mistarose

I got 300 hours dual given last summer and I plan to do it again this summer.

I want to work for Horizon Airlines.

I only have 5 hours tail-wheel time, and my tail-wheel endorsement.

Would a banner-towing company hire me with such little tail-wheel time?

There are quite a few banner-towing summer jobs where I could get at least 600 hours most likely.

Would Horizon Air rather see 600 hours of dual given in the Northwest, or 600 hours of banner-tow time in Florida and 300 dual given in the Northwest?

Thank you in advance

Pilotpip

Banner towing will result in
-No X-C time
-No instrument time
-No night time
-No multi

Plus, you'll have a hard time getting a banner-tow gig without more time. Lots of those companies in FL will let you buy a block to meet insurance mins but that sort of defeats the purpose right?

mistarose

It sure would defeat the purpose, thats what I thought, but it never hurts to ask.

Cubdriver

The only reasons I can see to do banner towing are 1) suicide wish you're unsure exactly how to put into motion 2) irrational desire to throw perfectly good money to a sleezy banner-tow school in florida 3) have a deep need for shiny new flaming yellow Supercub with an O-360, chrome intake port, climb prop, and big fat tires. When I got my commercial I seriously thought about joining the circus excuse me, going to the beaches of new jersey and risking my life in a death trap to make fat vacationers want a diet soda and change life insurance firms. Fortunately this madness wore off after a little while. I do think 30-50 hours of tailwheel time helps just about anybody become a better pilot and is something worth doing but getting that time not easy unless you know somebody.

learav8r

Nothing wrong with Banner Towing........I did it for a few years and it was a lot of fun.....just be smart and safe......you will quickly build your TOTAL TIME which will get you into the airlines quicker. The last time I filled out an airline application there was no mention of x-c time. It is a great START and will develop your flying skills. People have started towing banners and have made it to the airlines eventually. I am one of them.

good luck with your choice.

crewdawg

Don't listen to all these guys about how banner towing is so bad. They are just like all the other instructors where I used to teach. All they knew was 141 instructing then to a right seat as a gear b!tch in the regionals. Most were to scared or thought it was below them go fly frieight before going to the airlines. Banner towing is not what everyone makes it out to be. I know quite a few people who towed banner for a few years and they loved it. They would tow during the summer months and get about 300-500 hours then go back to instructing the rest of the year.

I never towed for a job but my tailwheel instructor had a banner towing business and he taught me how to pick them up. Just check your hook everytime and it's as safe as you make it. There was another banner tower on the field and when he picked them up he must have went 60 degrees nose up. Those are the guys you read statistics about. I showed a video of it to my friends who both said that was retarded and just for show, my instructor agreed. Unless of course you are towing out of a 1000 foot strip with trees on all sides.

I was offered 2 jobs towing banners turned one down because they wanted me to pay 2100 dollars for my training, which I sure as heck didn't have as a current flight instructor. The other was a go but I got orders to UPT alot earlier than expected and had to turn it down (didn't want to leave the company high and dry half way through the season). The company was based out of Florida and flew Super-Cubs. Plus you make some pretty good money. One of my friends earned $40 and hour to tow banners which is what my T/W instructor was going to offer me if I went and gained some experience.

At some companies you will get x/c but as stated earlier no muilti or instrument time. I think it would be a great place to get your total time up and make some decent money but, like my friends did, go back to instructing after the season. Most companies would rather see dual given. Plus you can't beat getting a paid summer on the beach and all that T/W time. I know T/W time isn't really that important but it is a blast to fly!

I had 550 TT and zero T/W when offered the jobs. The one company told me to get my T/W and call him back and the other said I could get it up at home or come down and do it at Lantana, FL.

Beagleboybill

I am considering a banner towing job this summer. Is there any way you could tell me about your expierence?

rickair7777

Any fight time will work for regionals these days.

But CFO work will keep your head in the books and in instrument ops, which will help with new-hire airline training.

Also banner-tow is conducted at the bleeding edge of the performance capability of the plane... any hiccup and you're going down fast. Also those operators tend to be sleazy. Probably more likely to get violated or killed dragging rags than CFI work.

urp99

I wanted to tow banners, but ended up dropping skydivers instead. I've done a lot of research, but have no practical experience to share, if it works out for you come back to the forums and share your experience!

Subieguy14

I got a banner towing job here in ATL with wet commercial. sent me to a school in florida for a week and a half and i got my tailwheel in a J3 and flew the super cubs (dream planes so it was worth.)

now im getting about 30ish hours a month at $33 an hour..... it isnt bad for a first job, laid back. Now im at 500TT and got a job working line at a flight school where they are paying for my CFI/II and I am gonna start instructing there and leave my towing job... maybe help sometimes if he needs it.

Bottom line. Use banner towing as a stepping stone.... after 250 TW hours, you will be surprised how much it helps your stick and rudder.... plus TW time is always a + over tricycle..... and if you have your CFI ontop of it... well there ya go.