TFaudree_ERAU
Mashin' dem buttons
Ladies and gents,
Some of you may have seen my post in the Jobs Available section. Some of you know my situation, many don't. Let me elaborate.
I graduated from ERAU Daytona in the summer of '05. I didn't have any jobs lined up, so I planned on staying in the area, obtaining my CFI and instructing down there until I had enough hours to be competitive for a 135 or regional job. Upon graduation, I went to work at the speedway, trying to make enough money to pay for CFI training, while also starting to pay back the student loans, rent and general living expenses. About a month after I started the job, I got a call from a guy who owns the FBO at which I worked the summer prior. He offered to pay for me to complete my CFI training there, with his airplane and instructor, then go to work as a CFI and do 135 flying on the side when I met the hour requirements. Needless to say, I jumped on the offer.
Jump ahead 8 months. I was flying a reasonable amount of hours per month, but there were no advancement opportunities at this 2300' airfield in a county with a population of about 10,000 and 2 stoplights; more cows than people. You know, that kind of place. I was still receiving emails from the career services dept. at ERAU, and I received one in May with what I had been looking for. The job was in Hilton Head, SC, as the single pilot operator for a VFR 135 operation, flying a 206 Stationair, with an advertised upgrade to a 208 Grand Caravan in the following months. I submitted my resume on Friday evening and received a phone call early Monday morning. One week later, I was paying out of pocket to fly the FBO's 182RG, 3 hours each way, down to HXD to meet with the company owner. Two weeks later, I had the job.
I packed my stuff and moved down on the 4th of June. Prior to that, I had to come down twice to attend meetings with the FAA in Columbia, SC as the company was going through its initial application phase. On the 5th of June, my nightmare was delivered to the airport. It was a leased (thankfullY) 1972 U206F Stationair with one KX-170B Nav/Comm, an inop CDI, and the most horrific interior you'd ever seen. I think it took about 3 seconds to determine that this old bird had a long way to go before being ready to carry the rich and famous that lived in and around Hilton Head. The good thing was that it was a brand new engine and prop, decent exterior paint and only 1700 TTAF. More on that later...
The airplane was coming up on annual (a big red flag in my opinion when it comes to buying or leasing an airplane) so we made arrangements to have it done at the FBO that I had just left in Virginia. There were numerous airworthy items that were addressed at the annual, and the bill came to nearly $3000, which totally blew my boss away. He raised hell for weeks about it, constantly on the phone with the A&P to have the price reduced. I assisted with the annual and can assure you that everything that was done needed to be done, and the A&P only charged for the actual work done and parts used.
I had to fly out to Macon, GA to get the CDI repaired prior to the check ride. In addition to that, the day that I flew up to Columbia to meet with the FAA for the aircraft conformity inspection, I became painfully aware that the transponder was inop. The FAA didn't know it, since they don't do too many in depth tests and checks on the airplane, but I ended up being grounded there overnight while the MX shop fixed it. Cause: cut wire on the antenna cable. I didn't know the transponder was inop because I had never flown into airspace where it was required. Another item the aircraft owner dumped on us to be fixed.
We had been waiting for quite some time for the pilot check ride, which is the last task to complete during the certification phase aside from actually receiving the certificate. At the request of the FAA, I flew an hour and a half up to Greenville, SC to meet with our certification team operations inspector. At the end of the oral portion of the ride, he outlined the approaches he wanted me to execute. One was an ILS, one was an NDB, the other a VOR or LOC only. I had to stop him when he asked for the ILS and NDB...our CDI is only a single vertical needle and there is no NDB. Since approaches aren't a huge requirement for a VFR 135 check ride, he let it go with just a VOR and a LOC only approach. As he got into the airplane to begin the checkride, his jaw literally dropped as he realized in what poor shape this airplane was. At the conclusion of the checkride, he stated "I want you guys to be successful, but you have GOT to get another airplane...IMMEDIATELY". I was more than happy to relay that information to the company owner.
