SkyHigh

Buy a Cessna 150 and fly it as much as you can until you reach 1500 hours then buy an Apache.

During hard times often it is cheaper and faster just to buy the time. Do the math. You could waste thousands or dollars getting a CFI, IA and MEI only then to be an unemployed flight instructor or you could buy a cheap plane and build time on your own terms.

In any case it is going to be a long time before things get going again, so you don't need to be in a hurry.


Skyhigh

jbravo65

I bought an economical twin comanche last March, flew it 200 hours and sold it last week. Of course thats not for everyone since fuel, maintanence and insurance is expensive but all in all about half the cost of renting. I have no desire to instruct which is why I went that route. I have an interview for a corporate job flying a Beechjet this week.

757upspilot

Get any kind of flying you can. When the hiring starts again many of your peers will have quit the industry, will there be a shortage, no. The most qualified and current will be at the front of the line.
The flight time that will be required in the future is more typical of the requirements than the last few years, the low time guys that got hired into the right seat of an RJ and are now laidoff and not flying will probably not be back.

bozobigtop

Colgan 3407 looks very similar to the regional accidents of the early 90's that resulted in the pilot improvement act where the focus was on flight time, experience, and checkrides. Airlines are like any other business that are driven by economics not by politicians which means the airlines will wait for the sore (Colgan 3407) to heal, and go back to business as usual because economics control them despite what anybody says or thinks about them.

TPROP4ever

I have to disagree, based on potential changes, all these guys will have no choice but to accept recall so they can meet the new requirments. If these guys dont accept recall their career might end right there, depending on on 3371. Im thinking once things break, furlough recalls will be the only movment for 1 to 2 years then they might start hiring from the street again. I could be wrong though.

papacharlie

how much did you paid for the comanche??Im looking to do the same if possible.send me a pm if you could .thank you

milehigh1976

What is your reaction to the statements "so-called market analysts" make in regards to the age 65 factor. Kit Darby would counter this by stating the majority of the labor force will begin to have another retirement frenzy, thus shifting all of you up, the Furloughed guys up and open a place for a guy like me, just coming out of college with a commercial multi, and around 350 (including 50 PIC in a King Air 90). Please, be gentle, I'm a rookie!

jbravo65

I had the means to buy a very nice, well equiped 1969 PA30 for $115,000 and sold it for $110,000 after I put 200 hrs on it. You can find a decent one for a little over half that cost though. Its a buyers market right now for airplanes. Check conroller.com and trade-a-plane.com. I havent figured out how to pm people yet.

edznaz

OK, I'll be nice. Consider the motivations of those telling you about the light at the end of the tunnel. Mr. Darby, flight schools and aviation universities all need you to belive so they can keep selling you. Yes, some folks will turn away from aviation, but that will only make the pool of highly qualified pilots slightly smaller. If you go with an optomistic estimate of 3-4 years for the airlines to have recalled all of the willing, you will still be competing with this group, and many of them will also be building time and qualifications. During this time, there will be continued downward pressure on pilot wages. It's simple supply/demand.

Forget the emotion and do a risk/benifit analysys. As I stated earlier, if I were in your shoes, I'd look elsewhere. It's a great time to stay in school, and you can always get a Masters in something else and see what the market conditions are like when you are done.

I got into this totally blind beliving the Kit Darbys of the world. Try to ignore the pretty pictures and make your decision based on the real facts.

Good luck,

Z

SkyHigh

Another option is to buy a job. During the recession of the early 1990's there were several good opportunities to buy a job. I am sure that in time pay to play will make a comeback. Not a pretty option but in times like these there really is little else other than waiting it out and it could take a very long time.

15K and the right seat in a Beech 1900 while everyone else is waiting it out at The Home Depot could make a big difference in career outcome.

Skyhigh