Thread: Open Letter
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Old 07-27-2012, 04:33 AM
  #5  
chrisreedrules
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Joined APC: Feb 2012
Position: CRJ FO
Posts: 4,598
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I used to agree with this mode of thinking 100%... now I'm not so sure.

Many of you I assume are either already at the magical 1500 hours or have AT LEAST 500 hours. That makes finding a job a lot easier than say a wet commercial guy with 250 to 300 hours. There are so many new commercial pilots and barely any jobs. And with all the furloughing and instability at the airlines, many former-airline pilots are taking the jobs that low-time pilots once had available to them. CFI jobs are drying up (and most require a CFI/CFII/MEI plus a minimum of 500 hours), and all other facets of low-time pilot time-building jobs now have raised minimums to either 300PIC or 500TT to meet insurance requirements.

The one thing that I have noted as being a plus and maybe a little extra "foot in the door" is the response to this question: "Did you attend a 61 or 141 school"? As soon as I say a Part141, the tone of the conversation usually changes and the person on the other end of the line becomes more interested. This has happened to me numerous times.

So in terms of costs, YES Part141 schools, colleges, or academies tend to cost a little more. But if you want to find that job with less than 500TT it might just be the right move for you. The game is changing and it is getting harder. I've been to every airport within a 2 hour drive looking for a job and I've called or stopped in at every chief pilot's office I can find. Nothing. I've applied at jobs all over the country and not a word. When you have less than 500TT its hard to be taken seriously I guess.

I'm almost finished with my CFI/II training and I hope that helps to some degree in finding a job. Even though there is no money/students around here as a CFI.

But like I said, it seems like 141 or 61 makes a difference to many chief pilots. And it might just be the difference in someone finding the elusive low-time commercial job.
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