Back After a Hiatus and path to ATP

[awbmof]

Greetings,

Its been too long since I've posted, but I've been busy making progress on a career transition path and some non-aviation stuff. Long-story short, I have charted a course towards meeting 135 mins, R-ATP Mins and connecting with the vintage aviation community. For awhile I debated going whole hog, quitting my corporate job after getting my CFI, but the airline industry being, well-- the airline industry, I've decided on an incremental approach to see how things develop over the next year so I still have my corporate office job as a fall back. So here it goes, my grand plan:

1) a) Objective: 373 hrs of Cross Country Time (Current: 128, need 500) and 500hrs (Need 450hrs) of tail wheel time.
b) Solution: Bought Cessna 140 with good maintenance history, recent overhaul and low-time engine

2) a) Objective: Qualify for Restricted ATP at 1250 hours
b) Solution: Finish Commercial Pilot AAS degree (15 credits required) and Multi-Add-on at local community college program to meet FAA requirements.

3) a) Objective: 50hrs of Multi-Engine Time
b) Solution: Rent Twin Comanche and Shanghai friends into time-build weekend trips, or b) Fly KRNT-KBWD and back to visit family

4) a) Objective: Build Applicable Career Flying Experience
b) Solution: Complete CFI and instruct through the flying club where I trained.

Hopefully by July 2016, I will have the time I need to proceed onto a regional airline, and before my ATP written expires.

 

[10SM CLR]

Those look like good objectives and congrats on the airplane purchase! I wish you the best of luck and much motivation to pursue this

 

[ComplexHiAv8r]

Congrats on the 2nd happiest day of your life! Good Luck!

 

[Terry]

Seems like a good plan now stick with it .. What did you do today and what are you going to do tomorrow to get you to your goal?

 

[awbmof]

Thank you for the support, so far things are working out as expected with the 140, a lot fun getting three points and wheel landings down while getting her mechanically ready for cross countries. When I'm not studying, and the weather cooperates in the Pac NW I take her out for a few hours at a time.

There is nothing like having an airplane ready when you are and each flight gets me closer to my goal.

On the education front, I start back part-time at school at the end of this month. And it helps that the school is just up the hill from my home airport.

Progress!!!!

 

[Terry]

Sounds like progress to me ! Always do at least one thing a day to advance toward your goal ..

 

[OMApilot31]

Sounds like a great plan! I am at a point where myself and a flying buddy of mine are really looking at buying. We have been renting for years (172's, PA140's). We are looking at building some good time, and I really think that owning might just be the way to go. Have you found that the costs so far with owning are better than renting overall? Do you pay into a fund for mx costs etc.? Might be hard to say now, but at least I know that for us the motivation and amount of time we fly would double just based on owning and having an aircraft readily available.

 

[awbmof]

At this point it is hard to say, especially since I am still working on getting some of the minor squawks addressed so I don't have a relable maintenance baseline. But, when I looked at renting vs owning, I found the more time you fly, the lower the hourly cost comparatively speaking. Given my tail wheel time objective, I can say that even with my projected expenses it will be less expensive than renting any of the tail wheel aircraft in the area. In refernce to your other question, I do have funds set aside for maintenance.

I still maintain my membership with a flying club so I have access to a reasonably priced IFR aircraft and a client base for when I complete my CFI certs.

More importantly, I decided to buy a simple airplane (the most complicated system on my Cessna 140 is the retractable landing light), they seem to be more reliable and less expensive to maintain. If you buy a complex plane like an IFR retractable Cessna or a twin, your costs (more engines, more moving parts = higher cost), you'll probably find renting cheaper (especially if the FAA issues a mandatory AD). Remember, keep it simple, keep it affordable, and nothing helps time builing more than having an airplane ready to fly when you are

 

[OMApilot31]

I agree with the keep it simple! I have found several low airframe and engine time 1957 172's out there as well. I read that performance wise they are very comparable to the N models and such, but for half the price tag. Plus I do like the nostalgic look of the straight tails! Most of our flying is basic VFR, so that just might be a good option. Never flown a tailwheel, but I do love the looks of a 140! Thanks for your advice.

