Survey pilot

[Stone Cold]

And as for you TX...yah you guys got a hell of a deal on the PerDiem....I can't remember his name but who was the guy who lived in a tent in the hanger?....that guy was makin bank.

Yeah, we had a heck of a deal. Like I said, I won't rub it in, but it was more than WU made, if I had stayed at the job, for flying a 172. Adam D. is the guy's name. I need to call him, but last I heard he was doing one of the Argus type corporate and charter aviation branch evaluations for a company in Philly.

Get over yourself WU. It's a good paying, low-time pilot job. You were the one that came to the thread with no experience in the job. Like I said before, these guys get the shaft when it comes to pay. We were paid much much better. Period. I won't go into details, but you can look at previous posts.

Once again, no A/C and you knock it. I would be embarrassed to be saying that I fly 50-70 seat JETS and getting all high and mighty with a 172 driver that pays almost the same (btw, both of us are now flying for other companies, being hired right after the survey gig). Yes, I wouldn't have been at your 2nd year pay, but it's possible with some other aerial survey jobs to surpass your 2nd year pax carrying jet job. Remember our conversation on how you said there are no high paying jobs for piston types...I guess you're showing another job that adds to my argument, aren't you???!

 

[wheelsup]

but it's possible with some other aerial survey jobs to surpass your 2nd year pax carrying jet job. Remember our conversation on how you said there are no high paying jobs for piston types...I guess you're showing another job that adds to my argument, aren't you???!

I think one would have to look at all variables before making a career out of aerial survey. From what I gather here the pilots that fly these routes are gone anywhere from 7 days to 1-2 months. The job in alabama was like that. If that's what floats your boat, have at it.

Having no A/C has absolutely nothing to do with it. I try to factor everything in when it comes to taking a job, after having made several lateral moves. I'm not knocking the job, it sounds like a good gig for sure. Better than CFI'ing for sure. I'd love to get out of the regional rat race soon. Just not sure what I want to do yet.

 

[saxman]

So we have "Texasspilot" and "txpilot"..who both worked for separate survey companies. Now I thought I was getting a good deal with Landcare and now "txpilot" has to come and ruin it for me. jk.

 

[Texasspilot]

Yah...confusing enough for yah!

I don't know how much multi you have but i talked to a company last fall who was looking for a pilot for Nashville flying a 421 aerial survey. Pay was 90K to start...i didn't have enough multi time..they were looking for around 3000TT and 2000multi PIC. Gone two weeks home two weeks.

Theres quite a few companies out there doing this same type of work. I don't think you'll be dissapointed wherever you go. Have fun...let me know if you end up down in dallas

 

[Stone Cold]

So we have "Texasspilot" and "txpilot"..who both worked for separate survey companies. Now I thought I was getting a good deal with Landcare and now "txpilot" has to come and ruin it for me. jk.

Sorry to ruin it for ya. If it's any consolation, I am the original txpilot, been going by it since '92 in e-mail and other on-line stuff. Yes, we had a much better deal. PM me if you want more details and can't find it in the search.

 

[Stone Cold]

I think one would have to look at all variables before making a career out of aerial survey. From what I gather here the pilots that fly these routes are gone anywhere from 7 days to 1-2 months. The job in alabama was like that. If that's what floats your boat, have at it.

It's a beginning job, and there are some that make it work for longer in better equipment with much better pay. You can side talk, back talk, spin it however you want, you came into this thread with guns blazing on how these pilots worked for free. Once again, I will say I would be embarrassed to be getting high and mighty with 172 drivers as a JET pilot with 50 PAYING pax on board, when the pay first year is equal (my old job, at least), and please spare me the 2nd year pay stuff. I was at 880TT, when I started and got to the 135 mins with the job very quickly. Let me remind you, how many major airline jobs have been eliminated while you enjoy your a/c for 1/8th of the pay???

Having no A/C has absolutely nothing to do with it. I try to factor everything in when it comes to taking a job, after having made several lateral moves. I'm not knocking the job, it sounds like a good gig for sure. Better than CFI'ing for sure. I'd love to get out of the regional rat race soon. Just not sure what I want to do yet.

Please, stay in the great regionals...you are always so proud of your job and your airline. You are a good fit and a great defender. Just think, 1000 PIC and you can go to a major, right? How long is your upgrade looking? I am now seeing people that were in the props with me a year and three months ago as PIC in the Lear. Just like you just said, and most people are of the mind-set of a regional being a stepping stone, these types of jobs are also. There are a select few who would do this for a living, but it was never meant to be a career job, just like Airnet is not a career, but there are some that have chosen this. So, why are you now calling this a career job????????

