Instructing until 135 Mins
 

I just finished up the ATP Career Pilot Program and I already scheduled the Regional Jet Course which requires a non-refundable $1000 deposit, so there isn't much point in trying to get out of that.

With the being said, I found a flight school that wants me to instruct after i'm done with the jet course. But i've always wanted to fly cargo, 135, etc. So if that's what I decide to do I won't need to take ATPs program but that's too late now.

So should I instruct until I get 135 mins, and then get a freight job? Or instruct until about 500 or so hours and use what I learned during the jet course from ATP and fly an airline for a while, and then switch to 135? I'm not really sure what to do. I just like the style of 135 and think that 121 would get old real fast. I think that I would like to work for someplaces like Ameriflight, or Airnet if they can get their current situation straightened out. Like I said about the style of 135, turbo-props and Lears, etc. have ALWAYS appealed to me more than airliners. Then ultimate dream to go to NetJets.....(drools)

"Or instruct until about 500 or so hours and use what I learned during the jet course from ATP and fly an airline for a while"

First of all, RJ programs are a waste of money, in my view. There is nothing there you don't get at the airlines initial. Secondly, I think you'll find it difficult to get hired for a while at 500 hours just because you did ATP and an RJ course. I hope ATP isn't still preaching an easy path to the shiny jet. It's not like it used to be. And I think that's a good thing.

I'd stick with CFIing until you meet 135 mins. 1st year pay at a regional is low, you may be do better CFIing. Also, as a junior regional pilot you could end up on reserve and flying very little. If that happens, it could take longer to build your time. I guess a lot depends on what kind of instructing job you can get, too. Some are better than others.

Instruct! I did it untill I had ATP times plus a few hundred and then went to a 135. It will give you more expierince than yanking the gear in a RJ.

I guess the idea behind the RJ course is to bring you up to speed before you go to the airline class. ATP is saying that AE may start hiring again soon so they are trying to hook people in now.

Tommorow I will call and say that I was offered a job and see if I can get back my deposit.

Read the fine print in your contrat with ATP when you put your deposit down. I don't think you're going to get your deposit back. I used to be an instructor at ATP and they're not bad folks to work with at the instructor side, but when it comes to management, watch your 6! I think instructing till you get 135 mins is a better way to go than jumping into the RJ side of life. I think the experience you will obtain will be more valuable than the side of flying in the RJ, plus you will have a lot more respect for the jets than if you just jump right in. It may take a while to get to that point, but with the business side of life in the doldrums, I think it is safer to be an instructor than working the airline side of life. Good luck in what ever you decide to do!

Well I never signed anything about signing up for the course. I just talked to Paul Templeton and he said they put down the deposit and I got put on the schedule.

Currently, you have no choice in the matter. You will be instructing for a while.

Probably a long while.

A lot of it kind of depends on your views personally. Everyone here can say the RJ course is a waste of money and time while others think it is a great way to go. I agree that you should probably instruct for awhile or at least instruct and apply to 135 carriers in the mean time. Just make sure you find an instructing job that DOESN'T have a contract otherwise depending on the market you could get screwed.

As for what I think about the RJ transition course I thought it was a very helpful to take and put me ahead of a lot of people who did not take it or didn't have the option of doing it. I say do it but like others said, don't get the whole shiny jet syndrome in your head. Take from it instead on the operations of the way things are done. Otherwise good luck with what you decide in doing.

We have a winner! :D

To the OP: There are plenty of us with actual jet time who can't get into anything turbine, so the RJ transition course isn't going to do a thing for you. Plus, as de727ups said, there's nothing you'll learn in that course that you won't learn in initial training. Airline training programs are designed to get everyone up to speed and standardized to the way the company operates the aircraft, which you won't learn through the ATP Career program.

Get your CFI and instruct. Best thing you could do right now, IMO.

I have to respectfully disagree. I'm just starting out in 135 (prior 121), but I felt that flying an RJ gave me a lot of excellent experience. A lot of guys give it a bad rap by saying you "yank gear," but FOs fly just as much as CAs, and I fondly remember doing non-precision approaches (with the standard DME arc) to mins at night in Mexico, having to hand fly the thing because the autopilot kept bracketing the approach course. :)

So I called up ATP this morning and I think i'm in the clear. Paul T. said that I still had $2500 on account and it was going to be taken once I got there. So I just said I got a job and I wasn't sure if I'd be able to make it, and i've still got 2 years to take it at that price so I can still do it if I absolutely need to. I should be getting a check sent to me pretty soon.