The rest of the certification process went relatively well, considering it IS the FAA we're dealing with. On September 15th, we became a certified US Air Carrier. There were talks of holding a reception here in the office to celebrate, inviting potential clients and news reporters to attend. None of that ever happened. I began work on brochures to distribute and ads to be published in news papers. I developed a website, brought it online and am currently maintaining it. I've had PLENTY of time to perfect my Front Page and Dreamweaver skills, as I've flown ONE revenue flight since certification.
We get plenty of phone calls, but its back to my earlier comment about a single engine airplane with low time and solid engine. The customer doesn't care about whats under the surface. They want to see 2 engines with 3 bladed props, humming along while they're riding in a nice cabin class leather interior with their refreshment center in the back. I've actually had people immediately hang up after they ask (in my best hillbilly voice) "does that thang have wun or tew enjuns?" and me replying "one". It has become obvious that we need a twin.
So the search began. We first focused on a Cessna 402. I've found some respectable ones on the market, but the insurance companies are telling us that they will only give us a hull value of approximately 130,000. Most of them on the market are going for nearly 200,000 or more due to the spar strap AD that costs 35,000. He doesn't want to go through the hassle of having a private aircraft valuation done to increase the hull value for the insurance. Then we focused on a 421. This airplane is the only one he has a viable argument against; the high maintenance and overhaul costs of the geared engines. Then we focus on a 414. He doesn't think the resale value will be there in 5 years. What the basis of his argument is, I'm not sure, but if anyone wants to let me in on some little secret, I'm all ears.
Now he's focusing on a Piper Seneca. It solves our problem of a twin, but doesn't give the customer much room to move. He actually spoke with a bank loan officer the other day (a friend of his) and asked him how he would feel about flying in a smaller twin. The reply was that he "think its an insult to have to sit in and airplane with [his] butt at nearly the same level as his feet; don't like to feel like [his] ass is scraping the ground". Unfortunately, those are both characteristics of a Seneca. BUT...it does solve the problem of "wun or tew enjuns". On Friday the 16th, he spoke with the owner of a Seneca that has a sale ad in Trade-A-Plane about leasing the airplane to us with the option to buy after 6 months. The owner wanted to see a sample lease contract before deciding. My boss told him that he would draft a lease and have it to him by Monday or Tuesday. Here it is, Monday the 26th, and nothing has been sent yet.
Now, here's the kicker. It takes approximately 2 to 3 months to add an airplane to a certificate. The lease on the 206 is up on May 15th; just over a month and a half away. Do the math. There are 3 requirements to maintain an air carrier certificate. A pilot, a plane and a base of operations. Without either one of those, the FAA can yank the certificate and you have to start from scratch. You can bet that if that happens, I'm out of here for sure. But my question for you is this...
Do you think I'm crazy for sticking around this long? I've been told time and time again about all these great things he has planned; managing a Caravan for a high end resort, buying out a current 135 jet operator, Diamond Aircraft dealership, etc, etc...but NOTHING has come about yet. The pay is decent, but I'm doing ZERO flying. Aside from taking the airplane up a few times a week to keep it running, I'm not doing anything but sitting here browsing JC and checking my email. Since I've come here, I've accumulated 40 hours. I've gotten on as a CFI with a flying club down here, but there isn't anything going on with that. The owner of the club's aircraft is a UPS pilot and also owns a Navajo. He's said on numerous occasions that he'll call me when he's going anywhere for pleasure and I'll get the PIC time. I'm going to pay out of pocket again to go get my tailwheel endorsement and tow gliders this summer. I just want flight time right now.
I've all but ruled out the 121 world of flying. I've been exposed to 135 flying and I have to admit that I think it is my cup of tea. If I could make a respectable living by flying for a small to medium size 135 company. I don't need to drive fancy cars, live in a huge house or put a $15,000 ring on my girlfriend or wife's finger. I just want to fly nice airplanes for a living and be able to provide for a family. I've started looking around at other jobs, as I don't know how much more of this I can take. I don't have enough hours to be competitive at most 135 companies, yet I'm making decent money here and can't afford a pay cut if I go somewhere to instruct. So...thats my brick wall.
