KiloAlpha

Umm, so you have 8 hrs multi and want to be an airline pilot huh... interesting. I sure hope it isn't your leg when the engine decides to crap out.

WMUPilot

no, I have 8 hours multi and I am a pilot. I'm like everyone else who needs a start. I'm looking for that first job to get my foot in the door. Thanks for your positve outlook and help.

Diver Driver

Get some more multi time and get total time up, then you can choose your airline. If you dont want to instruct, check out your local skydiving centers. They usually have a 182 you can start out in and later in the season when you get used to kicking people out of planes, you might be able to grab some caravan time or sit right seat in an otter depending on what your DZ operates. Depending on who you work for you can make 10-20$/hr and hold another job on the side, thats what Im doing now and it is working out great. Once you get 600-700 hours and 50-100 ME, make the jump.... you will then have your choice of where to go instead of Mesa or ScabJets.

Do you go to Western Michigan?? There is a DZ that advertises for jump pilots to work all summer somewhere in MI every year on AOPA's job listings page. Dropzone.com also has pilot's needed ads... make a few skydives and get to know your DZO's, skydiving seems to grab pilots by word of mouth or other connections. Good luck to you, but I dont think any airlines will pick you up at those times.

Bri85

what are the minimums for a multi rating now? i got 20 hours of dual training on a multi before my multi checkride.

Rhino Driver

Timing is everything. I don't know how bad your eyes are, but I think corrective surgery may be allowed now. I understand the time issue, but there really isn't a better way to go than the military...especially with student loans like that. I had huge student loans as well, went to OCS after college, and have had an awesome career. I'm 35 now and looking for the airline gig. My point being that you can spend 10-12 years in the service and still have potentially a 30 year career with the airlines (if 65 goes through). Depends on the times though, I guess. The nice thing about the military is that there is always something to fall back on (if you're in the reserves) if the Sh-- hits the fan. After 9/11, everybody came back into the service.

Diver Driver

The FAR's do not state a minimum hour requirement for Multi ratings, I got mine with 8.3 hours including the checkride.

UNDGUY

I got my multi rating in 38 hours, aren't university programs great. I had no idea how much i was being robbed until I got out of the university bubble and talked to real pilots once I started flight instructing at an FBO. When I still had wet ink on my commercial cert. I was looking for a DZ to work at and they were all telling me their insurance mins were 4-500 TT. I am from Detroit and there were at least four that I talked to and they all said the same thing. Flight instructing is fun and you learn how "real world" flying is. Believe me, it is different than the flying you did and I did under the watchful eye of our universities with SOP's and AOM's to tell us how to do everything. It can pay descent too if you find the right place.

Diver Driver

My DZ said the same thing about 500 hour requirements, but hired me at 280TT anyway...lol. Being a CFI, jump pilot, banner tower, etc. will teach you a lot about real world flying. You suddenly have a boss that needs stuff done and you suddenly have to deal with WX, traffic, schedules, ATC and other stuff that you didn't have to deal with much or had a choice to deal with in the past. Once you are out of training and have that first job, you learn your real limits in flying as well as gaining experience. This stuff cannot be taught and is very much needed before you climb into an airliner.

Sorry to hear about your ME issues... a bunch of people from my flight school went to 3 or 5 day places to get their multi add on... it saved them and myself a bunch of money.... that $hit is expensive.

Arrow75

Are you sure???

61.129 (b) (3) (II) and Appendix D 141 (4) (b) (2) (II) both require 10 hours in a multi for a Commercial Multi rating. Maybe I'm missing something, but could you clarify?

MalteseX

The military, provided you can get a pilot slot, graduated with a Bachelor's degree, had reasonably good grades, and don't have any serious run-ins with the law.... oh and you don't TELL anyone if you are gay

If you are worried about a time commitment, look at the reserves... you can serve your country, get paid for it, and at the same time build REAL time, almost exclusively in jet aircraft. Additionally the pay is very good now. At the same time, you can look for work outside the military, unlike on active duty.

The difference in going military (active or reserve) or civilian is pretty much $$$$$... You will be poor a lot longer going the civ route.

Also, remember you have a leg up on others going Active Duty or Reserves (well at least for the token "new guys"). Many guys come in "off the street" with no flight experience. You are ahead of the game in that respect.