Furlough Question/Advice

[Clocks]

One of my best friends flight instructed for a school that also did 135 on demand charter in a piper chieftan. She did this until she had 1600 and some odd hours. She then interviewed and was hired to fly right seat in a Lear 35. She may only fly once or twice a week maybe, but starting pay was around 44 grand. They may also PIC her during her next recurrent event.

Another one of my buddies (also a JC lurker!) flight instructed (I flight instructed at the same place) until he had around 2300TT. Many of the students at the flight school were from the Republic of Maldives (= paradise!) ,were going back to their country, and being hired as FO's for an airline that has Twin Otters on floats that do island hops. They were severly short on Capatains. This instructor got an interview with the company for a captains position and he went down to Florida a few weeks before his interview and got his float plane rating. Well as you may have figured out, he was hired! I think starting pay is the upper 50's to low 60's. He is the second instructor from this flight school to be hired over there. Of course this company does of the goodies...free housing transportation and etc... He is committed to a year contract though. They fly between 70 and 100hrs a month.


I have another buddy who was hired at the same small fractional company that RyanMcG was recently hired onto. He had around 1500hrs when he first was hired there. He flies right seat in a westwind, astra, and excel.


There are many oppourtunities like this out there. It's one of those deals of being in the right place at the right time. You just have to be patient.

And had meyers, or myself, continued to flight instruct instead of going to a regional with "low time" we still wouldn't be qualified for a single one of those jobs. My point was simply responding to this line: I think finding a pilot job (other than as a CFI) is going to be pretty hard for the folks that went to the airlines with 300 or 500 hours. Which simply isn't true. The same 300-500 hour pilot having stayed as a CFI instead would also be having a pretty hard time, because they would still be unqualified for anything except being a CFI.

And then there are also people like me out there who just aren't interested in flying around a chieftain or twin otters anyways, and would still be going to a different industry to wait for recall even if they did have the time.

In any case even if you missed the entire point behind my post, it should have been obvious I'm not arguing that jobs don't exist for people who CFI to 2300 hours. Having read my post might have saved you from typing a very off-topic reply.

 

[fly8slep]

A fedex captain told me to keep flying.....

 

[KLB]

And had meyers, or myself, continued to flight instruct instead of going to a regional with "low time" we still wouldn't be qualified for a single one of those jobs.

My point was simply responding to this line: I think finding a pilot job (other than as a CFI) is going to be pretty hard for the folks that went to the airlines with 300 or 500 hours.

Which simply isn't true. The same 300-500 hour pilot having stayed as a CFI instead would also be having a pretty hard time, because they would still be unqualified for anything except being a CFI.

And then there are also people like me out there who just aren't interested in flying around a chieftain or twin otters anyways, and would still be going to a different industry to wait for recall even if they did have the time.

I'm not arguing that jobs don't exist for people who CFI to 2300 hours. Please read the posts before responding.

Only one of those guys had 2300hrs. So you're telling me you'd rather fly a RJ than fly a chieftan or twin otter making 3 times more money with more days off? I'm just curious?

Annnnnd another one of my buddies, JC's very own JDE got hired where he is flying corporate at a little over 700hrs if recall.

 

[Clocks]

Only one of those guys had 2300hrs. So you're telling me you'd rather fly a RJ than fly a chieftan or twin otter making 3 times more money with more days off? I'm just curious?

Annnnnd another one of my buddies, JC's very own JDE got hired where he is flying corporate at a little over 700hrs if recall.

As soon as you stop ignoring what I write so you can make your own unrelated point, I'll respond to your questions.

 

[jtrain609]

Dude if I could find a Chieftain to fly around I'd do it in a heartbeat! I loved that airplane!

 

[KLB]

As soon as you stop ignoring what I write so you can make your own unrelated point, I'll respond to your questions.

I'm not igonoring what you write. I've even quoted your entire text. I was trying to show you guys that there are other means if you gain a little more experience. To be honest, right now you don't have the experience to do much anything...especially since there are pilots out on the streets with way more time than you have. Thats a risk that you took. Its doesn't matter if you instruct or not, you'll have to become more competitive someway. You may get called back a week after being furloughed or you may not be called back at all. Ultimately it's your decision where you go from here.

Anyway, I wish you luck and I am out.

