Need advise.
 

To make a long story short, I am short on PIC requirements (1000 ME Turbine)for all the airlines we ALL want to be flying for. (UPS, FedEx, SWA and JB) I have 5000TT, about 3500 on A320's. Any advise on this one?

First learn how to spell. You want advice not advise. Next Move to your current employers location and don't commute. Then wait to upgrade it will happen when you least expect it. The time you are getting now is priceless.

Hey Ian
 

Ian,

In other words what Mike is saying is that you are hosed. I am in the same boat and unless you are willing to risk it all then you had better stay put and settle in. It is a crazy way to hire but here we are. I know guys who have 850 hours of 757-200 PIC and they have to apply to Skywest since they don't have the holy 1000 121 turbine minimums. Almost everyone under the age of 36 at NWA, DAL and UAL doesnt have the 1000 PIC either. What will happen to them when they are flushed out into the streets? Their careers will be over. They can't even get insured to fly a King Air as PIC.

I know how frustrating it is to be stuck in the right seat. Others who got on with bad companies quickly upgrade and get on with JetBlue while you rot away in the right seat of 320. It isn't fair. Back in the 1980's you couldn't get hired at many places with any command time. Fashion trends in hiring have reversed things. Perhaps it will swing back someday.

Thanks to Mikes criticism of my spelling I found that the GOOGLE toolbar offers a form spell checker. Try it out. Armed with that and my college grammar guide he hasn't busted me since. Oh please don't bust me Mike.

SkyHigh

Say Mike, Were you an english major?

Ian, just a thought, but I knew a guy that was flying for I believe Capitol Air Transport while laid off of Delta. He was in a similar position to yours (so he said). He wanted to get on with SWA but was short on Turb.PIC time. He said that he was about 6 months from upgrade(1.5yr total) with his cargo gig on the 727. My advice was to stay and do the upgrade and get the large jet PIC time. The next week he was recalled to DAL and went. He's still short on the PIC time.
You might want to look into something like this perhaps closer to your home. Do some research as to quick upgrades and go get the time. Make a pro and con list and determine if you are really preparred to take the short term pain to achieve the long term gain. Only you can answer these questions. If you are married, you need to get your wife fully onboard and supportive etc. If you're single, you can sleep in the back seat of your car. It might not seem fair as was addressed on another thread but you need to supply the company the product that they are looking for. If you are driven and able, make yourself look the best to the company that you are applying to. You are a commodity, sell them the best product that they are looking for. Best wishes for whatever you decide. I truly believe that the only one that can defeat me is myself. My friend Sky says you're screwed and stay where you are. I say there is always hope. I've lost many battles and could have let myself become defeated but winning the war is the goal. Be the warrior. You now have two perspectives. Hope this helps.

No, Aero Maintenance. My spelling sucks so I too depend on a spell checker.

My problem with spelling and grammar is that we all think of ourselves as intelligent highly trained professionals. I don't like to disagree but reading some of these posts makes one wonder. There was a book published years ago called, Dress for Success. The author said you should look the part. If we all want to make $250,000/year maybe we should look like wealthy professionals and maybe we should sound like educated professionals in our correspondence. The least we can do is spell correctly and use words like advise and advice correctly.

Don't mean to be picky here, but I believe just about everyone who got hired at NWA since the mid-nineties have at least 1000 hrs PIC turbine. I believe that was a prerequisite that had to be met before you could even get an interview. Of course, due to the pilot shortage they had back then (only 12,000 applicants for the 400 jobs when I got hired) which hasn't existed since, I was lucky to get hired with 7,000 hrs+ and 2,600 hrs PIC turbine.

...
 

You could try to get a 135/91 job on your days off. Fly a king air. or something else fun. That way you could work on your PIC turbine, and get paid a little more as well.

Maybe one of the easiest fixes.

T

Duff
 

Duff,

Perhaps you have the time, but the people who I know had only a few thousand total and no PIC. I remember that was the case at most of the other majors who were hiring at the time as well.

SkyHigh

Hey thanks for the time and ADVICE, mike is definitely testy with the spelling issues!! I appreciate the input, I have been thinking I may have to ride this out and wait for the musical chairs to land me in the right (or left) seat. I definitely have a hard time commuting and being in school full time, and unlike Mike I don't get weekends off, we also don't work 10-12 days a month, I get the minimum 10 days off a month. I Just don't see a solution though, so I will sit tight and follow the ADVICE from mike for now. Thanks again.

Relax !!!
 

Mike,

Thanks for the ADVICE about the correct spelling of the word advice. :) I wish I was that passionate about spelling........anyhow on a more serious not, thanks for your perspective, I think you might just be right on this one.

Thanks again,
Ian