Pilots

[Dnil]

Gixer, maybe its that way in NZ but the regionals here are starting to hire like crazy.  Many more civilian trained pilots are now on the paid ranks.  It takes more work but can be done.  Get you CFI and off you go building hours, then get your multi and build that to 250-500 and you are golden.

Key is to go to a decent program, preferably a college based one.

[GreenCloud]

im in for about 5k....

42 hours

it also included ground school


but i havent flown since gas prices rised so much..


DRILL THRU THE GODAM REINDEERS HEAD IN ALASKA DAMMIT

[Gixer]

Originally posted by Dnil
Gixer, maybe its that way in NZ but the regionals here are starting to hire like crazy.  Many more civilian trained pilots are now on the paid ranks.  It takes more work but can be done.  Get you CFI and off you go building hours, then get your multi and build that to 250-500 and you are golden.

Key is to go to a decent program, preferably a college based one.

And you have experience in the aviaition industry? Get your CFI,Multi,IFR,ATPL and go build some hours, have you looked at the price of that? Not ot mention the price of multi engine turbine time.

250-500 hours I don't know of any regional airlines that would employ anyone with that, maybe you could get some GA and Bush work. But flying regional airlines?

Most Airlines have a stack of resumes and unless your hours are over 1000 they have no need to look at it.

I'm only familiar with Helicopter industry and under 1000 hours turbine time work is scarce. Operators won't even look at you unless your over 1000 hours and the good jobs don't start till 3000 hour plus.

Grim outlook but it's realisitc. Get tired of hearing CFI's selling flight training and saying yes get this,this and this and after 200 hours and with some hard work you'll be flying for AA, dosn't work that way.



...-Gixer

[SunTracker]

Best way to go is through the military if your looking to having a career as a pilot. Unless you have strong contacts in the industry I would think long and hard about doing pilot training unless your just looking at PPL.

Actually, here in the U.S. its very hard to get into a military aviation program.  The military takes only the best and brightest.

[mjolnir]

True, it's hard to get into the military program, but you just can't beat the price.  I just pinned on AF wings last week, for a grand cost of $0.00.    Now granted, it took 6 years of hard work and I owe ten more now that I've finished training, but it's worth it to fly some of the coolest planes in the world.

[B17Skull12]

This was at corona airport about a few months ago.  the price may have gone up, but what makes it cheap is the fact that Corona has the Cheapest gas in all socal area airports.

[jigsaw]

Originally posted by Muckmaw1
What is so different about a C-152 to a C-172 from a standpoint of training that would warrant another $800 to $1600 over a training course?

I fly the PA-28 so I really have no idea but I thought the C-152 was a basic version of the 172 but with 2 seats.

Whats a C-172 2000?

Usually people that step up from a 152 to an (older) 172 do so because of height or weight.  I can't sit comfortably in a 152 at all. Secondary factor would be performance as a 172 has quite a bit bigger engine.

C-172 2000, I'm guessing they're talking about an R or S model.
A lot of people jump in those because "They're pretty" and have newer radio stacks, gps, etc.  For the majority of your private training, a well maintained older model is fine and less expensive.
Might be worth it to step up to a newer model once you start doing cross country so you can play with all the pretty stuff, but definitely wont make or break your training.

Since Cessna doesn't make the 152 any more, they're harder to get parts for and a lot of places are phasing them out. Same thing with 172RG (retractable gear).

[Rino]

Originally posted by LLv34 Jarsci
You´re serious about those prices? Does it include flying hours or do you have to pay them also?

Because PPL (private pilots license) costs about 9k€ in Finland and for Instrument rating , you have to have 100 hours logged. Maybe 10 k€.

In our club we have pretty cheap price per hour, about 90€/h.

But whew I want to move there if flying is so cheap around there!!!

     You'd be truly amazed at the number of european pilots that
come over here to train and build hours.

[Dnil]

Gixer, I worked for American Eagle scheduling new pilots into training.  Basically I was their daddy for 3 weeks.  We had one guy with a TOTAL time of 800 hours, guy still had a bad case of acne he was so young.  He was sitting in class with B-1 pilots.

250-500 MULTI engine time is the baseline with 1k to 1500 total time to get picked up by a regional.  You can find these numbers on most pilot sites.  Helicopter is a whole different beast.  It sucks.  My brother in law who flies for delta was a UH-1N pilot in the marines and during a recent furlough flew oil rig flights, blech what a crap assignment.  

My total training as a civilian is around 45k.  Luckily I am a Texas veteran and it all gets picked up by the state of Texas.  I already had my private before I started the program.   Most of the instructors at the school are former students and once they have emassed enough hours usually flow through to the regionals.  Had 2 more hired just this week.  1 to Eagle and another to continental.  With money it can be done.

[cpxxx]

Originally posted by Rino
You'd be truly amazed at the number of european pilots that
come over here to train and build hours.

Second that, I spent six happy weeks flying around Tennessee, Arkansas, Missisippi and Alabama building hours and working on my Instrument Rating.  Great days. At the time the little town of Bolivar TN was like a mini United Nations, Swedes, Finns, Brits, Norwegians, Spanish, French, Irish even Californians.  

Flying in America is definitely to be recommended.  I remember in 2000 I could rent a Cessna 150 for $35 an hour solo.

[SunTracker]

Now granted, it took 6 years of hard work and I owe ten more now that I've finished training, but it's worth it to fly some of the coolest planes in the world.

Wow, congrats.  Hope they dont put you in some boring plane like the C-130, C-17, C-141 or C5a.

Its hard to beat civilian acrobatic planes like the Pitts or Suhkois.  The next step up from those planes (in terms of excitement) would be an F-16.

[jigsaw]

Originally posted by SunTracker
Wow, congrats.  Hope they dont put you in some boring plane like the C-130, C-17, C-141 or C5a.

Its hard to beat civilian acrobatic planes like the Pitts or Suhkois.  The next step up from those planes (in terms of excitement) would be an F-16.

I'd take a job flying any of the planes on your boring list in a heartbeat.

As for the acro planes, there's a saying that I read somewhere that goes something like;

"You can't break the sound barrier in an Extra, but you can't Lomcevak a F-16"

Don't remember where I read that. Extra 300 is an amazing plane btw. Breath on the stick and it'll snap over.

[Chaos68]

How would you build up hours?  Do you just pay the rental of the plane and fuel and go?

How many hours would i need for a private?

[cpxxx]

People only really build hours after their Private as they work towards their Commerical. Basically it's just cross country flying and having fun.  There is nothing quite like turning up an airport with a fully fueled aircraft ready to go and thinking : 'Where will I go today?'  Doing this in the USA  is very popular with European pilots. It's cheaper and the weather in places like Texas and Florida is very consistent particularly compared to typical claggy European weather.  

Hours: Minimum is 40 for an private, 30 for a recreational.  It usually takes longer, 60 hours is common. 70, 80 even 100 is common too. If you do a full time course it  might take less time.  It just depends on your ability and how long a time it takes for you get the hours done. I had two six month gaps in my training (money, money). So I had to re learn a lot and it pushed up my hours. That's very common.

[Gixer]

Don't think I've ever thought of a C130 as being something boring to fly.





...-Gixer