Another Buy to Fly Program

Good Day,

I have not seen anyone comment on the POSITIVE side of this program.
One, a pilot could accelerate his career path IMMENSELY by enrolling in such a program... especially if he gets a job at the end of his training. It's a known fact that a lot of the good jobs go to someone who knows someone... I have seen this to be the case in the limited market here in Reno, NV.
Also, I have met several pilots for NORTHWEST Airlink who went through Gulfstream's Academy and landed jobs straight out of their program. Heck these guys were barely growing chin hair... aged 21 to 23 years. How else could these ambitious (with well heeled parents attain) success so quickly? Are we to begrudge them their good fortune? I say NAY! More power to them! The airlines were waiting in LINE to recruit these guys! The airlines USE these graduates and respect them. Why can't we?
In one year, these graduates achieve what some of us with YEARS of flying have yet to achieve... that JET job! When I was in the military... We did WHATEVER we had to do to get the job done! What is wrong with shortening that career path which is sometimes so convoluted that some of us NEVER make it? I say GREASE those Wheels with cash if it will take you to your desired goals. WHERE is it written that we must chug along through low paying, odd hours, flying old aircraft in order to gain experience for a job that MAY never come? And what about PAY? A graduate STARTS at $45.00 an hour versus sub $20.00 an hour wages flying for a regional. Look how LONG it will take that regional pilot to hit this payscale! Any monies invested in PFT will be recovered in the first year and then it is ALL gravy after that. I am a 47 year old career changer and so I am used to getting a lot more that $20.00 dollars an hour... I don't have 20 years to "work my way up" from $20.00 an hour.
Last comment, I notice that a lot of these comments come from Professional PILOTS who have already achieved the dream... Heartfelt Congratulations! However, It's not so easy looking UP from the bottom to disallow ANY option, including PFT, to advance one's ambitions in this career field. A wise man uses ALL advantages to achieve a desired end.

Respectfully,
Jasper
 
[ QUOTE ]
However, It's not so easy looking UP from the bottom to disallow ANY option, including PFT, to advance one's ambitions in this career field. A wise man uses ALL advantages to achieve a desired end.

[/ QUOTE ]

So. Would you scab?

You know, that might be an option from time to time. Would you do it? Get that critical jet time in there, and of course, it's a part 121 operation.

Would you scab? After all, a wise man uses all advantages.
 
Ahhh... an honest comment.
Uhm, to scab or not to scab? That is the question. Honestly, I like to think that I would not but a lot of that decision is going to depend on whether my three children (ages 6, 8, and 12) have food on the table that week. After all "Pride goeth before the fall."
However, we are discussing PFT and not scabbing. Your choice of question and circumstance sheds a little more light on the topic... do you liken PFT to scabbing? Does it have that type of stigma attached to it? Is it more a PERSONAL feeling why this program is so disliked as opposed to the program not fulfilling its promises? Do you have a "factual" objection to enrolling in PFT programs; ie, you get robbed, etc. or simply have a "dislike" for it?

Respectfully,
Jasper
 
Jasper, you've been around this site enough to know what kind of reception your ideas are going to receive. I can only assume that you're looking for a reaction, i.e. flame-baiting.

I thought you were above that.

frown.gif


Steve
 
It's very close to asking "What are the positive aspects of volunteering to get corn-holed by a sasquatch?"

Not really anything, unless of course, you're into that!
smile.gif
 
If you're going to say something like a wise man uses all advantages, you open yourself up to questions like the one I asked you.

After all, scabbing is an advantage. I sure hope you wouldn't use it, but you said you'd use any advantage you could get.
 
Ya know. I'm over it, really. If people wanna throw their money away, that's cool. Sure, it'll take me like an extra year or two to catch up, but those guys at Pinnacle that barely had chin hair will be paying until they're old and grey on those loans to Gulfstream. And as far as PFT and scabbing, I really don't see a difference. However, I guess some people see scabbing as a "wise man" using thier advantages. How long before the "advantage" of PFT elimantes any paying FO jobs. Why in god's name would an airline want to PAY someone to fly airplanes when there's a line around the corner of people that will pay THEM thousands of dollars. It's an airline managment wet dream. Hell, Gulfstream's already jumped on the bandwagon. They have 20 paying people on a 19 seat aircraft.

That's all I'll say now. Anything else will be feeding the :
troll-or.jpg
 
In 1996, I was in the chief pilots office at Skyway and he was complaining about how we were short on pilots. So I told him that I had the resume from one of my croanies in my flight kit.

The first question he asked?

"He didn't buy any of this flight time, did he?"

"Nope!"

"Good."
 
Well said, Kell.

No sense getting panties knotted up over it. Unfortunately those programs work for a few people......some others get screwed.......and the bar gets lowered another notch for all pilots everywhere.
 
and "why can't I pay rent and feed my children on probationary FO pay?"
smile.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
and "why can't I pay rent and feed my children on probationary FO pay?"

[/ QUOTE ]

But.....but...you'e flying a JET!

I ran into a Pinnacle guy with a Gulfstream Academy sticker on his chart case on the bus in MEM one day. I asked him what he thought about their program, and he was IMMEDIATELY on the defensive. I wasn't even dressed as a fellow pilot, either. I was wearing my CSA monkey suit. On closer inspection, you could see where he had TRIED to peel the sticker off the case, but it had assimilated itself.
 
Here's the kicker, once the darn thing is started, a jet is easier to fly than a Seneca I. Especially when the Seneca has those "Ray Jay" manually-controlled turbochargers.
 
dude Jasper, you seemed to have made a good choice about Skymates. Now why are you pullin all this bottom feeding/getting ripped off crap?
 
"It's very close to asking "What are the positive aspects of volunteering to get corn-holed by a sasquatch?"

THAT is hilarious (lol).

"Jasper, you've been around this site enough to know what kind of reception your ideas are going to receive. I can only assume that you're looking for a reaction, i.e. flame-baiting."

Hello Steve,
Yeap, I have been around this site long enough to know the reception of such statements. I just never knew the WHY of the reaction received by such statements.
My intent was to find out the WHY of people's reaction. In reviewing the comments, I see emotion as opposed to fact in the responses. I like looking at both sides of the coin and I just felt that both sides of the PFT programs were not represented.
Hey, don't get me wrong. I am still undecided whether or not PFT is productive. I suspect its usefullness, like most things, is somewhere in the middle. I do know that upgrading jobs and equipment works. To this end, I am checking across the field for flying opportunities that may be available when my contract expires.
Thank you ALL for your insights and I will consider this "flame-baiting" ended... Onward to the next brick wall!

Jasper
 
I'm going to drink a few frosty adult beverages this evening and write something. It might not be up until tomorrow or wednesday though. Maybe even tonight.
 
If I would have known you were home Doug I would have jumped out there to help! Adult beverages and PFT "schooling."
rawk.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
I'm going to drink a few frosty adult beverages this evening and write something.

[/ QUOTE ]

Drink a few for me. I'd love to join you, but it is checkride time tomorrow. You know how the FAA looks upon that bottle to throttle rule.
cwm27.gif
Look forward to your writings/insight.
 
Any time man, Kristie and I would love to have you over!

I just hope you aren't allergic to cats, but there's a pill for that.
smile.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top