Originally Posted by
tbat15
Mil helo guy turned mil big wing FW guy.
I'm looking to be able to be hired at a LCC in a few years. I'm flying heavies right now but will still have under a 1000 hrs FW time after this tour. I'm considering buying a cheap GA plane (C150/2) to possibly build a couple hundred more hours to get me over the 1000+ hump. I'm not interested in flying banners, jump, or CFI type gigs on the side. Not seeking to jump straight to one of the top tier guys but would like to skip the regionals.
In the old days anyway 100 hours/year is about the break-even point between owning and renting. If you're going to do 200+ in well under a year the math might work out, but there's an obvious risk that you could end up on the hook for a VERY large MX bill if something big breaks... like more than the plane is worth. So I'd consider the risk of being out tens of thousands vs. saving a few grand.
It was not uncommon for folks to buy light twin, when you needed 300-500 ME to get a commuter job, but they generally sweated bullets on the Mx and unloaded the thing just as soon as they got the time they needed... twice as many expensive things to go wrong.
Originally Posted by
tbat15
Would these recreational hours be a waste of time in trying to get hired at a low-tier major/LCC?
If you're otherwise competitive and just need to meet ATP mins, it might put you over the top, most civilians have plenty of ASEL time in their total. Probably need to understand what actual competitive mins are the airlines you're looking at (vice published mins). Also some ULCC are trying to avoid new-hires who are obviously in the competitive ballpark for big-six (they might like your helo time in that regard, but they might not like your mil FW).