Sorry to re-blow this thread up, but I felt some things needed to be said.

 

[wheelsup]

Sorry to re-blow this thread up, but I felt some things needed to be said.

Totally 100% with ya with what type of job this survey pilot gig is for. I thought that went without saying. Is it sad that regional pay is low? Yeah. Is it sad what the majors pay now? Yeah. Also, I'm gonna say that it probably took more skill to fly survey than it does to fly for a regional. Hence the higher pay.

As far as your jab about by taking this job I've elimated jobs at majors...huh? They were the ones that didn't WANT rj's on property way back when. It was below them. Now, the 'new' crop of rj's are certainly doing that...for sure. If oil was $15/bbl and traffic grew at pre-911 levels, I'd bet that these new RJ's would be on the major payscales, because the pilots would have more leverage. We are all just victims of circumstance, unfortunately.

Defender of the regionals? LOL hardly. I had a great 135 freight gig lined up and had to decide which I wanted. I would say I'm pretty open minded. Believe it or not, I actually could care less what type of 'shiny' plane I'm in. I had to make a tough call when it came to cargo or a regional. Believe me, it was a tough call. I just tell it like it is here. Keep in mind, you're very vocal about how much the regionals suck etc. etc. and I'm just the yang against your yin...

Upgrade here is currently at 2.5 years from hire date - although like the wind that changes every day. I'm personally expecting it to drop over the next few months when it's annouced we didn't get the midwest connect flying and the arbitrator decides against retro pay and more people leave. We'll see.

From your posts I gather you are older - that's probably why you chose to go your route. Obviously the phrase "if only I knew what I know now..." comes to mind. Fortunately I didn't have any sort of obligations and flying 121 was just something I 'wanted' to do. Might as well do it now while I can afford it, right?

 

[mtsu_av8er]

Having no A/C has absolutely nothing to do with it.

just to clarify, what I said was I wouldn't take less than $60k/yr to fly in an aircraft without a/c, etc.

If I'm going to be uncomfortable, I might as well be compensated for it.

 

[Stone Cold]

From your posts I gather you are older - that's probably why you chose to go your route. Obviously the phrase "if only I knew what I know now..." comes to mind. Fortunately I didn't have any sort of obligations and flying 121 was just something I 'wanted' to do. Might as well do it now while I can afford it, right?

Older...well, not a snot-nosed high schooler, I'll put it that way. I've been watching the industry for a long time, with family in the industry, and feel some things need to be said about some things.

If every kid "that just wanted to do" the 121 thing while they could afford to lose money, which amounts to playing airline pilot, this industry could get very ugly, don't you think? As for the phrase "if I only knew then what I know now...", what would have changed your mind and made you realize what you were getting in to? What additional information needs to get out there, or are the Shiny Jets with A/C too much to overcome? Yes, it's a cheap shot, but as shown above, that's exactly what you used as criteria for taking a job.

Keep in mind, you're very vocal about how much the regionals suck etc. etc. and I'm just the yang against your yin...

Look at every post I have ever made and show me where I am against regionals...I am against mini-majors, there is a HUGE difference. As you said in the other thread, more and more work is being farmed out to regionals (the mini majors I speak of) and taken away from the real major airlines, continuing the downward pay and downward spiral. Yes, there are some true regionals, and you will never hear me talk badly about them. Where am I wrong for pointing this out?

Please spare me the poor me, "We are all just victims of circumstance, unfortunately". How about not taking the job in the first place. I know it's a pipe dream of mine, and we'll always have somebody jumping in the jobs as soon as they hear jet, but I will always speak my mind of what I see going on in the industry. I know that pilots won't ever stand together, but wouldn't it be nice to send a message to the airlines of all levels?

As far as this thread, the regionals vs. 172 driver was what was being discussed after you said these guys/gals would be "working for free then, food on the road is expensive", having no idea how this job operates. I do...I have done this job and made good money at it to get up to 135 mins, while you went, I believe it was an instructing job at MAPD, right?

 

[wheelsup]

You're right, I should've just let it die. I have no idea what the job entails...like I said it's a great job for someone with the quals looking to get out of the CFI routine and build a lot of time. Just don't dine out every night .

And yes, I did go the CFI route. Original plan (back when I was instructing at TEB) was to go to Airnet. I'd been updating since I met the mins @ 500 TT when I was living up there. That was still the plan until a very large hurricane derailed it and sent it into new mexico...

