slipped

I havent flown since Feb 09
I cant find a job anywhere, seriously I have applied to pretty much EVERY drop zone in the country, one guy told me to come down for an interview then cvalled me back the next day to say I was too heavy(225 6'4") to fly the 182...Sigh.

I am totally willing to move Saudia Arabia and instruct
Actually willing to go ANYWHERE and instruct, seems like all the CFI gigs are going to guys with 1200TT

I feel like if I dont get back in the saddle soon, I never will.
I have 670TT 255ME and about 420 dual given

I just want to fly I dont care where as long as I can make a living
Is that too much to ask?
-SS

mcis987

I don't have much to say, but I feel your pain. I was laid off from my instructing job in January, and I'm starting to get worried about my future in aviation. I'm still hanging in there, and I have to take a non-aviation job in the interim.

Cubdriver

Sorry for your plight. I am sure you are qualified to teach, however the instructor pilot market is overbalanced on the supply side right now. It probably will be for another year so until discretionary spending comes back into the picture, and a lot of instructor jobs depend on that. Have you got a bachelors degree? This may be the time to look into it. I am thinking about getting a masters degree myself.

Purpleanga

There's hundreds of us that share your views. Not only are we in a down cycle, but also in an economy that hasn't been seen in 50+ years. It's going to be a long dark tunnel before we ever see the light again. I suspect no one will want to fly anymore and sooner or later there will be mass shortage again of qualified pro pilots. Age 65 bubble will burst as well. Hang in there.

afterburn81

Seriously, please don't take this personal. I love to fly as well but have put lots of thought into it before I started flying. People such as yourself are part of the reason that the aviation industry is the only place that a highly skilled professional and a master at what he does is treated like garbage. And when I say "people such as yourself" I'm referring to people SO incredibly passionate about aviation that they have no self control and will do ANYthing as you said to get into an airplane. Although, you mentioned "making a living"; that to has been justified by some in terms of just barely getting by.

I can totally relate to that type of behavior but I have drawn a line. Flying is lots of fun and when you think of it the art of flying is just down right unbelievable. But through the years in which people have found a way to run a business that makes money using aviation the people that also make all of the decisions and ensure that stockholders always have an excessively large place to live as well as a nice personal jet have taken notice of this obsessive passion.

We all know that the people that "manage" a business in which flying aircraft for hire use this to their advantage. Do you think engineers get on a forum expressing their desire for a job by saying "man, I would do anything to just crunch some numbers" or a doctor that's like " I'm going to die if I don't get to write a script or cut someone open soon". I can't imagine that's all too common. But they sure don't get "furloughed" "displaced" (AKA demoted) and need unions where ever they go. I guess it's just not as desireable of a proffesion. Regardless, they stand their ground. If they are getting treated like crap and are not compensated for their valued time, they find something else to do. I hear some furloughed guys talking about waiting for this hiring boom that's really supposed to kick in somewhere from 2012-2020. They have no intention of trying something new in the meantime. Most guys say they will find something to keep the lights on by working at Orange Julius and or some seasonal landscaping/ski-lift jobs. Waiting by the phone for 10 years is somewhat pathetic.

Again, behavior that is not seen in any other industry. And it seems to coorelate with the lacking compensation and unusually harsh work rules.

When I started doing my PPL years back I was working as an aircraft mechanic and got to talk to a lot of very supportive pilots that gave me some good advice. But I would be a fool to say that I did not contribute to the problem that exists in aviation. I took a job flying a jet that carries 76 people and paid me less than the janitor at Mcdonalds. So of course I gave into the problem and I'm not going to sit around and wine about it. But that's as low as it can go. If they were to take any more away from the pilot group I would have to do the guys behind me a favor and make the ultimate sacrifice. The RLA says the union cannot strike but it says nothing about quitting. If the comapanies knew pilots would quit if they took anything away from them, well they would find another way of saving money.

Would they "over hire" knowing that there is going to be a time soon when they are going to have to furlough and demote pilots? Not if people wouldn't just come back when they needed them. See my point? They just let guys go when they don't need them and when they need more people they literally just open the floodgates since their are guys waiting in line right out side the door when ever they need them.

So I really feel for ya as I get that feeling once in while when I have some time off from work. But really you wouldn't be in the position you are in if pilots controlled their desires to fly and stood up for themselves. Doing anything just to fly an airplane to earn a living has sort of a paradox effect. Feel that way all you want, just don't express it too much. Management LOVES people like you. Don't give them what they want and trust the fact that you will one day be able to not only earn a living but be compensated for your hard work and dedication put into becoming a skilled pilot that makes safe well rounded decisions resulting in the successful completion of something that is all too under appreciated.

Good luck!

Afterburn

Radials Rule

I don't know their mins but, this place is hiring instructors. I've talked to the owner on the phone and he seems like a very nice guy.

slipped

Thanks for all the support guys, I really mean that.

FlynPoPo

Try American Aviation in Brooksville, FL..I saw where they were looking for Instructors. It's about 50mi north of Tampa.

Good Luck

Convairator

I have seen a bunch of flight schools hiring in my travels. I understand it has become more difficult to find a cfi job, but not at all impossible. These positions do exist, this gentlemen is looking in the wrong places.

Furthermore, I agree with above poster. Please refrain from saying that you will do anything to find a flying job. You are the type of person that will take an SIC job for free just to get in the cockpit. If you want to pay to work at a company, those opportunities exist too, but they arent jobs.

LastTraintoMEM

I hate to be a gloomer, but I just don't see any light at the tunnel any time soon. The MSM keeps pumping green shoots, and if you really look at the numbers and other news sources they are just not there.

Here is some fun with numbers:

U.S. National Debt Clock : Real Time

Check the "Est Currency and Credit Derivatives" number (toxic assets) WOW! That is almost 645 trillion! What comes after trillion?!?!

Several years ago I had a dumbass friend who did a barrel roll in a Seneca II and ripped a wing off at 8,000 AGL. I figured he had a good 30 seconds to realize he was screwed before he hit the dirt. IMHO, we as a country are in that 30 seconds. We just are waiting to hit the dirt!

I hope I am wrong, and please someone, anyone show me a light! I just think we need to be honest with ourselves.