Originally Posted by
Omnivorous
Hello, everyone. I've been reading the forum for a couple years but have never posted. Figured it's time to break the silence and present the issue that so many of you guys and gals have dealt with in the past.
I'm a flight instructor a 141 associated with a university in the Midwest, finishing my degree this May. I've got my apps in with several regionals and meet the mins for XJT, Trans States and ...Eagle. 700TT, 60ME, CFI, CFII, MEI. I've got several friends at Eagle and Pinnacle as well as XJT who went through the same program, served their time instructing, etc.
What advice do you have for someone in my shoes? I have not received any interview offers (probably because I'm not available until May ...graduation, blah blah bah, not to mention the low time) but hope to soon.
Any words of wisdom?
I was in a similar situation to you almost 3 years ago. I graduated from a midwestern university with all my certificates, ratings and a BS degree and hiring was dry as the Sahara. Even my own school, which hired its own normally could only find a part time position for me getting only a few hours a week. Here's the thing: 2 years later I was getting calls from regionals and ultimately hired.
The thing is, this industry changes SO violently. Just a few years prior to that, airlines were hiring with simply wet commercials. Yet right now, things are kinda slow. Not too many regionals hiring anymore. I think XJet and Skywest may be doing some hiring but that too is slowing down. Give it another year or so and you will be working for an airline. I would bet a bottle of beer on it.
So, from someone who was in your situation here is my advice: Get the multi-engine time above all else and avoid questionable sources (SIC in a king air that doesnt require an SIC, safety piloting, back seat MEI time, etc). When the airlines start hiring again, and they will, most of the time multi-engine time is the limiter. Especially if you have a CFI, you'll probably have over 1000 hours, but that doesnt matter if you only have 60 hours multi. So again, get that multi-engine time.
Also, network. It's not to useful to get an airline job since a lot of times airline jobs are "Do you meet the mins? Not too many busted checkrides/skeletons in the closet? Can someone spend 4 days with you? HIRED" (Yes, oversimplified but hey...). Networking is needed to break into corporate or other part 91 flying.
I will counter some advice given earlier: do NOT jump at the first airline that offers you a job without some serious thinking. What is reserve like? Where are their bases? How is the commute if you must commute (which I would advice NOT too)? What is morale like at the company?
You can generally expect pay to be around the same for the first year at most places. To me, pay was one of the LEAST important things. QOL was WAY more important to me: picking an airline that had a base I was likely to get where I lived.
Well, thats all I got for you now. Take it all with a grain of salt because my motives are likely to be different than yours.
Hang in there. It's a ride.
Edit: one more piece of advice: Limit our time here on APC. The negativity abounds (But thats what makes APC, APC).