Contract Work?

[TaterSalad]

I'm wondering how you get your name out there, or find contract work? I fly both King Air 200's as well as a Citation V (and soon, an Ultra), and have a good amount of days off, I'd like to turn those days off into some $$. I figure those are both pretty common airplanes at corporate departments, and there's some need for contract pilots occasionally.

 

[dc3flyer]

Occasionally you can find postings of jobs for contract pilots on the web. The best way to do it is to carry around a resume while your flying. You run into someone flying a King Air and you say "Hey, my name is XXXX and here is my resume. If you ever need someone to fill in or something give me a call." Something to that effect.

 

[PoeMan]

The best way to do it is to carry around a resume while your flying. You run into someone flying a King Air and you say "Hey, my name is XXXX and here is my resume. If you ever need someone to fill in or something give me a call."

:yeahthat:
When you go in for recurrent, get to know your instructors and fellow classmates. The instructors will know who needs pilots the most...

(Read this as if it was being told to you by a much wiser and older pilot, that's who told me)...
One piece of advice, do not underprice yourself. Do A LOT of research on what your rate should be. There are a lot of guys out there that do contract work as their full-time job and we (I am now a FT contract pilot) would love to fly with you sometime but not if you come in just "for some extra money". Do it like you would any job, professional and at the industry standard rates, no discounts because you had the day off anyway. (Not to lecture, just to give you the same warning about 20 guys have given me.)


Depending on the area you are in (or how much you want to travel on the airlines) there is a good deal of contract work to be had, esp in the Citation series. Get to know a few flight deptartments and don't spread yourself too thin.

Some good sites:
http://www.pilots4rent.com (I like this one, "Contract Pro 101")
http://ibacp.org/ (AND THIS ONE!)
http://www.flycontract.com

Or just google "contract pilot"

Ok, I'm off my soap box now :insane:

Good Luck

 

[mbtrebbe]

i agree on the underprice thing. The rate should actually be higher than your full time deal. The person you are flying for didnt pay for school lots of times wont have jepps in the planes and what cost more to rent a car for a week or to lease it for a year? same thing. I do some contract stuff as well and just ask around your airport. As im sure you know there are about a billion king airs and citations out there. Once you start doing some work your name will get around. I've had people call me I had never met they got my name and number from someone else.

 

[PoeMan]

The rate should actually be higher than your full time deal. The person you are flying for didnt pay for school.......I've had people call me I had never met they got my name and number from someone else.

:yeahthat:

Just saw you were in NC, I would check into FL since its just a short hop away. I tell people I'm available anywhere since I'm right here in DFW (& DAL).