Looking for advice on getting ratings quickly
 

Looking for some advice on obtaining my ratings. I'm currently working on my instrument rating and own 75% of an Arrow. One of the other partners in my plane is a CFII. He is getting busier with his job and doesn't have as much time as I'd like to do flight instructing.

My background: 25 years old, ~112 hours, 44 PIC, 16 instrument, 65 x-country. College degree in business. Just started and sold a business in NYC. Working part time as a lineman at the local FBO now to network for some future pilot positions.

My goals: I want to fly commercially. I haven't decided whether I want to do 121 or 135, but I strongly want to be based out of my hometown, Louisville, KY. I have some cash in the bank from selling my business, plus $40K invested in the Arrow (a business "capital loss" to marginally offset the sale of my business).

I want to obtain my ratings as quickly as possible. What's yalls recommendations? Studying text books puts me to sleep faster than Ambien. Just received the King DVD course in the mail, they seem pretty good so far. But with my CFII quite busy now, I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to move forward as fast I like. ATP seems like a good option, but it's quite expensive!! I don't really want to CFI unless I have to, I'd rather fly bank checks overnight or anything.

Thanks in advance for the advice!

Get someone to teach you other than your friend. Cost more, but that's the price you pay, but also their availability is going to be when you need them. Build those hours!!! You need 250 for the commercial. While you're doing lessons, do instrument and commercial manuevers. On pleasure flights, make sure you hit 50nm trips. Do your long solo trip ASAP. Get it out of the way, so it's not an issue once you are ready. As far as the multi, you can get that portion during a weekend at some of these places, and in your situation I would think that to be a better idea than going to ATP since you own part of an airplane. Get both the comm and inst out of the way first though. As far as flying bank-checks at night, to be 135 PIC, you need 1200hrs, so guess what, you're going to have to build hours somewhere. Right now, some 135 operators are using SIC's in the small planes, just to let guys build hours towards the 1200, but that's not a given. Airlines are hiring people at 300TT and a comm/multi/inst. Crazy huh!?!? Scour the boards here, you'll find plenty of other info you'll need

Doesn't that have to be done with an instructor or at least a safety pilot? I thought it said it had to be done under IFR.

"I want to obtain my ratings as quickly as possible. What's yalls recommendations?"

Find a UPS pilot that sits reserve who has has CFI. Walk into the local schools at Bowman and ask around. I know there's a UPS Capt who has a flying club around there. Another one or two are DE's in the area. I don't know names, but it shouldn't be too hard to figure out.

Owning an Arrow, you could get up through your commercial just as fast as ATP. As far as not CFIing and flying bank checks. Those jobs are IFR 135 mins, which requires 1200 total time.

There is a long IFR trip which has to be 250 nm total, with one leg of at least 100 nm and 3 different approaches at at least 3 airports.

There is also a long solo cross-country for the CPL that requires one leg of at least 250 nm and landings at at least 3 airports.

Thanks, beat me to it. There is a specific long X-C for both comm and instrument. de727 has a great idea for you, I'd go for it. Not only the availability, but also the knowledge they can pass on is priceless!!!!

Does the long IFR trip have to be completed with a CFI or can it just be an instrument rated safety pilot?

The long solo XC for CPL should be cake, this cold weather already stinks, I need to fly to Florida I think :D

My DE for my private check ride was a UPS capt. Problem is, my current CFI/"partner" isn't going to be too happy when I tell him I want to use another CFI...

Thats when I would tell him to crap or get off of the perverbial pot. I mean seriously, Does he think you are going to build you schedule around him?

Sounds like this guy got deleted????