How did you guys do it?

I am doing to the Alaska route. I got hired into the right seat of a CASA at 250tt. Now I am over 850tt,700 multi, 650 turbine, and 690 cross country.
 
scooter2525 said:
You ought want to check if flight express has the 135 VFR program.


(b) Except as provided in paragraph (a) of this section, no certificate holder may use a person, nor may any person serve, as pilot in command of an aircraft under VFR unless that person—

(1) Holds at least a commercial pilot certificate with appropriate category and class ratings and, if required, an appropriate type rating for that aircraft; and

(2) Has had at least 500 hours time as a pilot, including at least 100 hours of cross-country flight time, at least 25 hours of which were at night; and

(3) For an airplane, holds an instrument rating or an airline transport pilot certificate with an airplane category rating; or
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FLX doesn't exist anymore. It's part of Airnet.

To the OP, with your times, give Airnet a call. Can't hurt.
 
I would agree with everyone else about the MEI. I've just hit 100 multi with only about 700TT. With teaching multi I get most of my night and XC time in the twin.


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I took my degree started a company. Expanded to the need of an airplane. Bought a plane, used the plane for business. Rented twin as needed.

1520TT 109ME 980XC.
 
I understand your predicament. When I first became a CFI my school had about 10 SE aircraft and only one multi that only the most senior instructors flew. Fortunately I knew somebody on the field with a twin and he'd invite me on day trips. If I gave instruction or he practiced approaches I'd log dual given, but at a minimum usually I'd fly the leg home. Not bad but not exactly burning up the ME column of the ol' logbood.

At the time I was unattached, young and mobile and moved to one of the big academies and instructed there. WIthin 2-3 months I was doing 50-60ME/month until I was hired at a regional with a few hundred multi under my belt.

What about CapeAir? (Just came to mind). Seems like a good outfit...
 
I went to visit a couple of the big flight schools, thinking about doing what people on here were recommending. They all looked great on paper, and in talking to recruiters. I took the tour, watched their marketing video, did the interview, and was ready to sign on the line to start the next day. They said that their instructors routinely get over 80-100 hours a month.

I came back the next day and took a "discovery flight" with an instructor and talked to a few more when I was there and found things to be different than advertised. They have all hired so many instructors that they almost never get more than 25 a month, and only the senior guys (that have been instructing there more than 2 years) get the MEI students.

The worst part is that the new instructors almost always get stuck with the instrument students, which spend most of their time in the simulator, thus not logging any hours. They do not get paid for teaching ground school, and the cost of living far exceeds their pay from the school. Teaching at the school costs them more than $15k a year more than they make for food/apartment/car/gas/etc..., and many end up getting other part time jobs to make ends meet.

I am not convinced that this is still a good way to get hours. In the past it may have been great, or if you find a good place, but with the large contracts of foreign students that these schools seem to be getting, and the guaranteed jobs to anyone that completes the CFI program at the schools, there are just too many CFIs.
 
Remember when that dude on the Internet said something about being careful about job offers when you're looking at flight training institutions?
 
Yes, thats what I have heard about several of the "pilot mills". 25 hours a month isnt much.
I have looked into Cape Air. They told me to keep building time. I think it was that they want 25 multi at a minimum. Either way, whether it be MEI or Cape, looks like I might have to buy some twin time.. Id love to fly freight, but either way I still dont have 135.243 mins, so I guess the next step is building more XC time.
 
b17 said:
Yes, thats what I have heard about several of the "pilot mills". 25 hours a month isnt much.
I have looked into Cape Air. They told me to keep building time. I think it was that they want 25 multi at a minimum. Either way, whether it be MEI or Cape, looks like I might have to buy some twin time.. Id love to fly freight, but either way I still dont have 135.243 mins, so I guess the next step is building more XC time.
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Make it happen. Work days off and evenings to grab cross countries from guys that don't want to do them. Remember for 135 mins all you have to do is navigate to and land at another airport, how far away it is is irrelevant. So rather than doing touch and goes at the home drome, hop over to one or more of the nearby fields to do them.
 
elmetal said:
pretty sure they operate their caravans, navajos and acquired 210s (from FLX if I'm not mistaken, @UAL747400 ??) all single pilot.

so yeah... 135 mins...
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Yeah, I think they did do some "shady" SIC stuff in the Barons for awhile though, but as far as I know now, everything is single pilot except the Lears. I'd steer clear of that places to be honest. It's not stable. I don't think you'd ever be out of a job, but I don't think you'd stay in any one base for very long. Seems like they close and open them quite sporadically.

@msmspilot has more accurate information I'm sure.
 
b17 said:
I have been banner towing and doing the CFI thing which I like, but so far it has mainly netted me lots of total time but not much anything else. I would not trade the experiences I have had doing this type of flying for anything but, I feel like it may not be much "quality" time. I have 1050TT, and 1000 PIC, but only 205 XC, 30 night, and 50 Instrument, as well as a whopping 8.7 multi. As a CFI, since I have a lot of tailwheel time, I am mostly doing endorsements, so all of the time I'm putting in my logbook is SE, day, VFR, and its staying local. Its also very spotty schedule. So my question is, how did some of the guys that have moved up in the ranks build up their cross country and night flight times? The 50-100 multi PIC seems like it will always be tricky to get and I have no idea how to do that either. Does anyone have any advice and/or ideas? Thanks a million
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You're close. Keep our nose to the grinding stone I say. I don't know how long you've been going at it, but I did 2.5 years of UND/freelance instructing and had a whopping 1000 hours. A combo of aerial survey(For total time, night time and cross country time) and Flight Express(For multi-time) afterwards opened up most of the aviation world. Why I stayed in freight after FLX is beyond me... :D

The last 2 years, things changed/moved REALLY fast. 4.5 years total so far, getting paid to fly. It was painfully slow in the beginning though and quite unmotivating. I don't know many, if any frankly, that graduated during my time at UND(2004-2010ish) that have move quickly at all. Most are future regional furloughees and others won't see movement for at least 2 more years, if not more. Keep at it. It'll happen.
 
UAL747400 said:
Yeah, I think they did do some "shady" SIC stuff in the Barons for awhile though, but as far as I know now, everything is single pilot except the Lears. I'd steer clear of that places to be honest. It's not stable. I don't think you'd ever be out of a job, but I don't think you'd stay in any one base for very long. Seems like they close and open them quite sporadically.

@msmspilot has more accurate information I'm sure.
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First of all, the stuff Airnet does in the Barons isn't "shady SIC" stuff. They have a letter from the FAA or something like that.

Second, the policy is that all pilots are reserve pilots. If you're outstation based, that usually means not a whole terrible lot, except you might be asked to fly a special that has you away from home for a day or two. They pay per diem, hotel, often a rental car. If you're not outstation based, they'll float you all over the place. Which is a great way to make money (per diem), but is a sucky way to have a family.
Airnet did aquire FLX, and all the 210s are being operated by Airnet now.
 
Honestly?

Sheer luck, dogged persistence, and being in the right place at the right time with far less strict regulations.
 
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