rickair7777

Almost no regional is going to touch someone with 12 ME...especially after colgan.


As to the original question, generally any sort of (legal) ME time is fine and that includes buying a block and SP time.

The only caveats to that would be:

Professional flying experience is going to have a competitive advantage over private pilot time. If it comes down to you and a guy who was flying light twins in IMC and Wx on the back side, all else being equal they'd probably hire the other guy. SP time is not bad, but professional experience is better.

It's remotely possible that you might run across an interviewer who is very old school and might not approve of buying ME time. But odds of this are low enough that I wouldn't let it stop you, especially since you have plenty of professional experience under your belt. Get a ME job if you can, otherwsie do what you have to do. You definitely don't need any more ASEL, at this point you are wasting your time.

MusicPilot

RP hired 3 pilots with 25 hours or less of multi time. I think 2 had a jet transition course and the other had a good internal rec. I interviewed the 2 with the JTC. It is possible and it never hurts to try. Nothing ventured nothing gained. I guess you're right, 100 hours of multi is going to teach you to not touch your config when you stall the plane.

SongMan

I appreciate the encouragement.

I do not have MEI. I am hesitant about MEI route for follwing reasons.
-MEI will cost me roughly $5000-$7000. ATP flight shcool offers a course for $6K.
-There is no gurentee I land a MEI job after spending $5-7K.
-I am in Bay area(California) and schools with Multi have instructors looking to do the same. I woud first have to get hires and stay in line for multi students.

I don't know but MEI route seems like a long prcess that looks like it will take me well over a year if I get lucky.
This is why I kind of did not write this as an option on my original post.

Again, thank you very much for your input and encouragement.

MiLa

It might be worth it to check out a place like Cape Air. Flying pax during scheduled 135 airline service is a great experience. It's challenging flying it will be looked at more highly than safety pilot stuff. I went that route, put in about a year at Cape Air then got hired at SKYW. They seem to like the Cape guys. There were 7 of us hired within 2 months.

200Driver

Agree 100%! Do it the right way, Cape Air is a great place to start.

FYI - 402 Mins 25ME PIC

Don Ramon

With 3,000+ hours, I say just apply and see what happens. I'm sure stranger things have happened.
Go to a job fair and talk to them in person. See what THEY suggest.

Bellanca

You should apply in the meantime and see what happens. Or like other people have said, talk to someone with the company. I have a couple friends that are recruiters a different regionals (not skywest), and both say their companies are willing to hire people with 50 hours that meet ATP minimums, because they are finding it harder to find people who can legally fly the plane once Aug of next year hits.

If anything, having to buy 40 hours vs 90 hours is a huge difference. I hate the idea of people buying time personally though...

I can understand you not wanting to get an MEI. I've had mine for over a year and a half and I have yet to log an hour using that certificate. Also, a lot of places give out multi time on a seniority basis, and since people aren't moving up and out of instructing like they were a lot of people are waiting on getting multi students. I've personally been in my job well over a year trying to get multi, and I have several CFI friends in similar situations. I'm afraid to go elsewhere only to be a the bottom of the totem pole and 18+ months away from getting any multi again. Luckily I'm a lot closer to that magic number, but I totally sympathize and it is a sh**ty place to be stuck at.

SongMan

Can someone tell me the difference between Cape Air and Ameriflight?

I know one operates cargo and other east coast doing both passengers and else.

Which company for better maintenance? Less pressure to go in extreme weather? Better for moving towards airline?

I am currently located in California with wife and kids.

Thanks!

Terrain Inop

Bay area? Go to ameriflight. OAK base has traditionally been junior.

bcpilot

TO THE OP:

You are from the Bay area, CAPE air will most likely never suit you, especially with a wife & kid, unless you all move.

I agree with you, MULTI time is very hard to come by, infact any time in intructing is hard to come by these days. I have seen MEI's posting to split multi time.

So, this is what I would do.

1) If financialy possible, Build time & go to 50 Multi, even ameriflight wants this.
2) Go to the Job Fair on Nov 3rd Atlanta or Nov 30th Orlando & talk to recruiters. See if someone will take you with 50 hrs on a multi. It doesn't have to be Skywest, it may be something else.
3) Call AMF & talk to their CP or HR if they will take you with 25 Multi.

Ameriflight has a OAK base which works out great but I've heard that AMF also has a training contract, I am not sure for how long.
If it is 6 months, then it's no biggie, you can work with AMF for 6 months & in fact, then go to any regional.

If AMF says, no you have to have 50 hrs on a multi & the training contract is also 12 months or more, then think again whether it is worth to build the extra 50 hrs or work for AMF.

I am pretty much in similar situation as you are, just that you have a lot higher TT than I have, I have a hireable multi time & but a lot lower TT. So, I am sucking it up & building time on my own.

88 hrs is approx $8,800 dollars & 38 hrs is $3,800 when flying split......

You have to choose your own battles & your own battlegrounds........