Originally Posted by sgrd0q
I call this the 3000-Hour-CFI syndrome. It hurts me to see these guys working for peanuts accumulating worthless single engine time. It happens all the time. Not enough multi engine time, and barely enough money to survive let alone rent a multi engine plane. It typically happens at small shoddy FBOs that don't have any multi engine planes for instruction.
Very sad.
I pushed a friend of mine who had a ton of total time to get that elusive 100 hour multi time and apply to the regionals. He did, got hired, and then quit saying he couldn't live in a strange place away from home and the money was less than what he made being a CFI. So he went back to being a CFI.
I guess you have to know what you want and you have to have a plan and you have to pursue your plan at all costs. Most people don't though. It's a combination of inertia, apathy and resignation. Sad indeed.
This industry is hard and the times are harder still. But I don't get the CFI for life guy, or the FO at Eagle for life guy. There are better alternatives. Maybe it is worth pausing for a moment and reflecting on what the options are. What is the best route to the Majors?
Sometimes staying put pays off. I have a friend who has been at the same flight school for 15 years now. When he got hired all they had was a few 152's and a 182, now they have 7 Learjets and 2 challengers. The company stopped flight instruction 8 years ago. I called him an idiot for staying.
I have another friend who was a Cherokee 6 pilot in AK for 7 years. No twin time at all. He got hired at Alaska airlines over many others since HR liked his stability as an employee. Go figure....
SkyHigh