Your first commercial hour logged...

ahw01

ahw01

Well-Known Member
What did it feel like getting paid to fly for the first time? The first time you carried divers or solo freight or charter etc - how many hours did you have then - did it pay more or less than you earn now :whatever:

Was everyone Comm+IR+ME or did you get your Comm, and then earn while adding other ratings?

Alex.
 
I am going to say, "it's about time", but I had no special feelings really. I was just wet behind the ears and still trying to learn.


First paid as a CFI down in Florida.
 
What's 'scarier' your first hour of dual given or your first hour with passenger(s) as a PPL? I remember the first proper flight I did from SDL to DVT and back (via the senic route) with one passenger on the way there and 2 on the way back...

Alex.
 
My first ppl pax was a friend in the AF. It didn't occur to me that he'd not want to eat 2 bowls of cheesy potatoes before we went up. Sure enough after flying 40 minutes to Atlantic City, as we're over the water he let loose. It was a long ride back...

My first paid flight was as a flight instructor (350TTish). My student was a young girl who wasn't old enough to solo, but had tons of hours from just coming out to fly once in a while. That was easy! Just go up and fly! I was excited. I probably sounded just like a kid blabbing away.
 
ahw01 said:
What's 'scarier' your first hour of dual given or your first hour with passenger(s) as a PPL? I remember the first proper flight I did from SDL to DVT and back (via the senic route) with one passenger on the way there and 2 on the way back...

Alex.
Click to expand...
First hour of dual given, easily.


My first paid hour felt pretty damn good.
 
Really? I'd have thought dual was fine, as the CFI checkride would've filled your brain to the brim, and you're already a ca 300hr pilot.

As a 50hr PPL, taking pax should be a different prospect, though it depends on proficiency I guess...
 
For my first hour of instruction given, I walked out to the plane with a girl who'd flown a few times before but hadn't solo'd yet. I distinctly remember thinking to myself, "I can't believe they're letting me do this!" The flight went well and I learned I love teaching though.

For my first commercial gig, I honestly can't remember what I did. I assume I ferried a plane to a maintenance shop for my flight school or something unremarkable like that.

My first flight flying skydivers was just weird. I had maybe 1100 or 1200 hours at the time. The owner of the drop zone knelt on the floor next to me in the C-182. I thought, "Geeze, this guy is pretty trusting. No seat, no control yoke, I haven't even showed him my certificates, and he trusts me to fly him around!"

We did a couple takeoffs and landings, climbed a few thousand feet up, he showed me some engine management stuff and how to open and close the door by myself, then asked me to take him across the field at 4000 AGL. As we crossed over, he yelled, "You think you can handle it? Ok, good. See you on the ground!" and dove out the door. I wasn't expecting that at all. It was a weird feeling watching a person fall away. Now when I see that sight I'm just jealous, wishing it was me!
 
Unfortunately my first flight as an Instructor was instructing/134 1/2.
I was young and dumb with a wet certificate.
"Doug, this guy is looking for complex training. While you are doing that, fly him over to xyz so he can pick up his plane from the shop. You will be coming back solo..."

"first paid flight" is in the remarks section for that flight.

The good news is that I learned quickly that it is only me alone that is looking out for my certificates and turned down subsequent much more illegal flights (mx, weather, 134 1/2).

The flight was not scary though.
 
First pay check for flying was about 2 weeks ago. I still can't believe they pay me to do this! :rawk: This is definitely the right career for me:bandit:
 
jrh said:
then asked me to take him across the field at 4000 AGL. As we crossed over, he yelled, "You think you can handle it? Ok, good. See you on the ground!" and dove out the door. I wasn't expecting that at all.
Click to expand...

I found that part to be pretty funny. Good story to have to tell!
 
jrh said:
We did a couple takeoffs and landings, climbed a few thousand feet up, he showed me some engine management stuff and how to open and close the door by myself, then asked me to take him across the field at 4000 AGL. As we crossed over, he yelled, "You think you can handle it? Ok, good. See you on the ground!" and dove out the door. I wasn't expecting that at all. It was a weird feeling watching a person fall away. Now when I see that sight I'm just jealous, wishing it was me!
Click to expand...


Very cool story! Could be somewhat anecdotal.
 
ISP to PSF. Paid to bring some pilots back to base after dropping off a Hawker 800. Pilot kept giving me crap on the way back saying, "Jesus these things only have one engine? Is this thing safe? What does this do?" Hehe.

Great time
 
My first flight as a CFI was one I will never forget. I only had 250 hours in the logbook after doing a Part 141 zero to hero program. My student was a 15 year old kid on a discovery flight with his dad in the back seat, and his mom waiting anxiously on the ground. We went up for 30 minutes in a brand new C-172 SP. The awesome sense of responsibility really hit me during this flight. Nothing could have really prepared me for that. I brought everyone back safely and they seemed to have a good time. All in all it was a good experience.
 
jrh said:
...then asked me to take him across the field at 4000 AGL. As we crossed over, he yelled, "You think you can handle it? Ok, good. See you on the ground!" and dove out the door. I wasn't expecting that at all. It was a weird feeling watching a person fall away. Now when I see that sight I'm just jealous, wishing it was me!
Click to expand...
Did he take the keys?
 
Pretty damn good

I remember it was my standardization with the chief instructor and all I could think about during the flight was how I wasn't going to have to pay for it.... and I was getting paid

:)
 
I taxied an airplane from the maintenance hangar to the ramp while I was on the clock before I had my commercial. Not very exciting.

First dual given flight wasn't as interesting as I though except I let us get pretty far from the airport and the flight back took like 30 minutes.

The first commercial flight I had there was the chief pilot and we just flew the route empty. I remember feeling satisfied that I was actually getting something out of my certificates.
 
First revenue flight was carrying out supplies to a frozen lake for a season of hauling smelly dead fish.

28 cents a mile flown.
 
ahw01 said:
What did it feel like getting paid to fly for the first time? The first time you carried divers or solo freight or charter etc - how many hours did you have then - did it pay more or less than you earn now :whatever:

Was everyone Comm+IR+ME or did you get your Comm, and then earn while adding other ratings?

Alex.
Click to expand...

I believe it was an intro flight as a flight instructor.

I probably crapped my pants.
 
ahw01 said:
What's 'scarier' your first hour of dual given or your first hour with passenger(s) as a PPL? I remember the first proper flight I did from SDL to DVT and back (via the senic route) with one passenger on the way there and 2 on the way back...

Alex.
Click to expand...

First hour of dual given hands down.
 
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