Looking to the future...

[Xcaliber]

I've been looking to the future a lot lately, as the internship that I am currently in will be over here in about 6 months or so. At the end of this internship, I should be on a very strong financial footing. I'm guessing I'll have something close to the following hours. They could very well be a lot higher or lower, this is a best guesstimate:

800 TT
230 Multi, 200 of that C560 SIC
400 PIC, 120 of that C208
150 dual given

I already meet 135 VFR PIC minimums, but I will obviously be pretty far from the 135 IFR PIC minimums. My ideal 'next step' would be to work for a charter gig that would have me flying several different types of aircraft, such as a light twin, a King Air, and a Citation/Lear, all around the country. (I love flying the citation, but I don't think I could do JUST that anytime soon. I like having variety :crazy. If I find something like that that doesn't pay me in beans, I could do that for several years.

I guess my question/discussion starter is how does one go about finding and getting a job like this? Are there places out there that would hire someone like me who they could only use for VFR flights or as an SIC? I also don't know if I'd be able to just up and leave the north midwest if I didn't know I had a job elsewhere. So...what options are there? What questions should I be asking myself?

 

[falconvalley]

I've been looking to the future a lot lately, as the internship that I am currently in will be over here in about 6 months or so. At the end of this internship, I should be on a very strong financial footing. I'm guessing I'll have something close to the following hours. They could very well be a lot higher or lower, this is a best guesstimate:

800 TT
230 Multi, 200 of that C560 SIC
400 PIC, 120 of that C208
150 dual given

I already meet 135 VFR PIC minimums, but I will obviously be pretty far from the 135 IFR PIC minimums. My ideal 'next step' would be to work for a charter gig that would have me flying several different types of aircraft, such as a light twin, a King Air, and a Citation/Lear, all around the country. (I love flying the citation, but I don't think I could do JUST that anytime soon. I like having variety :crazy. If I find something like that that doesn't pay me in beans, I could do that for several years.

I guess my question/discussion starter is how does one go about finding and getting a job like this? Are there places out there that would hire someone like me who they could only use for VFR flights or as an SIC? I also don't know if I'd be able to just up and leave the north midwest if I didn't know I had a job elsewhere. So...what options are there? What questions should I be asking myself?

Your best bet is to network. Get cards made with your name and hand them out like candy. If the market isn't back to normal in 6 months, you're not gonna find a ton of VFR 135 <1200 out there. It's there, but not extremely common. So, getting your name out there is great for finding gigs. That's how I got work at less than 1000 hours when the market sucked. I actually cleaned a King Air and a Citation for 6 months until the company I worked for needed someone to sit right seat one day. The copilot got sick and went home. I drove home and got my suit and ended up part-timing for about 7-8 months. I flew 3-5 days a week! Anyways, NETWORK aggressively!

 

[SFCC/UND]

Pacific wings might hire you with VFR mins. But there is some forms on jetcareers if you do a search, who are in the same situation.

 

[Number1atNumber2]

It's going to be pretty brutal for the next few months to a year. Although the C560 time and C208 will help, you really need the 135 IFR minimums. So, like others have said, network as much as you can. I know guys that have their type in Lears with over a year's worth of PIC Lear time that cannot find jobs right now, even as an SIC.
I'm not saying there aren't jobs right now, but you will need to be in the right place at the right time. VFR 135 jobs are pretty rare. Like Falconvalley said: get business cards, and say with aviation related jobs, even if it's line service or cleaning planes.

 

[Xcaliber]

Well, I guess I'd better get started with you guys, then. Any of you need an extra hand around the plane???

Thanks for the remarks. I know networking is the way this business runs, and I already have a few good connections that might end up somewhere (who knows). But that's a great idea with the cards, I really need to get those made up sooner rather than later.