adler

Not true.

I was an instructor on the 72. There has been only checkride 1 failure that I know of.

It's a tough plane to learn, and you're held to high standards. Rote memorization isn't enough. Deep systems knowledge is mandatory, but the training is by far the best of the three 121 initials that I've been through. If you work hard, you'll be more than prepared. But, probably 25% don't make it through ground school. They are usually the older guys who have bounced around from job to job, and just aren't taking things seriously. They resign - no stain on their records.

In the sims, a few wash out from time to time. Again, they resign - no stain on their records.

25% may seem high, but it's a blessing in disguise. The oral and check ride is with a Fed. You will not get signed off for a ride if the instructors aren't 100% sure you will pass. Again, no stains on anybody's records.

I don't know of a single young beginning of their career kids that has ever washed out.

Chyna

True , I never " Had" to and it was always a welcome option to get a little extra pay , like I wrote you are not really loading ( as in lifting or pushing) but rather strapping the load.
Again , no pilot that I know of or heard of was ever fired on the spot , if someone was let go it was someone with more than one issue with the company . you have to understand that with the hiring everywhere these days airlines try to maintain their work force and training is costly .

Extra days ? never ! if they have to keep you for an extra day they have to pay you extra and possibly fly you home , not only that you are not forced into working extra days but you are sometimes released a day or two early.


From what I understand , yes , more 73's are on the way and they will be hiring onto the DC9 , not sure about the 727 as there is a group that is still in training , more than likely in the foreseeable future. ( they advertise on the orange site)

cactusmike

Sorry, man but that's a load of crap. I started out in YIP back in the late 70s as a loadmaster/flight follower then f/o for several operators. The flying is what it is but what you learn is more valuable than instructing for thousands of hours or sitting right seat in a CRJ staring at the autopilot.

Ad hoc charter business will always be there. It won't pay like UPS or FedEx or Atlas because the margins are razor thin. The equipment will be old but generally be looked at by guys who know how to fix things.

I left the nonsched business to go get some PIC time at a commuter. I had friends who stayed and ended up sitting left seat in a DC8 while I was still flying turboprops. I'm very fortunate with how my career has gone but I do think that a lot of my success was due to the strong foundation I got from flying auto parts and everything else you could stick in the back of a DC3 or Convair. I learned a lot from the captains I flew with. Some of it was "sh##, I'll never do that". All a learning experience.

Don't ever look down on someone for flying nonsched. Not everyone has had a smooth career. Lots of good people have seen good jobs go away in this business. Many people have made a mistake in their lives and needed another chance to redeem themselves. And for a low time guy who is eager to learn it's a great place to start. YIP and places like that have many characters and many stories. It's the part of my life that I enjoyed a lot and I do miss some of the stories.

woog315

Amen to Cactusmike, and to add to that some people actually *want* to do some nonsched flying. It's actually a damn fun time for a few years- certainly not what I would want to do forever but I will never forget my nonsched days. Flying all over the place in all kinds of scenarios really builds a pilot's skill set, and I was making over 2x what my regional pals were making. Beats hub turns in a CRJ for $20k/yr all day long. I'm flying heavies now, but a big part of me still misses buzzing through Mexico in a metroliner.

727C47

I did non sched in the DC-3, and CV340 for IFL, I loved my time there in the 1990s, great flying,great planes, great people, and yes it was excruciatingly hard work at times, but I wouldn't trade 1/10 of an hour of my DC-3 time for anything else, and a lot of my best stories come from that era : ).

Braniff DC8

Advertising again but says you don't have to live on base.

PILOT CAREER CENTER - Latest Pilot Jobs, Pilot Resume / Pilot CV Design, Interview Preps and more...

hockey1082

Falcons and Boeings are offered an 18 on / 12 off schedule now. you'll still need a crash pad on base. I'll be opening one up in July.

42ER

How much does the DA20 FOs usually fly? 300-400hrs?

hockey1082

I can't speak accurately about the falcons, but I think it depends on if you get hired for one of the scheduled runs. Those guys fly quite a bit I think. The adhoc guys have been pretty busy (compared to the boeing) this year as well. A ballpark number is probably around 400 hours a year. But that's purely a guess and with the new schedule, it's could be less.

42ER

Good copy, thanks for the info!
I applied few days ago, now waiting to hear back.