Build time in a 182 or tailwheel?

jspeed87

jspeed87

Well-Known Member
Which of the two would increase my chances of getting a job with a fresh commercial? Banner towing is pretty big in the Jersey Shore during the summer. Some of the good companies I researched require just the endorsment and 100 hours tailwheel. How about working as a skydive pilot? Most places here have a 182 that new pilots start on but they want like 20 hours or so high performance. I still need like 65 hours PIC time. CFI ratings I will be getting after my commercial.
 
Alot of those companies also require more than is required for the commercial. It's not just time in a 182 they look for..often they want 500+ hours. I'd say 152 and do it cheap, have some fun doing X-C flights.
 
TGatch said:
Alot of those companies also require more than is required for the commercial. It's not just time in a 182 they look for..often they want 500+ hours. I'd say 152 and do it cheap, have some fun doing X-C flights.
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That's true.... :( I just wanted to increase my chances of getting that first flying job....
 
Build time in the 152! However, if you have the spare funds for a short flight, get yourself the high performance endorsement in a 182 so that when the time comes where you have the hours, say to drop jumpers and you need that endorsement, you won't have to scramble to get that endorsement in your logbook. tail wheel is a nice thing to have, but most insurance plans require a minimum of 25 hours of tailwheel, so that may not be as cheap for you as 152 time building.
 
GlenA said:
Build time in the 152! However, if you have the spare funds for a short flight, get yourself the high performance endorsement in a 182 so that when the time comes where you have the hours, say to drop jumpers and you need that endorsement, you won't have to scramble to get that endorsement in your logbook. tail wheel is a nice thing to have, but most insurance plans require a minimum of 25 hours of tailwheel, so that may not be as cheap for you as 152 time building.
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Is 500tt a insurance requirement to drop jumpers? I know a place where I could rent a cub for 90/hr so it's not that expensive.
 
Do it in a 180! You'll get the best of both.

But really, if the cub is only a little more than the 152, I'd go with the cub. If you're in to that kind of flying, you never know when it'll come up.
 
Wolfy said:
Do it in a 180! You'll get the best of both.

But really, if the cub is only a little more than the 152, I'd go with the cub. If you're in to that kind of flying, you never know when it'll come up.
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If you can find a cheap taildragger, go for it. They are not easy to find as rentals though.
 
I say tailwheel, but I like them because they're fun. That, and you build more time going from point A to point B. :)
 
kellwolf said:
I say tailwheel, but I like them because they're fun. That, and you build more time going from point A to point B. :)
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that's my reasoning for renting a 152 at 85 vs a 172 at 105

sure I'll take longer to get there and it'll cost the same amount of money, but at the end of the day I ended up with more hours for the same money!
 
If you can find a cheap tailwheel, it is great experience. The insurance on the plane may prohibit you from taking it solo, so you might have to figure in the cost of an instructor to babysit you for a while. Nothing wrong with a 152 though.
 
jspeed87 said:
Is 500tt a insurance requirement to drop jumpers? I know a place where I could rent a cub for 90/hr so it's not that expensive.
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Yeah, generally. I don't know if the 500tt is an actually rule everywhere but it is definitely the norm. As stated above, a tail wheel would be great, but just building up the time to the point where you could rent it solo may take a while and some cash, since you will have to pay an instructor ( (90 + instructor fees) x 25 hours = a lot) BUT, if you could afford it, tailwheel skills would definitely open a bunch of other doors for you that are closed to many pilots with higher time. it really comes down to what you can afford to do right now.
 
jspeed87 said:
Is 500tt a insurance requirement to drop jumpers? I know a place where I could rent a cub for 90/hr so it's not that expensive.
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I have 320 hours and I drop skydivers in a 182. In fact I got the High Performance endorsement for free
 
You want experience to go with your hours in the logbook?

Go with taildragger, having more than 5 hours and the endorsement will give you street credit.
 
My rationale for the tailwheel endorsement was that tailwheel airplanes are used pretty extensively in glider and banner towing. Someone with a wet commercial but a good amount of tailwheel time could hypothetically have more options open to them.
 
inigo88 said:
My rationale for the tailwheel endorsement was that tailwheel airplanes are used pretty extensively in glider and banner towing. Someone with a wet commercial but a good amount of tailwheel time could hypothetically have more options open to them.
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Yeah that's what I was thinking too. I guess it depends on the hiring needs of the company and how business is doing. I guess I'll get my tailwheel anyway just for fun.
 
Not all but most banner companies required the 500tt. And unless you can find a commercial glider operations, theres no money really in towing for a club. Most clubs have tow pilots who are members and instead of getting paid to tow they just get x number of free tows for x number of tows they fly. Example, at my club, I get one free tow in a glider for every 10 gliders I tow. Most clubs are very simliar.
 
TW flying made me a better pilot. I did not appreciate how lazy I was with the rudder until I was FORCED to use it properly.

I've not flown in a while, but you can be sure I'll flog the SuperCub a bit before I touch another 152 or 172 just to sharpen up.
 
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