Pilot that is sitting pretty
 

I have been blessed with an opportunity in this economy to have a couple of options on my plate. I recently got a training date for Great Lakes airline and another opportunity with a company to fly as a CFI and some First Officer duties on there light twins. I'm having a hard time to decide on which place to go. I got over 800TT and 55 Multi. I want to fly for an airline or Charter for a living. Any advice would be great.

The Pros forThe CFI job: full-time salary pay, plus I get benefits
Fly light twins.
Opportunity to move up to fly Citations jets
Home almost all the time

Cons: Don't care to teach but It's could be worst.


Pros for Great Lakes Airline: Flying Multi airplanes.
Not having students killing me.
Gets my foot in the door for the airlines.

Cons: Have to survive through training.
Pay is lower.

GLA pay is...poverty levels...and unicef levels during training
(I have a buddy who works there and after taxes gets about $450 / paycheck)
honestly choose QOL

ftr...your times can get you on some places, other then GLA

I'm curious what light twins the company operates that you would be able to log any time on in addition to your flight instructing duties.

Personally - I think that whole 'students trying to kill me' line gets a little too much overplay sometimes.

There are LOTS of promises in aviation that never play out because employers play on the notion that they know people want to move on to bigger and better things. How sure are you that you would have an opportunity at a later time to fly the CJs? Is it written into your employment contract?

Home all the time? If this is VERY important to you then aviation might not be a good career choice for you to begin with in all seriousness. MOST, not all, but most, aviation jobs involve some amount of travel, and the bigger and faster you fly, often times the longer and further away you are from family and friends.

Survive through training? I've heard Great Lakes airlines has some tough training, but training and checking are all part of the aviation business. If you want an airline career (or any career in aviation), you're going to have to have a very positive attitude about training and evaluations.

Getting your foot in the door. Absolutely. It is P121 flying and a stepping stone to other opportunities. The pay - from what I hear on these boards - is just down right sad.

USMCFLYR

Part 121 is a great thing, as is turbine time. Far more valuable than your time instructing. That being said, Lakes is not, in my opinion, the place to do it. Eagle will take you with those times.

Like the good USMC said, light twins are questionable. Your time in them will be all but invalidated pretty much anywhere else you go. Flying SIC in something that does not require it is fine, but understand that a lot of companies will not accept the time.

Look into PSA. They just dropped the mins to 350tt. Too much other opportunities out there right now to settle for those dead end jobs. Even if you have to commute.

Go to where you will get PIC turbine time the fastest... Then get a real job.

What this guy said.

That would definitely be lakes.

Sure about that? Don't they have FO's going on 3+yrs waiting for that upgrade on 13k a year salary?

People are upgrading fast at Lakes. Good pilot group, tough training, fun flying.