Do regionals prefer CFI or survey pilots?
04-23-2016, 05:38 PM
#1
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Do regionals prefer CFI or survey pilots?
When a regional is hiring a pilot, who is more likely to get hired: someone who has spent 1200 hours doing real-world survey work, or someone who has spent 1200 hours instructing? 
04-23-2016, 05:42 PM
#2
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Everyone gets an offer in today's hiring environment... Almost anyway.
I was an instructor and flew a couple different types of aerial survey work before making my way to a regional. Both taught me different (but no less equally valuable) skill sets. CFIng means you are communicating, constantly reinforcing the fundamentals, and also doing a lot of learning yourself. Depending on the type of survey work you're doing, you are dealing with a lot of real world flying. Terrain, weather, fuel burn, time lines and dead lines for projects.
Neither really sets you up in a better position to work at an airline, pick whichever suits you best.
I was an instructor and flew a couple different types of aerial survey work before making my way to a regional. Both taught me different (but no less equally valuable) skill sets. CFIng means you are communicating, constantly reinforcing the fundamentals, and also doing a lot of learning yourself. Depending on the type of survey work you're doing, you are dealing with a lot of real world flying. Terrain, weather, fuel burn, time lines and dead lines for projects.
Neither really sets you up in a better position to work at an airline, pick whichever suits you best.
04-23-2016, 05:45 PM
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Originally Posted by MartinBishop
When a regional is hiring a pilot, who is more likely to get hired: someone who has spent 1200 hours doing real-world survey work, or someone who has spent 1200 hours instructing?
If you can get some turbine time (FO in a part91 or part135 maybe), that would potentially benefit you down the road. Other than that, single engine time is single engine time. Whichever one gets you to an airline faster, and pays you more while doing so.
Survey will potentially give you some more cross country, in all weather (ferrying the airplane from one place to another), and you will work independently in a variety of airspaces. Teaching will reinforce what you already know, but give you very little real world experience.
04-23-2016, 05:52 PM
#4
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if you have 1000 hours and pulse it doesn't matter what you did to get there. Got busted for coke freshman year? DUI? You're hired. Regionals are taking people faster than Taco Bell is hiring cashiers. Yes I'm being serious
04-23-2016, 05:57 PM
#5
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Like stated before the regionals don't honestly care.
It comes down to your preference:
A. People trying to kill you daily.
B. Living in a hotel room for 8 months straight.
Both prepare you for the airlines in their own ways.
It comes down to your preference:
A. People trying to kill you daily.
B. Living in a hotel room for 8 months straight.
Both prepare you for the airlines in their own ways.
04-23-2016, 06:24 PM
#6
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Originally Posted by MartinBishop
When a regional is hiring a pilot, who is more likely to get hired: someone who has spent 1200 hours doing real-world survey work, or someone who has spent 1200 hours instructing?
04-23-2016, 06:26 PM
#7
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Position: CFI
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Originally Posted by 24Whiskey
It comes down to your preference:
A. People trying to kill you daily.
B. Living in a hotel room for 8 months straight.
Both prepare you for the airlines in their own ways.
A. People trying to kill you daily.
B. Living in a hotel room for 8 months straight.
Both prepare you for the airlines in their own ways.
04-23-2016, 07:01 PM
#8
Covfefe
Joined APC: Jun 2015
Posts: 3,001
There's a place on applications at majors for instructor certificates and dual given I think, but there isn't for survey experience for whatever that's worth. Regionals don't care, but I wish I could have checked the instructor box when I had apps out to majors. That said going the CFI route exposes you to a lot more risk (busting the rides to get the certs, having students bust rides and having to discuss that in an interview, or having students try to kill you). Pick your poison. In this environment and the retirement outlook in the next 5 years, I don't think it will matter in the long run. Maybe do both?
04-23-2016, 07:10 PM
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Originally Posted by BeatNavy
"having students bust rides and having to discuss that in an interview"
04-23-2016, 07:14 PM
#10
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I've done both and both lead to my 135 SIC gig which definitely prepared me for 121 flying. All stepping stones my friend.
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