Why SKYhigh? ,afraid they might make it as an an AVIATION Mechanic?

 

This is all pretty disturbing. At 500 hours, most pilots or at least 99% of them don't know jack. They just think they do. I have known of one person I met who was hired at BankAir with 400 hours or so but he happened to have also worked for them as an ops superviser and was well liked.

I realized at about 2000 hours how little I knew. This coming year I'll be looking for a right-seat corporate job with 2500-3000TT and say 750 multi and 500 turboprop and I don't like my chances of being competitive. If I lived in Florida, ok, but not up in the northeast.

Mr. I.

 

There are so many different ways that different companies look at the low-time co-pilot issue.

The ones with generally good intentions will take a guy with low time because they already know the individual and like his/her character and ability to learn. Another angle is that some companies feel that higher time people have the potential of coming in with "bad habits" - a low-timer is a blank canvas that can be groomed in the company way.

The companies with lesser than good intentions see the low-timer strictly as the way to get someone in at less pay and for a potentially longer stay, and aren't as concerned with quality.

Not much you can do about it, either way, unfortunately. You just have to go in with what you've got and sell yourself.

 

a CFI i was with was hired at about 600 and 30 multa cause he knew someone, he said first day of class when everyone went around the room and told what they did previously, he stuck out like a sore thumb

 

A 500 Hour FO can absolutely be as good of an FO as a 3000 hour FO if the person has the right attitude. In fact, speaking from experience, a low time FO is generally more observant has a 'can-do' attitude and isn't 'gunning' for the Captain seat. They are typically very willing to learn. The good thing about a low time FO is this...stability. If you pay them what they are worth, they stick around. A 3000 hour pilot will, in many peoples opinion, be there long enough to get a few hundred hours jet time and go fly somewhere else. A few years back I interviewed for a job flying a J41 for a charter company. I had the minimum hours to make captain and they said that I would most likely do that in 3-4 months. They passed me for someone with a lot less time and the interviews had gone really well. I was kinda stumped so I asked what went wrong. They told me that they liked me but b/c I had a bundle of previous 'fast' turboprop experience and some jet time they viewed me as a risk. They told me that they were concerned that with the experience I had I would take the type rating, fly for a short time (a year) and leave so they opted to hire someone that they could 'grow.'
Hours are great, but as we all know, it's easy to lie about your time, it's also easy to bull$hit your way through an interview. The proof is in the putting...how you fly and what you say and what your personality is like makes the decision in a lot of cases. If you can fly and are the right 'fit' many will make the hours work.
Just my .02
Take Care!

 

well said. I agree with you on this one... I know hours mean experience, but don't dumb down the 'lower' hour guys.. there are some that are very observant and learn quick.

 

I ask why I was hired with such low time and no recomendation...I was told "I can teach a monkey to fly, I want someone who will take care of the people"