Originally Posted by
250 or point 65
How long does it take to wash one plane? An hour? That means he's paying you $100+/hr? That doesn't make sense. Not calling BS on your story, but I would guess the OP would have a hard time finding someone willing to just dish out flight time in exchange for something he could pay min wage for.
It makes sense. I was surprised, but getting a plane washed at an FBO can be over $100 and it takes about 30 minutes. Waxing it can make it go to $400. Also, it does not cost the owner $100 an hour to fly. Direct operating costs are usually around $50-$80 for most light aircraft. Only FBOs that want to make money charge $100+ an hour
Originally Posted by
SkyHigh
How do you build flight time? One miserable hour at a time.
Dig in, get depressed and set your expectations for a long year after year grind.
Skyhigh
I wish I could get into the grind! I would love to fly for peanuts (on a side note, there is a lot of talk about pilot unity and not accepting low wages for any type of flying once you have your commercial, but it would be pretty hard for me to demand more money from some banner towing company when they are already cutting me a break on their minimums), but insurance companies are killing me. I am able train students to fly a twin down to minimums in 10-15 hours, give some teen the right to fly alone after 20 hours, and ferry an airplane across the country, but the local news channel wont trust me to fly a 150 in an area I know like the back of my hand until I have 1200 hours.
Originally Posted by
UnlimitedAkro
Don't waste your money, this career is not what is used to be. Find another career.
Already started the process for ATC but that will take two years, and have a pilot slot in the USAF (but medical problems are making me think that option is about to end). It would be really depressing to end my flying career before it ever got off the ground. Some would say that would be the best, but I at least want to give it a few years.
Originally Posted by
UAL T38 Phlyer
He flew J-3s doing pipeline-patrol, I think 5 days a week, 8 hours a day, 4 and a half weeks per month, for multiple decades....maybe 30 years. I think that would be Part 91, and I think he retired when he was in his early 60s.
I would love to do that, but no company I have come across who has invested that much money in an aircraft is going to let someone with less than 1000 fly it no matter if they are 91, 135, or 121, and if they did, their insurance company would not let them. It is just kind of strange to me that it would be easier for me to go to a regional to build time so that I can then qualify to fly a 150 for the news.
Thanks for the help. I know there are bigger problems in the industry than me not being able to build time, but thanks a lot for the input.