The hard part ...

pilot602

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OK so I've got my commercial and I'm working on my CFI ratings ... but this is the hard part. I know I've been told this many times before but ... getting from the 250/300hrs for commercial to that "magic" 1,000hrs is looking to be more brutal that you can imagine when you're under that 250 mark. How the hell do you do it without going insane? (rhetorical)
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Just keep plugging away I guess ...

On another note: I finished the CFI Gleim book this weekend ... now for countless hours of practice tests! woo hoo.

[pointless.ranting/off]
 
Actually pilot602, you have the easy part!! A lot of us on this board would kill for the 300 multi hours you have!! So I don't want to hear your whining and complaining!!!
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As far as how to get the 1000 hours after commercial.....that's easy!!! Get your CFI and instruct. It's working out for me so far. I started instructing a few months ago and have almost 200 hours of dual given so far!! Hopefully the trend will continue and I'll have my 1000 within a year or so.
 
No kidding. It'll be easy to not go crazy when you have your own Apache. Get your CFI and suck it up like everyone else. Also, where are you going with 1000hrs? More like 1500-2000 hours these days...
 
A) I wasn't whining.

B) Owning an aircraft is not, in any way shape or form as great as one might think. Have you (the universal "you" not directed specifically at "Tired") had to deal with insurance carriers? Annual inspections? 100hr ADs? And the hundreds of various other problems that are bound to show up? When the Apache is down I can't fly (it doesn't make sense to go rent an aircraft wihle yours is in the shop). As a renter I'd just "move" to the next aircraft on the line.

C) Flying around for 1,000 hours or 1,500 or whatever in the Apache is, essentially, useless - as most employers want to see time built while operating for someone else, for hire. So it's not just as easy as going out and flying.

D) I am getting my CFIs and I'm looking forward to instructing.

The point of the post was to just get some discussion going on the topic - hence the "rheotrical" remark after the question of "how to do it." I'm not complaining, I'm not looking for shortcuts and even though people may not believe me "300hrs of multi time" is utterly useless to me right now.

All of the jobs I have the hours for are all single engine ops or require that "1,000" hours (a general benchmark .. not talking litereally here). With that in mind, my multi-commercial ticket and my multi-time along with 50 cents will buy me a Coke from the machine in the FBO lobby when it comes to finding work/applying for single engine jobs.
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I think with your CFI-single engine and over 300 TT you shouldnt have any trouble getting an instructing job.
 
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I think with your CFI-single engine and over 300 TT you shouldnt have any trouble getting an instructing job.

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I wouldn't either - but I don't have a single-commercial ticket or CFI.

I'm working on my MEI as my initial (for reasons unique to my situation).

I'm under no illusion of being able to find work with the MEI but for me it makes sense to get it and the II first then pick up the single engine stuff and then realistically be in a position to start instructing on a regular basis.
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B) Owning an aircraft is not, in any way shape or form as great as one might think.

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True, but you do have a nice advantage over your fellow newly minted commerical ticket holders. Getting to 1000 hours TT isn't really that hard compared to the battle most people go through in order to get 100-200 multi.
 
Oh, I know. I'm not complaining about my situation in the least (nor am I trying to brag).

But this is the hard part (for anyone). Almost anybody can do the work and get a commercial. It's just these next 700-1,000 hours that are the hard part ... meaning this is where a lot of folks get washed out for one reason or another; money, determination, desire, timing, etc. And outside of instructing there aren't a lot of options to build that time.
 
I think getting the 1000 TT is easy. You can instruct full/part time and get there relatively easy. It's getting multi time that is the hard part.
 
1,000 hours? Heck, I'm having problems breaking the 200 hour mark right now!

Cheers


John Herreshoff
 
Once you get your MEI, would you consider instructing in the Apace? Could you sell the Apache and get a Warrior or something that you could use for PPL's and IFR's? I've owned quite a few different planes, never anything bigger than a 172. I know the PA23 is an expensive plane to operate and maintain but I don't think that translates to aircraft ownership for the free-lance CFI being a bad idea. Few folks are in a position to instruct in their own plane but for those who are, I think it's the way to go.
 
Amen, John!!
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I'm sittin' pretty (ugly?) around 170 with my PPMEL/I checkride looming... then the Comm/SEL and Comm/MEL back to back.

I should complete all of my ratings (through CFI/CFII/MEI) with ohhhhh - a whoppin' 25 MEL time.
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and 270+ SEL time.

It's than next 700-1000 that I'm looking forward to and wondering where the "magical" extra 75-125 MEL time is going to come from.

Ah - but it'll be fun, huh? I literally cannot wait!!!
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Don't sweat it 602, there's a lot of us in that same boat (plane?). It's good to look ahead, but sometimes (and I'm VERY guilty of doing this too) putting the perverbial "cart before the horse" can be overwhelming.

Believe me - I live it every day/week/month.

R2F
 
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Once you get your MEI, would you consider instructing in the Apace?

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Well ... I would but I think it's the insurance that would kill us/me. Just insuring the aircraft itself is getting to be an artform (in large part due to its age - other aircraft like it are becoming harder and harder to insure. Hell, there are some older model 310s that are simply uninsurable!).

I am going to give my brother his ratings - he's a private single/multi right now and I'll just be giving him Instrument and commercial - (this is one of the big/only reasons why I'm doing MEI/II first) and then while we're working on that I'll get my single-engine stuff (I may have access to a tri-pacer on a "trade for time" deal but not sure) out of the way. I'm aiming at the end of the year to have everything (MEI [or CFI-AMEL], MEI-IA, CASEL, CFI-ASEL) finished.

I'd like to hold on to the Apache but we've already considered/talked (not very seriously, mind you) about selling it off for a super-nice Champ or Luscombe or 140, etc. and giving instruction out of that.

Overall ownership is great but it's not as easy as some might assume. There are benfits and drawbacks just like anything else. But I agree, in a perfect world I'd give instruction out of my own aircraft.


R2F - I know ... I do it too sometimes. I look at the "end" and just wonder how in the hell I'll ever get there. But then I look back and realize how far I've come and that if I keep on keepin' on the end will get here sooner than I think.
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Teaching in your Apache would be ideal but I believe you're looking at around $1200/month insurance. If you can swing that, all the more power to ya!!!
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