Anything in Kansas?

B

BonanzaPilot

Well-Known Member
Hello everyone, currently a student in Kansas and looking for a job flying. Since I am a student, it would need to be more of an evening/weekend job, so I was thinking something like skydiving would be a possibility. However, can't seem to find much. Does anyone know of any low time jobs in the Wichita, Kansas area? Currently at 300TT, Commercial ASEL and instrument rating and will have the AMEL soon. Thanks for the help.
 
If you're just looking to build time...
A bit of a drive for you, but Christiansen Aviation at RVS in Tulsa has leased airplanes all over the country. They used to "hire" some to ferry these light singles and twins to/from their leased locations. I already had all that kind of time I needed by the time I knew of them, but I understand you basically work for free flight time – meals, lodging, fuel expenses covered. Get some good X/C time running 152's to and from the west coast and such. If that fits your weekends and helps you get non-CFI time, check it out. Used to be run by Bill Christiansen, the guy who built the business. Now I think his son Bryan runs it mostly. Haven't been by there in...6-7 years.
 
You know, I just remembered there was some glider towing going on at the Sunflower airport just south of Hutchinson. I've never been involved with that, but knew some glider pilots that operated there about 15 years ago.
No contact info – been too long.
 
Check out Hesston College based at KEWK. Theres also the Cessna Employee's Flying Club at KICT. Theres quite a few airports around the area, you just have to go and visit them all!
 
Go to the soaring society of Kansas website (google search works good). There should be contact info there for the Sunflower glider port. There is also a glider port NE of Wichita I believe. I think they require you to be a member to tow but worth looking into. It's a pretty fun job.

On a side note. The glider port in Hutchinson is a former Naval Air Station. The runway they use is huge (for gliders and tow planes anyway). Some pretty neat history there. Everything is rundown but you can still see the old NAS layout from the air and the old control tower!
 
BonanzaPilot said:
Thanks for the help! I'll check out the place in Tulsa.
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I wouldn't really recommend it. Tulsa is SATURATED with pilots both currently employed and unemployed. Ferrying aircraft for Christanson is not something that you'd just walk into. You would need to know someone or put in time doing something else (line service for example) before those gigs would be offered your way. Even then, I doubt there's enough ferrying going on to keep someone busy. Lastly, if you've ever flown a Christanson aircraft, you'd know the mx and upkeep is not the best. I wouldn't want to put my certs on the line by flying one of their junkers across the country. I've rented from them on numerous occasions and have NUMEROUS failures with various systems and components.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm no trying to be Debby-downer. I'm just trying to give you a little insight before you go and commit a lot of money and/or time towards pursuing something with them.
 
Stomp16 said:
I wouldn't really recommend it. Tulsa is SATURATED with pilots both currently employed and unemployed. Ferrying aircraft for Christanson is not something that you'd just walk into. You would need to know someone or put in time doing something else (line service for example) before those gigs would be offered your way. Even then, I doubt there's enough ferrying going on to keep someone busy. Lastly, if you've ever flown a Christanson aircraft, you'd know the mx and upkeep is not the best. I wouldn't want to put my certs on the line by flying one of their junkers across the country. I've rented from them on numerous occasions and have NUMEROUS failures with various systems and components.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm no trying to be Debby-downer. I'm just trying to give you a little insight before you go and commit a lot of money and/or time towards pursuing something with them.
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Thanks for the insight. I appreciate it.
 
There's a drop zone in Derby also, if you go talk to the guy he might be able to use you on weekends.I did it briefly, before the wife moved us out of state.

I also worked at Hesston College in Newton. Great people, they'd probably want you to have a CFI/CFII most likely, but you might be able to do the evenings/weekends thing. I mostly did work with non-college students, locals and Bombardier guys for the majority, so evenings and weekends were my usual hours.
 
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Stomp16 said:
I wouldn't really recommend it. Tulsa is SATURATED with pilots both currently employed and unemployed. Ferrying aircraft for Christanson is not something that you'd just walk into. You would need to know someone or put in time doing something else (line service for example) before those gigs would be offered your way. Even then, I doubt there's enough ferrying going on to keep someone busy. Lastly, if you've ever flown a Christanson aircraft, you'd know the mx and upkeep is not the best. I wouldn't want to put my certs on the line by flying one of their junkers across the country. I've rented from them on numerous occasions and have NUMEROUS failures with various systems and components.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm no trying to be Debby-downer. I'm just trying to give you a little insight before you go and commit a lot of money and/or time towards pursuing something with them.
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BonanzaPilot said:
Thanks for the insight. I appreciate it.
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Don't take what this guy says as gospel. Talk to someone who actually lives in Tulsa.
 
Look at Riverside Flight Center, it's at KRVS. My friends owns it a needs instructors.
 
chaser918 said:
Don't take what this guy says as gospel. Talk to someone who actually lives in Tulsa.
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Yeah Adam, because I don't know ANYONE in Tulsa. Not the dozen or so pilots we have on staff from there, current and former instructors, former colleagues, current pilots and others. Instead of playing internet badass, do you have anything useful to add to help this guy out?
 
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Stomp16 said:
Yeah Adam, because I don't know ANYONE in Tulsa. Not the dozen or so pilots we have on staff from there, current and former instructors, former colleagues, current pilots and others. Instead of playing internet badass, do you have anything useful to add to help this guy out?
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Ya I got something, there is an outfit in Skiatook that is always looking for dive pilots.
What you told him was not useful.
 
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