Time building for Skywest advice needed!
 

Hi,

I have 3000+ hours in single engine Cessna/piper mostly instructing. However I only have 12 hours of Multi time in Seminole. Airline such as Skywest requires min of 100 ME time.

1. Is purchasing multi time and splitting with a safety pilot looked down upon by company like Skywest?

2. If I do buy needed 88 hours of ME time to meet 100 Total ME time, I would have 3000 hours with 100 multi. How competitive would this experience be with other applicants to Skywest these days? I know everything in a risk and time to time basis. However I would hate to spend $8000 plus dollars to meet the requirement knowing that my chances are slim to none if all other applicants are exceeding minimums by far.

3. Am I just better off going to a company like Ameriflight for a year and then apply for Skywest?

Thank you very much!

Right now.. You have the mins you will get called... How you get it is up to you..

Pretty sure TSA would take ya as-is.

I would suggest looking for work at local charter company close to where you live. You could sit right seat in a King Air or Citation. What ever you do, do not not fly for free. Make sure you are compensated appropriately for your services.

Going Ameriflight to build multi time for a regional seems a little out of touch.

Their web shows 200 ME time Min.

Can you help me understand this? Why not?

Thanks!

I know it may not seem like it, but in just a few years that 8000 will seem like a drop in the bucket. If you delay, it could cost you tens if thousands. Capt upgrade, furlough, reserve, moving to a legacy, etc. You probably won't miss that $ in five years but you will feel the effects of the investment for a very long time.

Also, it's not an all or nothing thing. Right seat in a king air and buying time etc is a choice most of use faced at one point.

Why not just apply to all? No sense in wasting 8k when a regional might pick you up. Best advice is to know someone where you want to go. I use to do interviews for RP and we hired several pilots that didn't have the multi. In fact, they had just the hours required for the rating. It never hurts to try.

Songman,
I was in a similar situation about 6 years ago with applying to SkyWest about my multi engine time. You said you’re a flight instructor. Are you an MEI? You’re best choice with the options you put out is to buy a block of time. With an MEI you can log all of that time with splitting the cost and not doing the whole safety pilot thing. Either you’re flying or you’re instructing. Regardless, you can log all of it helping your cause vs. dollar. If you’re not an MEI yet, go for it man! Buckle down and commit. Get your MEI and get the time as fast as you can which may or may not be flight instructing legitimate multi engine applicants.