Questions regarding airlines

KW

New Member
Hi everybody! I'm currently taking an aviation careers class and I was hoping that you guys could provide some assistance with a class project. Our project for the term is to put together a career plan for our first couple jobs in the aviation industry. We must then do as much background research as possible (company info, job requirements, gouge, etc.) on those companies and try to build our personal networks to get contacts who can help us in those companies. I'm psyched to get started on this, but I'm not really sure who I want to work for.

I know I want to get to the majors and fly the big iron, but I'm really not sure what path would be ideal for getting there. Obviously the first step in going to be CFI, most likely at the FBO where I'm currently flying (and there are a number of others in the area I can focus on for backups for this first step). My problem is, where to go from here? There is a life flight/charter operation at our airport that a lot of CFI's from the FBO have been going to as their next step (flying Turbo Commanders). A lot of guys also seem to go to Horizon or Skywest. I know that Horizon is known for taking guys with low time (1000tt, 100multi), but I also know that they tend to be looking for people who want to stay at Horizon.

Any suggestions? Other companies I should be looking at? I'm not very familiar with the regional airlines (in terms of who they are, what their domiciles are, what they fly, what the reqs are etc). Should I try to focus on a regional that has a pass-through agreement with one of the majors? Are there websites out there that have a lot of this kind of basic info?

Thanks in advance!
 
[ QUOTE ]
Hi everybody! I'm currently taking an aviation careers class and I was hoping that you guys could provide some assistance with a class project. Our project for the term is to put together a career plan for our first couple jobs in the aviation industry. We must then do as much background research as possible (company info, job requirements, gouge, etc.) on those companies and try to build our personal networks to get contacts who can help us in those companies. I'm psyched to get started on this, but I'm not really sure who I want to work for.

I know I want to get to the majors and fly the big iron, but I'm really not sure what path would be ideal for getting there. Obviously the first step in going to be CFI, most likely at the FBO where I'm currently flying (and there are a number of others in the area I can focus on for backups for this first step). My problem is, where to go from here? There is a life flight/charter operation at our airport that a lot of CFI's from the FBO have been going to as their next step (flying Turbo Commanders). A lot of guys also seem to go to Horizon or Skywest. I know that Horizon is known for taking guys with low time (1000tt, 100multi), but I also know that they tend to be looking for people who want to stay at Horizon.

Any suggestions? Other companies I should be looking at? I'm not very familiar with the regional airlines (in terms of who they are, what their domiciles are, what they fly, what the reqs are etc). Should I try to focus on a regional that has a pass-through agreement with one of the majors? Are there websites out there that have a lot of this kind of basic info?

Thanks in advance!

[/ QUOTE ]

Try PFT.
 
Ameriflight is a descent size 135 cargo operation around here. They hire low time guys. Just stay away from their PFT program. I believe they are hiring now.

Where do you fly out of? HIO?

[ QUOTE ]
I know that Horizon is known for taking guys with low time (1000tt, 100multi), but I also know that they tend to be looking for people who want to stay at Horizon.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep Horizon is the big regional around here there main bases are here in PDX and Seattle. United Express also flies Beech 1900's into PDX.

Hope this helps.
 
Ignore the bitter man behind the curtain.
cool.gif


Are you just trying to complete your class assignment or are you trying to formulate a real-world plan for yourself? For starters, check out the articles in JetCareers' perspectives section. See how other guys did it. As far as what other companies should you be looking at, the answer is "all of them". Focusing on only one career path, with one specific company in mind isn't very practical.
 
Your post seems like it's from 1997. There was a time when Horizon might have hired such low times...especially if it was from one of the colleges where they have a hiring agreement. I don't think Horizon has hired in a while and I'd bet they have much higher requirements when they do. Going from CFI to Turbo Commander PIC? If you can make that work, then go for it...sounds fishy to me. It sounds like your talking about Aero Air....if so, they sure have been around a long time as I remember them at HIO from the 70's.

Right now the regionals with flow throughs are being flowed back by furlouged mainliners....not a good place to go.

Sorry to be so doom and gloom. Hope whatever school your going to isn't painting an overly rosie picture for you.
 
Yeah I am flying out of HIO. The goal of the class isn't to say "I'm going to work for this company" but rather to get an idea of what we want to do with our career, and then practice the research and networking necessary to make it happen. Obviously I don't want to exclude anyone right now, I'm just trying to choose where I should start.

As for Horizon I know they have hired people in the last month or so. And I was reffering to Aero Air and I know of 3 CFIs that went from instructing to SIC in the Turbo Commander for them. I think about 6 of the CFIs here have moved on to 135 or 121 jobs in the past 12 months, so it seems like a very worthwhile class project.

Thanks for the advice!
 
Back
Top