Lucas,

Make sure that the $2500 ‘on account’ doesn’t mean that ATP has your loan money in their account waiting for you to use.

I too signed up for the RJ course back in June but then decided that the market was about to tank and took the $1000 hit on the deposit. Teach, my brother, teach until 1200 hours. Remember that the XC requirement of the part 135 minimums is only point to point…it does not have to be 50 or greater. Just make sure that on your training flights you put the wheels down at another airport.

Where did you get picked up?

Eric

Paul said that the money was 'on account', but that there wasn't a deposit so they would just issue me another check.

Anyways, I got a job offer from Dulles Aviation. They do a pre-screening for the Marines and if they pass they get sent to wherever to do their aircraft training, etc.

Good job lucas! I think you'll get more out of that than going with ATP. At least you'll be working with American students who have their heads on straight, I'm working with foreigners and it's much tougher....

Thanks. Now that I think about it, what would be the "best" 135 freight carrier to go to? I was thinking Airnet, Ameriflight, Flight Express, etc. But is there anyone that particularly stands out to anyone? Flight Express might be ok, and they fly to BNA which is close to my house, but they don't have any turbine aircraft though. Thoughts?

They don't have any turbine aircraft...

So what?

Flying single pilot IFR is tough. The workload in any cabin class twin is going to be higher than any turboprop. I think you're thinking way too far ahead and need to worry about the task at hand. Become a good instructor. When you get closer to 135 mins start thinking about this stuff. By then the advice given here might not even apply.

BTW, Airnet is furloughing.

Where can guys go right now with 135 mins? I've been looking around and haven't found much. Even talked with flight express not too long ago and they didn't have any classes set up for the time being.

I don't know if my old employer is hiring right now or not. He goes in phases, but it's a small out-fit, C310's, home every night(unless you do standby). Mainly freight, but also pax operations. Eventually you can get into the C421's or the C404(freight only). Pay is respectable, living is really cheap(indiana), but no bene's besides Aflac. Does have a 1yr training contract just because he's been burnt by 2-3 guys right in a row. My stance on it is if you give a man your word about staying for 1 yr, it's really not that much to ask honestly.

If you are at, close to 135 mins(1100+), PM me for contact info. I have a feeling they are probably not hiring right now, but they will always keep a resume if they'll need someone in the future

Yeah I know Airnet is furloughing, I am just trying to get an idea about which route to take when I get to IFR mins. Thanks anyways

And that's exactly my point. What's happening now, will be very different from what's happening in 6 months.

6 months ago, my company was still hiring and expecting to hire another 500 this year rather than furloughing 154.

Worry about the task at hand with a plan that doesn't target specific companies now. Start targeting specifics once their respective minimums are in sight.

I've got 135.243 mins and there's not much out there at this time. Ameriflight is hiring, but you will probably need to relocate to the west coast for any of those jobs. I interviewed with them about a month ago and didn't get the job in DAL because they filled the job the week prior to my interview. If you interview with Ameriflight, you will have to find your own way out there. I'm going to stay an instructor till sometime next year because I think (AND HOPE) things turn around next year. If you have a job as an instructor pilot, KEEP IT. I think you'll be better off working as an IP than trying to get one of those fiercely competitive jobs on bare minimums for qualifications and experience. GOOD LUCK!

Does anybody know what kind of avionics Ameriflight planes have? Just curious. I was reading on that austincollins.com site and he was saying that the Flight Express planes have pretty much bare minimum IFR equipment. I did the FAM flight with Airnet a few months ago and all of their planes from what I was told have GPS and AP.

AMF just got approved for GPS a few months ago, and they're in the process of installing Garmin 430's. The priority is on airports where GPS significantly lowers approach mins (think small airports in mountain valleys in particular).

Also, basic autopilots are being installed in the BE99's, whereas it's standard in other aircraft like the Metros.

My personal opinion is that they are a tremendous asset in unfamiliar territory, just don't become dependent on them. I've never felt sharper than I did when the autopilots weren't available.