Custom Air Transport
 

i have 2500TT, with 450PIC Turbine ( Part 135 nightfreight) and 500SIC (Part 121 Dash 8)....am thinking of doing a 250 hour B727 f/o program( i pay 19K and they give a contract to fly me 250 hours and pay $30 per hour, so I would recoup 7500 of the investment....i would also get a type rating out of the deal)......my goal is to fly freight only...no pax aspirations...anyone out there who could provide advice?......

You just opened yourself to get the crap kicked out of you. (figuratively) PFT is frowned upon here. I would heavily recommend not doing it. Check out the other freight operators who will actually pay you to fly.

Try doing it the old fashion way, Earn It!

That's not an investment. The consensus around here seems to be that SIC time is pretty worthless as it is. You have a good amout of total time, getting the PIC time is probably more important in your case. Flying night freight you should also know that there are a number of companies out there that you would be able to go to for a couple years, upgrade to captain of something like a falcon 20 fast and get a lot of PIC time while being paid for it rather than paying them.

Take some pride in yourself, in your profession, and in your fellow pilots. Help them, and help yourself by being compensated for your services. Remember, even prostitutes get paid for their services.

Fr8er,
You did not mention what you are currently flying.
If you are getting PIC turbine now stick with it. Even if it is 135. If you are currently in the right seat on the Dash 8, consider how long it will be until you can up grade and can get more turbine PIC.
One thousand hours of turbine PIC will open alot more doors that SIC.
At this point you have enough total time you should not have to pay for training.

ok let me get this right.
if he was going to swa, it's ok to PFT (buying a 737 type with no garuntee of employment) but the sky is falling if he's trying to market himself better by going to CAT and buy a 727 type.
u guys amaze me.

Kill Bill, put your boot back on
 

Hang on Fr8er, I got someone who'd like to meet you.............;) :D

PFT is PFT, regardless of whether it's for WN or anybody else. in this day and age, i can't figure why WN even requires it. your training and your PC with WN is going to be to ATP type-rating standards. why not just sign you off and forget the game-playing?

and paying money for a 727 type in 2006? YGBSM!

PFT is evil. don't give in to the dark side Fr8er, please! PFT is one of the tools management uses to destroy our careers and our career expectations.

whew. that was pretty mild. i'm proud of myself.

Bill, are you feeling ok? That was almost nice :)

I think Bill's right on about paying for a 727 rating in 2006. PFT aside, I don't think that's a good investment. The next step up from CAT isn't gonna care about a 72 type even if they're flying them. Is this the only way CAT hires, ie: you have to buy a type rating from them? Do they hire DECs?

Bill, once upon a time would you have bought a 73 type to get on at WN? I guess I don't have enough moral fiber. I agree it's ridiculous but I think I would have.