Sorry for the long winded post, but I'm hoping you guys can provide insight, encouragement or suggestions on how to deal with my situation. I remember Dough and others saying that you shouldn't be afraid to speak out here, as you never know what will come from it. This is my speaking out...
Some of you may have seen my post in the Jobs Available section. Some of you know my situation, many don't. Let me elaborate.
I graduated from ERAU Daytona in the summer of '05. I didn't have any jobs lined up, so I planned on staying in the area, obtaining my CFI and instructing down there until I had enough hours to be competitive for a 135 or regional job. Upon graduation, I went to work at the speedway, trying to make enough money to pay for CFI training, while also starting to pay back the student loans, rent and general living expenses. About a month after I started the job, I got a call from a guy who owns the FBO at which I worked the summer prior. He offered to pay for me to complete my CFI training there, with his airplane and instructor, then go to work as a CFI and do 135 flying on the side when I met the hour requirements. Needless to say, I jumped on the offer.
Jump ahead 8 months. I was flying a reasonable amount of hours per month, but there were no advancement opportunities at this 2300' airfield in a county with a population of about 10,000 and 2 stoplights; more cows than people. You know, that kind of place. I was still receiving emails from the career services dept. at ERAU, and I received one in May with what I had been looking for. The job was in Hilton Head, SC, as the single pilot operator for a VFR 135 operation, flying a 206 Stationair, with an advertised upgrade to a 208 Grand Caravan in the following months. I submitted my resume on Friday evening and received a phone call early Monday morning. One week later, I was paying out of pocket to fly the FBO's 182RG, 3 hours each way, down to HXD to meet with the company owner. Two weeks later, I had the job.
I packed my stuff and moved down on the 4th of June. Prior to that, I had to come down twice to attend meetings with the FAA in Columbia, SC as the company was going through its initial application phase. On the 5th of June, my nightmare was delivered to the airport. It was a leased (thankfullY) 1972 U206F Stationair with one KX-170B Nav/Comm, an inop CDI, and the most horrific interior you'd ever seen. I think it took about 3 seconds to determine that this old bird had a long way to go before being ready to carry the rich and famous that lived in and around Hilton Head. The good thing was that it was a brand new engine and prop, decent exterior paint and only 1700 TTAF. More on that later...
The airplane was coming up on annual (a big red flag in my opinion when it comes to buying or leasing an airplane) so we made arrangements to have it done at the FBO that I had just left in Virginia. There were numerous airworthy items that were addressed at the annual, and the bill came to nearly $3000, which totally blew my boss away. He raised hell for weeks about it, constantly on the phone with the A&P to have the price reduced. I assisted with the annual and can assure you that everything that was done needed to be done, and the A&P only charged for the actual work done and parts used.
I had to fly out to Macon, GA to get the CDI repaired prior to the check ride. In addition to that, the day that I flew up to Columbia to meet with the FAA for the aircraft conformity inspection, I became painfully aware that the transponder was inop. The FAA didn't know it, since they don't do too many in depth tests and checks on the airplane, but I ended up being grounded there overnight while the MX shop fixed it. Cause: cut wire on the antenna cable. I didn't know the transponder was inop because I had never flown into airspace where it was required. Another item the aircraft owner dumped on us to be fixed.
We had been waiting for quite some time for the pilot check ride, which is the last task to complete during the certification phase aside from actually receiving the certificate. At the request of the FAA, I flew an hour and a half up to Greenville, SC to meet with our certification team operations inspector. At the end of the oral portion of the ride, he outlined the approaches he wanted me to execute. One was an ILS, one was an NDB, the other a VOR or LOC only. I had to stop him when he asked for the ILS and NDB...our CDI is only a single vertical needle and there is no NDB. Since approaches aren't a huge requirement for a VFR 135 check ride, he let it go with just a VOR and a LOC only approach. As he got into the airplane to begin the checkride, his jaw literally dropped as he realized in what poor shape this airplane was. At the conclusion of the checkride, he stated "I want you guys to be successful, but you have GOT to get another airplane...IMMEDIATELY". I was more than happy to relay that information to the company owner.
