Looking for advice from veteran pilots
Hello all,
I’m basically just starting out, and I have questions about planning for flying professionally, if those with knowledge of the industry would be willing to offer their opinions.
My background in brief is that I’m a recent graduate in engineering, and I’ve been working in that field for a few months now. I also have about 130 hrs in single engine land airplanes: I have a PP certificate, several more hours that were just recreational/skills maintenance, and most of the requirements complete for an instrument rating. Both ratings are/were worked on under Part 61.
Here are my questions:
1. When does it become worthwhile/feasible/legitimate to just work on ratings full-time, and get them done very quickly? I’ve been doing my job during the week and flying on Saturdays, but progress is frustratingly slow, especially now that its winter here in the northeast. I tend to be of the opinion that flying is like exercise: you need to do it routinely in order to maintain fitness, let alone get better. I would ideally like to just get the ratings done and start instructing or building time in any way possible, but I’m not sure when this actually becomes a viable option. Any advice in this area? I'm speaking mostly from the standpoint of employment opportunities once all the ratings, etc. are complete.
2. Is a Part 141 flight school worth the cost, particularly for a commercial and/or instructor rating? I tend to think not, as my instructor under Part 61 is a retired FAA inspector who flies/teaches for the love of it: his knowledge/experience base and attitude are much greater than those of the “I’m just trying to build time” instructors you sometimes get at 141 schools. The thing is, I wonder whether 141 schools would be worth it for the connections you make: I know many of those operations hire their own graduates as instructors, and I wonder if it would appear more “professional” to prospective employers. For what it’s worth, I would probably have to do a multi-engine rating at one of those establishments regardless.
3. Is being a graduate of an AABI-accredited aviation program a very significant advantage for a prospective pilot candidate? Would I, as an engineering graduate, be considered non-committed professionally, assuming I had all the necessary ratings and such? Or would time, etc. be all that really matters?