 

[Terry]

I own 3 aircraft be very careful about buying aircraft for time building especially if its your first time buying a plane. One bad oil sample will cost you 20K for an over haul or a bad mag check will cost you about 1000 per mag plus labor .. Now if you can spot a good deal and know how to offset cost buying a plane for time building or flight training can be practical and possibly profitable

 

[awbmof]

Agreed, big mechanical gotchas can quickly blow a hole in your time building budget. A thorough pre-buy inspection is essential, get an oil sample, but above all don't get fixated on one particular airplane, never hesitate to walk away if something is not right.

Also, remember if you buy an airplane that hasn't been flown frequently and you start using it regulary be prepared for stuff to break.

OMApilot 31 Good luck in your search for a straight tail, they fly better than any modern Cessna 172, and I love the look of straight tail too.

 

[OMApilot31]

Very good points! I think that you are right about not being fixated on any particular airplane and have the guts to walk away. If we went with something like a Cherokee, I have considered the option of a leaseback to our local flight school. I am not sure if that is a good idea or not, might get too much wear and tear. But then again, a little help with the mx might not be a bad thing either. Does anyone have any experience with a leaseback arrangement? Thanks!

 

[awbmof]

Another step of progress, I passed the FOI written yesterday, now I am starting my study for the Flight Instructor Airplane and will kick off my time building when my plane gets back from the avionics shop.

 

[Flyboy57]

I think you have a solid plan of action. Once you have your airplane, load up with a time-building buddy and take a long x-c....long as in circumnavigate a large section of the U.S. Throttle way back and take your time....you're interested in the hours, not the gallons burned. You can alternate legs, and do some hood time/safety pilot exchanges. That will build your x-c time but, more importantly, give you some good, real-world experience. Good luck!

 

[awbmof]

After 6 months, its time for an update, but also I need some advice. I am still flying my 140 weekly, but a couple of maintenance issues and annual inspection grounded the airplane sporadically for at least a week at a time plus school absorbed more time than anticipated. Still, I logged 101 hours this year(Not bad for pure GA flying, plus school and full-time work). CFI is dragging on longer than anticipated due to instructor availability, so I am definitely not where I wanted to be time wise by now, although still having fun. Had a few other major bumps such as buying a car and a walk-up positive space ticket back from Korea when non revving back fired.

Where I also encountered a major hang-up is qualifying for the Reduced Hours RATP through completing an academic program, the FAA doesn't consider a multi-addon sufficient to meet the flight training requirement of AC 91-139 because my initial Comm and Inst. was done under Part 61 (Even though I retook the full ground portion for Com and Inst. ratings through my school's authorized program). WTH, last time I checked 61 and 141 guys are held to the same regs, same check ride standards, and fly in the same airspace!!! When the FAA provided a reason, they told me they did not want the schools overwhelmed with transfer students trying to skirt the ATP rule. Who's trying to skirt the rule? I am taking all of the program classes, I would go through the schools outrageously priced flight training ($400 hr for a Twin Star) provider for my multi, and I will have to do the ATP-CTP course?

What it gets down to is I feel my choices at 35 for the chance to earn a reasonable living from flying in the airline world are the following:

1) a) Knock out the 25 hours of Cross-Country, 50 Hours of Multi and night I need to complete RATP requirements (total time excluded), b) Sell airplane, c) Quit current job before meeting career change financial targets, and d) Find a place to finish CFI full-time and hire me

2) a) Knock out the 25 hours of Cross-Country, 50 Hours of Multi and night I need to complete RATP requirements (total time excluded), b) Continue leisurely time-building and CFI training pace, c) Meeting Career change financial targets, but risk missing out on current hiring wave, get hired for the next one as a regional lifer ten years from now.

Or

3) Get out of aviation entirely for another field.

Given my frustration, I could use some advice and/or an objective perspective.

P.S.I say airline because I have worked directly for high maintenance Senior Managers, Corporate Execs and Rich people since I graduated college so charter and corporate flying lost its appeal a long time ago.

 

[10SM CLR]

After 6 months, its time for an update, but also I need some advice.

Thanks for the update and good for you for sticking with it! All 3 of these sound like great plans and I'm withholding my advice since I'm in a similar boat and can't seem to figure it out either. PM me if you want to exchange info and personally chat sometime.