 

[N422NM]

Man, 2 pages already on a simple job listing I post.....wow, LOL

Interesting reading though....maybe I"ll post more stuff to get people going like this...

 

[mccube5]

hey guys, just trying to keep this thread alive.

sent in a resume, got a call the next day for an interview, scheduled it for monday.

wondering if anyone here has interviewed with this company before and can give me a little insight as to what to expect?

any advice is greatly appreciated!!!

Chris

 

[Stone Cold]

hey guys, just trying to keep this thread alive.

sent in a resume, got a call the next day for an interview, scheduled it for monday.

wondering if anyone here has interviewed with this company before and can give me a little insight as to what to expect?

any advice is greatly appreciated!!!

Chris

Heres the skinny

BY the way TXpilot did this same thing for a different company....

Read the thread again, especially post 6, since there is at least one person in here who has worked for this specific company and posted the particulars . If you have specific questions, feel free to ask, but it's pretty straight-forward.

Good luck and let us know how the interview goes.

TX, soon to be ???

 

[boognish]

Wheels Up, you are by far one of the biggest crybabies I have ever seen. You think some one would do this job for their whole life? And no AC, come on, what the hell, try flight instructing in Texas, in a 172 when it's over a 100 degrees. And the dining out argument, what kind of fat ass are you that it requires you to feed your cake whole $100 a week? I think you throw tantrums at a whim and if anyone disagrees or has a logical question for you that you cannot answer you just huff and puff. I'd rather see this guy post more jobs, and you post less. Just my .02.

 

[derg]

Hi Boognish, and welcome to jetcareers.com

At 28 posts, you're still learning the ropes of the environment we're trying to foster here. I don't suggest reading someone the 'riot act' so soon in your JC career, bro.

 

[jtrain609]

And no AC, come on, what the hell, try flight instructing in Texas, in a 172 when it's over a 100 degrees.

Do I work with you?

 

[wheelsup]

Wheels Up, you are by far one of the biggest crybabies I have ever seen. You think some one would do this job for their whole life? And no AC, come on, what the hell, try flight instructing in Texas, in a 172 when it's over a 100 degrees. And the dining out argument, what kind of fat ass are you that it requires you to feed your cake whole $100 a week? I think you throw tantrums at a whim and if anyone disagrees or has a logical question for you that you cannot answer you just huff and puff. I'd rather see this guy post more jobs, and you post less. Just my .02.

i should've just stated "think about this fact before you jump on this opportunity" for sure...I was just trying to get people to think about everything this job entails when I mentioned the no per-diem thing. Reading back thru I definately got a bit defensive .

As far as not doing this job their whole life, I agree, but they were comparing first year FO pay to this job, so I wanted to compare everything not just the salary. Put it all on the table so to speak. Otherwise you can say this job is better than working for CAL and UPS, as their first year pay is around $25-$30k/yr. Is that a fair comparison? I don't think so. Again, I got defensive in the same way you would defend a job choice you made.

I instructed thru the summers in FL and in NM, when the cabin was well over 100F. It makes me appreciate the AC even more...

If you don't like the jobs I post, don't read them (seriously).

 

[mccube5]

Wheels Up, you are by far one of the biggest crybabies I have ever seen. You think some one would do this job for their whole life? And no AC, come on, what the hell, try flight instructing in Texas, in a 172 when it's over a 100 degrees. And the dining out argument, what kind of fat ass are you that it requires you to feed your cake whole $100 a week? I think you throw tantrums at a whim and if anyone disagrees or has a logical question for you that you cannot answer you just huff and puff. I'd rather see this guy post more jobs, and you post less. Just my .02.

I dont care what kind of opinion anyone has, whether i disagree or not is beside the point. But the last sentence of this post about not wanting wheelsup to post jobs is asinine. Its people like him trying to make all of us aware of the different opportunities out there that make this place great, i would never have known to look into it, and here i am now with an interview scheduled on monday so i thank him for that.

Keep the dialogue going lets keep the cheap shots out of it, everyone just remember where you started in this big rat race. "You gotta shovel shi** before you own the farm". we all need to start somewhere and this survey pilot job would be absolutely perfect for someone like myself right now.

 

[saxman]

Rumor has it, you can still send your resume in. He's still looking for qualified pilots to apply. Just note, I do not have 500 hours yet, and he offered me a job. And I'm going to take it. Starts in mid-October.