The rest of the certification process went relatively well, considering it IS the FAA we're dealing with. On September 15th, we became a certified US Air Carrier. There were talks of holding a reception here in the office to celebrate, inviting potential clients and news reporters to attend. None of that ever happened. I began work on brochures to distribute and ads to be published in news papers. I developed a website, brought it online and am currently maintaining it. I've had PLENTY of time to perfect my Front Page and Dreamweaver skills, as I've flown ONE revenue flight since certification.
We get plenty of phone calls, but its back to my earlier comment about a single engine airplane with low time and solid engine. The customer doesn't care about whats under the surface. They want to see 2 engines with 3 bladed props, humming along while they're riding in a nice cabin class leather interior with their refreshment center in the back. I've actually had people immediately hang up after they ask (in my best hillbilly voice) "does that thang have wun or tew enjuns?" and me replying "one". It has become obvious that we need a twin.
So the search began. We first focused on a Cessna 402. I've found some respectable ones on the market, but the insurance companies are telling us that they will only give us a hull value of approximately 130,000. Most of them on the market are going for nearly 200,000 or more due to the spar strap AD that costs 35,000. He doesn't want to go through the hassle of having a private aircraft valuation done to increase the hull value for the insurance. Then we focused on a 421. This airplane is the only one he has a viable argument against; the high maintenance and overhaul costs of the geared engines. Then we focus on a 414. He doesn't think the resale value will be there in 5 years. What the basis of his argument is, I'm not sure, but if anyone wants to let me in on some little secret, I'm all ears.
Now he's focusing on a Piper Seneca. It solves our problem of a twin, but doesn't give the customer much room to move. He actually spoke with a bank loan officer the other day (a friend of his) and asked him how he would feel about flying in a smaller twin. The reply was that he "think
Now, here's the kicker. It takes approximately 2 to 3 months to add an airplane to a certificate. The lease on the 206 is up on May 15th; just over a month and a half away. Do the math. There are 3 requirements to maintain an air carrier certificate. A pilot, a plane and a base of operations. Without either one of those, the FAA can yank the certificate and you have to start from scratch. You can bet that if that happens, I'm out of here for sure. But my question for you is this...
Do you think I'm crazy for sticking around this long? I've been told time and time again about all these great things he has planned; managing a Caravan for a high end resort, buying out a current 135 jet operator, Diamond Aircraft dealership, etc, etc...but NOTHING has come about yet. The pay is decent, but I'm doing ZERO flying. Aside from taking the airplane up a few times a week to keep it running, I'm not doing anything but sitting here browsing JC and checking my email. Since I've come here, I've accumulated 40 hours. I've gotten on as a CFI with a flying club down here, but there isn't anything going on with that. The owner of the club's aircraft is a UPS pilot and also owns a Navajo. He's said on numerous occasions that he'll call me when he's going anywhere for pleasure and I'll get the PIC time. I'm going to pay out of pocket again to go get my tailwheel endorsement and tow gliders this summer. I just want flight time right now.
I've all but ruled out the 121 world of flying. I've been exposed to 135 flying and I have to admit that I think it is my cup of tea. If I could make a respectable living by flying for a small to medium size 135 company. I don't need to drive fancy cars, live in a huge house or put a $15,000 ring on my girlfriend or wife's finger. I just want to fly nice airplanes for a living and be able to provide for a family. I've started looking around at other jobs, as I don't know how much more of this I can take. I don't have enough hours to be competitive at most 135 companies, yet I'm making decent money here and can't afford a pay cut if I go somewhere to instruct. So...thats my brick wall.
Sorry for the long winded post, but I'm hoping you guys can provide insight, encouragement or suggestions on how to deal with my situation. I remember Dough and others saying that you shouldn't be afraid to speak out here, as you never know what will come from it. This is my speaking out...
I kid I kid...
