and location seems right but good teachers are few and far between...
 
Ash Williams said:
<----- used an A&P to pay for flight training... all the way to CFI. I have a job flying now.

Don't get me wrong.... It wasn't easy. I drove a pos car, lived in the "not so good" part of town, and worked 3rd shift in the freezing rain covered in skydrol. I worked GA, Corporate, Regional Airlines, and more. If I were you...? Like somebody else mentioned- hit the books and do the CFI. It's worth it. I might add- Fly RC planes on weekends with your buddies. Or tow banners on the weekends. Whatever!


Ohhhhh! I see you live in Port Orange, FL! I have lived in New Smyrna, Ormond, Orlando, and Sanford. Since you are familiar with the area...

My first "break" as an A&P was from working at the Port Orange YMCA as a lifeguard. Anyway, I got to know Ryan Lotche's dad, Steve. (He was the swim coach I'd chat with as I twirled my whistle. This was before Ryan Lotche was famous. Steve always told me his son was gonna be good. I guess he was right, eh!)

One day Steve Lochte and I were talking about how I ended up where I was, and what my goals were, etc. I told him that I was an airplane mechanic/private pilot, looking for my first aviation job. I gave him my sob story about finishing school right after 9-11 and how I wanted to fly. He said, "Oh, one of the girls on my swim team- her dad is the DOM for________ Aviation. Her Mom is sitting over there, I'll introduce you." I got the job and worked there for two years. Thanks Steve!

I almost forgot! Working at the YMCA was my part time/2nd job! My other job at the time was working at Go-Kart City off Nova road as a Go-Kart mechanic... which I ended up being getting FIRED from because I, "Didn't fix the go-carts fast enough." Ha!!! At the time, it was so depressing. I spent 5 years getting a degree, A&P, and as many pilot certs as I could and here I was--> getting fired from a minimum wage, go-cart place because I didn't fix them fast enough! Not funny then. Hilarious now! Especially considering 5 years after that... I would be working on the Space Shuttle. But that's a whole different story altogether. :)
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What a crazy story! I appreciate everyones input! really thanks everyone!!

And I would totally get my CFI right now, I think it's an investment you can't go wrong with, however I have zero money for that. I have $###,### amount of debt and cannot get anymore loans. I think after reading everyone's opinion and seeing how the industry has changed I'm going to use my A & P to pay off my debt and then focus on my dream of flying for a living, I have also been told to buy an experimental with a Rotax - but I am clueless when it comes to experimentals - can you log the time under your total time?
 
lae4288 said:
I have also been told to buy an experimental with a Rotax - but I am clueless when it comes to experimentals - can you log the time under your total time?
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As long as its registered you can log it as flight time. Don't overlook other experimental airplanes without the Rotax either. The VW conversions are cheap and fly well (having over 100 hours of VW derived powered time).

And, since you have your A&P, you can sign off the yearly condition inspection.
 
lae4288 said:
What a crazy story! I appreciate everyones input! really thanks everyone!!

And I would totally get my CFI right now, I think it's an investment you can't go wrong with, however I have zero money for that. I have $###,### amount of debt and cannot get anymore loans. I think after reading everyone's opinion and seeing how the industry has changed I'm going to use my A & P to pay off my debt and then focus on my dream of flying for a living, I have also been told to buy an experimental with a Rotax - but I am clueless when it comes to experimentals - can you log the time under your total time?
Click to expand...

Yeah, you can log it. But why pay money, with an A&P there are a lot of gigs out there that the A&P will mean more than TT
 
KSCessnaDriver said:
As long as its registered you can log it as flight time. Don't overlook other experimental airplanes without the Rotax either. The VW conversions are cheap and fly well (having over 100 hours of VW derived powered time).

And, since you have your A&P, you can sign off the yearly condition inspection.
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You have to have your IA to sign off annuals....

And so far having my A&P hasn't helped any with landing a pilot gig.... and all of the mx positions haven't liked the fact that I'm a pilot - they feel I'm not as passionate about mx as I am flying, which is true... but I am considered both a pilot and a mechanic in my eyes its a benefit, but employers aren't liking it...
 
lae4288 said:
You have to have your IA to sign off annuals....

And so far having my A&P hasn't helped any with landing a pilot gig.... and all of the mx positions haven't liked the fact that I'm a pilot - they feel I'm not as passionate about mx as I am flying, which is true... but I am considered both a pilot and a mechanic in my eyes its a benefit, but employers aren't liking it...
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Yes, to sign off an annual on a certificated plane, you have to have an IA. On an experimental plane, there is no annual, just a conditional inspection that is done yearly. To sign it off, you either have to have the repairman certificate for that specific airframe, or an A&P.
 
CFI is cheap. Mostly book work. Get a job doing whatever to pay for your CFI ticket, if its at a flight school or FBO even better for networking but any job will do. While working on the CFI continue to apply to all the usual suspects, banner tow etc. When you get the CFI, apply for CFI jobs everywhere without quitting your job. When you get work as a CFI leave your job, or keep it and part time CFI.
 
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