 

[Clocks]

I'm not igonoring what you write. I've even quoted your entire text. I was trying to show you guys that there are other means if you gain a little more experience. To be honest, right now you don't have the experience to do much anything...especially since there are pilots out on the streets with way more time than you have. Thats a risk that you took. Its doesn't matter if you instruct or not, you'll have to become more competitive someway. You may get called back a week after being furloughed or you may not be called back at all. Ultimately it's your decision where you go from here.

Anyway, I wish you luck and I am out.

"Thats the risk you took". What risk? I simply did the math and disproved someone's statement. You quoted me to go on a rant about friends with 5x more hours who got corporate gigs to disprove a point I never made? Do you think I don't agree that I could CFI up to 2300 hours and get a job flying a chieftan? Did I argue against that at some point?

Anyways we are obviously talking at each other and not to each other.

 

[KLB]

"Thats the risk you took". What risk? I simply did the math and disproved someone's statement. You quoted me to go on a rant about friends with 5x more hours who got corporate gigs to disprove a point I never made? Do you think I don't agree that I could CFI up to 2300 hours and get a job flying a chieftan? Did I argue against that at some point?

Anyways we are obviously talking at each other and not to each other.

Where did I say go get 2300hrs to fly a chieftan?

1500 to 1600 hrs is a highly attainable goal. Plain and simple, there are not too many gigs that will fall into your lap like your regional gig did. As of now, you're going to have to put in a little work to get anywhere in this industry. To get the good gigs, you're got to have the experience that their looking for... Thats the point that I'm trying to get across to you.


Ok I'm really done this time. Good luck.

 

[Clocks]

Where did I say go get 2300hrs to fly a chieftan?

1500 to 1600 hrs is a highly attainable goal. Plain and simple, there are not too many gigs that will fall into your lap like your regional gig did. As of now, you're going to have to put in a little work to get anywhere in this industry. To get the good gigs, you're got to have the experience that their looking for... Thats the point that I'm trying to get across to you.


Ok I'm really done this time. Good luck.

Well my job fell in my lap because I worked as an unpaid intern for 5.5 months, but I'm sure there are a variety of opinions on that.

And everything you are saying I agree with, that's the point I'm trying to get across to you. The only thing I don't agree with is that for pure time building (i.e. "having to work to get anywhere") getting your type rating in a C152 is no better than flying for a regional. If all you want to do is check a box that says "I have 1500 hours", go to a regional if it's your thing. Or fly steep turns in the practice area if you'd prefer. Its the "oh man those 250 hour wonder kids are screwed now" mentality that lacks any substance. Anyone that started building experience at the wrong time is screwed, no matter what path they chose.

 

[dc3flyer]

Its the "oh man those 250 hour wonder kids are screwed now" mentality that lacks any substance. Anyone that started building experience at the wrong time is screwed, no matter what path they chose.

Okay, I am the one that made that comment. I don't blame you or anyone else for jumping on the chance you had. And on top of that, even I said that once you get some PIC time under your belt you will be in a competetive position, probably more so than just Joe Blow Instructor because you have proven you can pass a training class on a large turbine piece of equipment and fly the line in that equipment.

What you don't understand is what we are trying to tell you. IF, notice I said if, you want to continue flying, the chances of you getting hired somewhere else are going to be slim in today's market if you don't go get some PIC time. Total time matters, yes. And you have some, but you have to get more and you have to get a lot more PIC time. In that respect, you are behind the curve against an 800 hour instructor. In order to get that PIC time, you may have to do something you don't really want to do, such as instruct, do mapping or traffic patrol, or something. Going to work a desk job "until I get called back" may or may not work, no one knows what is going to happen in the industry. The choice is yours to make wether you want to continue your flying career.

I suggest you listen to what is being said instead of trying to argue every point that people are trying make.

 

[Clocks]

You're right. Sorry I brought up the point.

 

[FLguy]

Unless you have a seniority number at a major trying to wait out a furlough in a cubicle is not a wise career move for a lower time guy. Just ask the guys at RAH who were fired back in May and told to expect a new class "sometime around August". Many over at RP.org stated they planned to spend their summer at the beach and/or mooching off their parents until they got assigned a new class date... I'm guessing those plans didn't turn out so good and that was several months wasted that could have been spent finding another job. Keep current any way you can and if you get recalled great and if not you're still in the game. Even if it means you have to CFI in Indiana in the middle of winter. anic: