not a good month for Airbus

[Enduro]

First, the Airbus A330 of Air France goes down in the Atlantic; then, this - an A310.

40mph hour winds are nasty, but isn't that within the capabilities of a plane of this size? 

<edit>  Looks like the problem is more with the airline than the airplane in this case.  Still, hate to see another big bird go down.

[Strip]

Two words.....

Pilot error.....

Anyone want to bet the cause of this disaster?

[Enduro]

I couldn't bet against it.  Happens all too often.  But, I'd prefer to assume that the pilots were meeting their obligations as professionals until the investigation proves me wrong.

[Golfer]

Two words.....

Pilot error.....

Anyone want to bet the cause of this disaster?

Don't let any facts get in your way or anything. Useless and baseless speculation is clearly the way to go.

[Enduro]

Don't let any facts get in your way or anything. Useless and baseless speculation is clearly the way to go.

Gonna hijack my own thread here.

Golfer, how is the pilot's job market looking to you?  Word has been that there is a shortage of pilots.  Last week, though, my brother lost his 2nd gig as a corporate pilot when the charter company (based in central Cali) lost its contract.  Seems stable jobs are hard to come by. 

Are things better in the airlines or maybe other parts of the country?

[Golfer]

Nothing is good anywhere.  There's no shortage of pilots and there never really was.  Airlines are in turmoil, more furloughs are coming and with all the talk of a half dozen different prospective mergers not looking up.

There are a few jobs here and there in business aviation and overall things are picking up from almost nothing 6 months ago.  This is mostly because the folks who always will have money are traveling again.  Some companies are climbing out of their foxholes realizing that there's still money to be made and they're up which isn't saying much because there wasn't much more down to go.

I ran out of fingers and toes counting the number of departments that have shut down in the last year at which I personally know people.  It's downright scary the number of people who have qualifications and experience that eclipse my own that can't find a job.  If I lost mine I'm not sure exactly where or what I'd do.  All the negative press business aviation was receiving for a few months (and still get) sure as hell didn't help.  Seemed our esteemed leaders in Washington were hell bent on shutting down business aviation at times which was frustrating.

For now I have a job.  That's about all there is to say. If you have cash now is the time to buy an airplane that's for sure.

[Enduro]

Thanks for the insider's opinion.  Hang in there, Golfer!  I'm glad you're still flying.  <S>

[SWrokit]

Did they ever find the flight recorders for the Air France flight?

<S>
Rokit

[Denholm]

As far as I'm aware, no.

[SFRT - Frenchy]

Nothing is good anywhere.  There's no shortage of pilots and there never really was.  Airlines are in turmoil, more furloughs are coming and with all the talk of a half dozen different prospective mergers not looking up.

There are a few jobs here and there in business aviation and overall things are picking up from almost nothing 6 months ago.  This is mostly because the folks who always will have money are traveling again.  Some companies are climbing out of their foxholes realizing that there's still money to be made and they're up which isn't saying much because there wasn't much more down to go. (Image removed from quote.)

I ran out of fingers and toes counting the number of departments that have shut down in the last year at which I personally know people.  It's downright scary the number of people who have qualifications and experience that eclipse my own that can't find a job.  If I lost mine I'm not sure exactly where or what I'd do.  All the negative press business aviation was receiving for a few months (and still get) sure as hell didn't help.  Seemed our esteemed leaders in Washington were hell bent on shutting down business aviation at times which was frustrating.

For now I have a job.  That's about all there is to say. (Image removed from quote.) If you have cash now is the time to buy an airplane that's for sure.

+1

Granteed there are pilot jobs out there ... for less than $30,000/year gone 6 days a week.

[AKHog]

If you have cash now is the time to buy an airplane that's for sure.

Thats for sure. I really wish I could find some partners where I live to just go in on a 152, I need some hours!

I have about 250 hours, commercial rating with instrument, working on my CFI. Currently I'm taking a break from my CFI though because I was putting the training on a credit card and I really don't see any job opportunities anywhere near where I live for instructors. No reason to go into debt with no possibility of a job I figure.

Jobs for pilots with less than 1000 hours seem extremely difficult to find, less than 500 hours and it seems totally impossible. I'm literally willing to move anywhere and fly anything for just about any amount of pay, just to get hours in my log book, but I can't find anything. In one situation I even offered to fly a Light Sport in a commercial tow operation for FREE just to get hours, no dice.

It seems like right now in aviation I'm at the impossible hurdle, where I need at the least another 250 hours in my log book to even apply for entry level jobs, but with no obvious way to get those hours. 

My advice for anyone wanting to make aviation a career, unless your parents are rich or you are getting a huge trust fund, forget about it. I don't see how its possible. I've spent my entire adult life trying to make it happen, and now all I have is 10 years experience working as a bike mechanic, a pitiful 250 hours in my log book, and not one real opportunity on the horizon. 

[Shuffler]

My uncle retired from delta back in 96 I think it was. He has not flown since. He says most of the pilots they hire these days are not up to snuff.

[Enduro]

Hang in there, AKHog.  You were smart to hold off on CFI right now.  Who in the hell has money to learn to fly today?  hehe  Don't give up, though.  You're already 1/2 way there.  It's great that you're willing to go anywhere to fly pretty much anything; although, I hope you get paid for your effort.  

What kind of networking do you do?  For my brother, getting started was aaaaaaaaaaaaaaall about networking.  Even now that his corporate ride is gone, he's networking with a group of pilots to pull in whatever opportunity he can.  In many industries, success is just a matter of who you know.

Be the best at what you do.  I've heard comments, like Shuffler's, that the quality of entry-level airman has slipped.  If you can be smarter, more precise and more flexible than the typical new hire, I should think you would compete well.