HOURS NEEDED! JOB WANTED! I NEED TO FLY!

[Apophis]

I would want to fly a blimp! What is the average salary for a blimp pilot?

Hah! Nope, you really don't. Trust me. You don't. At all.

Flying the airship is pretty neat, and at this point, it's really the only thing I enjoy about my job anymore. The other BS you have to put up just isn't worth it. I can't speak for Goodyear or Airship Ventures (the other two airsihp companies in the U.S.), however at my job, quality of life is non-existent.

You live in hotels 340+ days out of the year, and I'm not talking about Marriotts, Hiltons, or Hyatts either. I've stayed at some pretty depressing properties in the past few months. The pay sucks for what you have to put up with on this job, and the travel just burns you out after awhile.

So what are the benefits?

Give me a couple of hours, and I might be able to think of one or two. Maybe.

 

[mikecweb]

Circumvent a few thunderstorms single engine and wear a WIA pin and we'll start talking...

 

[Apophis]

I've got a few thousand hours I'll sell ya

How much? Do you accept major credit cards?

Just kidding. At least I already have ATP minimums though.

 

[Autothrust Blue]

Hah! Nope, you really don't. Trust me. You don't. At all.

Flying the airship is pretty neat, and at this point, it's really the only thing I enjoy about my job anymore. The other BS you have to put up just isn't worth it. I can't speak for Goodyear or Airship Ventures (the other two airsihp companies in the U.S.), however at my job, quality of life is non-existent.

You live in hotels 340+ days out of the year, and I'm not talking about Marriotts, Hiltons, or Hyatts either. I've stayed at some pretty depressing properties in the past few months. The pay sucks for what you have to put up with on this job, and the travel just burns you out after awhile.

So what are the benefits?

Give me a couple of hours, and I might be able to think of one or two. Maybe.

Note that in a lot of flying jobs, the flying is the reward...so you had better damn well like to fly, as some of the stuff that comes with it can get downright difficult to deal with.

 

[Apophis]

Note that in a lot of flying jobs, the flying is the reward...so you had better damn well like to fly, as some of the stuff that comes with it can get downright unbearable.

I would agree with this. After all, I'm still employed here.

 

[Autothrust Blue]

I would agree with this. After all, I'm still employed here.

That's why I keep doing it—because the flying, and the view, outweigh the unhappiness of the being gone, getting up at 0300, ...

 

[crazyjaydawg]

I do only for the 8710. Hopefully the last one will be filled out next weekend

Last 8710? You retiring sometime soon? Even though IACRA isn't a paper 8710, the format is exactly the same. And until you retire, you will keep filling that sucker out.

 

[Cessnaflyer]

Last 8710? You retiring sometime soon? Even though IACRA isn't a paper 8710, the format is exactly the same. And until you retire, you will keep filling that sucker out.

Well once I get my ATP, I'm not expecting to do much more. Maybe get the sea or glider add-on.

 

[RICHARD5]

Cathay will hire you.

 

[cmhumphr]

Here's what you do. Instruct on the side, and become a Flight Operations intern at Ameriflight. You will occasionally fly, and if they like you enough will want to bring you back upon reaching 1200 hours. Plus you're a Cali girl so you wouldn't even have to move.

 

[z987k]

Here's what you do. Instruct on the side, and become a Flight Operations intern at Ameriflight. You will occasionally fly, and if they like you enough will want to bring you back upon reaching 1200 hours. Plus you're a Cali girl so you wouldn't even have to move.

I would recommend against that. Go get some flying experience.

 

[cmhumphr]

How is that not getting flying experience? Learning about Part 135 operations and the day to day challenges they face, potentially jumpseating and even getting some flying in yourself with the possibility of getting a job out it. I have a friend who interned at Ameriflight and said he loved it, however he did not take the full time position.

 

[z987k]

How is that not getting flying experience? Learning about Part 135 operations and the day to day challenges they face, potentially jumpseating and even getting some flying in yourself with the possibility of getting a job out it. I have a friend who interned at Ameriflight and said he loved it, however he did not take the full time position.

Well you certainly don't need to intern to get a job there, but instead of flying 50 hours a year and logging questionably logable time, she should go fly and get some real PIC experience. 135 regs are not hard. You can learn them in a day or two.

 

[Boris Badenov]

135 regs are not hard. You can learn them in a day or two.

Faster. This guy was (is?) the director of training for FLX, and whatever you think of him personally (I rather like the guy, myself), his guides to 135 are by far the best and easiest explanation of operating under 135 I've ever read. Concise, intelligent, with helpful examples. Highly recommended.

http://austincollins.com/flying.htm

 

[cmhumphr]

Well you certainly don't need to intern to get a job there, but instead of flying 50 hours a year and logging questionably logable time, she should go fly and get some real PIC experience. 135 regs are not hard. You can learn them in a day or two.

Which is why I said instruct on the side. In other words, building and gaining experience in the cockpit as well as from the intern standpoint. I agree to disagree. I'm not saying she or anyone for that matter has to intern anywhere, but when I was low time and had very little flying or real world aviation experience for that matter, my internships not only gave me college credit for school, but I was exposed to things at an early stage, and it eventually led to my first flying job. YMMV. It was a mere recommendation.

 

[ProudPilot]

I'd fly a blimb. Just gotta pay me $75k/YR plus benefits...

Heck for 90K I'd try to fly a motorized dog turd.

138K to fly RC...

 

[Stomp16]

Ohhh......Dang

 

[crazyjaydawg]

Ohhh......Dang

I see what you did there...

 

[brian434]

138K to fly RC...

Sold! Actually spoke with a company about doing it with Army units over seas and they were paying over 200k. I will be honest, I only made it through two of three interviews. Pretty glad. Something about being an unarmed civilian with a combat unit that doesn't make me feel warm and fuzzy.

 

[pierre]

If you dont get the CFII you will never get any multi instructing unless you instruct for ATP (which also requires the CFII) because most multi instructing opportunities with minimum qualifications are bigger academies (foreign contracts). MEI is useless without CFII as no one will get all that multi training and just not do the 1 OEI approach and then have "VFR only" restriction. In short, get the CFII. Someone correct me if I'm wrong about needing the II to sign off for CAMEL initial if the applicant is going to do the approach. AeroSim is hiring a bunch and you might get a deal for an added instructor rating. Curious why you went to ATP and appeared to have done everything except the easiest instrucotr checkride in their program.