Multi time building
 

Hey guys,

I have a couple of questions, to start here an introduction i am a brand new ink style wet Com. Multi Instrument rated pilot. I am looking to build multi time. I am still in college so time is limited but i do have occasional time to go and fly outside of my flight block for school. (No i don't go to Riddle). On to the questions.

1. I have done a little research on a block hour program offer by Ari Ben(Flight Training - Multi Engine Time Building Programs - Aviator Flight Training College) and i have seen both good and bad but nothing really recent. I was thinking the 100hr program. Now i will be doing this with one of my good friends from school who is also Com. Multi Instrument rated so i assume that 50 hours would be actually PiC while the rest could be "safety pilot" time. according to the page a fuel surcharge is including in the price, now is that just local flights out of their base or if we take the plane and go cross country is our fuel covered?

2. Can we split the price of that 100hr block time price 50/50 or do we both have to purchase that 100hr block to be in the same aircraft.

3. Any info on this program is appreciated good or bad, We are both trying to build multi time and would like to fly coast to coast if at all possible.

4. If you guys don't recommend this place what are your recommendations? Florina and NH are where we are from so places in ether Florida or the Northeast work.

Thanks in advance,

WS6

I have no direct experience with Aviator but I can answer a few questions. The prices on their website are the spilt cost. So you and your friend would both have to pay. I do not know how they do fuel purchases but I would assume that it has a cap on how much per gallon they will pay you back for. Air America has 3 BE-76 that they rent for $195 wet but to make theirs economical you would want to come back to DAB for fuel because their site says they only pay you back up to around $2.70 gallon. But if you stayed close its a good deal.

Thanks for the info Rotor. Do you know if you cna rent block time on the Be-76's? The place looks like a great deal. Anyone else with any information please offer it up.

Thanks Again,
WS6

Air America is usually pretty firm with their prices but for 100 hrs, it doesn't hurt to ask. The real problem with Air America is the way they are set up, the strict rules they have, the instructions from the chief pilot & management to the staff at the front desk which include to have absolutely NO consideration for the customer's deadlines.
The attitude is YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE THE FLIGHT OF YOU DON'T LIKE IT. That attitude along with the rules is enforced to the MAX.

You get what you pay for & while $195 + TAX = $208 per hour (WET with no additional fuel surcharge) seems a great deal but one does end up paying more as you have to buy fuel outside & they only re-imburse $2.70 per gal, no matter what you paid for fuel. Buy 10 to 20 gallons of fuel & you will see the difference.

If you plan on flying with the range of BE76 & come back for re-fuelling & just fly to log hrs & if you don't care that you have to spend 30 mins on the ground just to takoff, you should be fine.
DAB is sort of the JFK for light single & twins, we used to be # 11 for departure some times.

Leaving or arriving after hours (READ LATE NIGHT/ EARLY MORNING) to beat the weather is another big hassle, a VERRY BIG hassle due to air America's rules... Sometimes they simply forget to leave a GOLF CART or the gate card, now you are stuck, can't walk or get out....

I have flown their BE76 & telling you from experience..

If it was for 10-20 hrs, one can just bite it, but 100 hrs is a lot of time to abide by those rules...

BTW never trust those fuel gages......

Take my experience FWIW...

Maximize your flying also. That is, fill every column you can in a flight. Do a MEL, night, IFR (in actual or simulated), cross country as PIC to an IFR approach and landing. Look at your ATP flight time requirements and see what I mean. Anyone can do a local VFR flight during the day. Have fun.

I went to aviator, there time building is not to bad, like air America fuel reimbursement is poor, for the time builders, they normally have u fly 6-12am or 12-6am blocks. As for pic time, as a safety pilot u can log pic time minus the taxi runup and takeoff, as safety pilot u can not log cross country time, only the sole manipulator. As long as u get in good with the dispatch lady, sometimes u can get flights normal times, they can take the plane away from u if there is something more important it is needed for, I did about 60-70 hours in just over a week, it's fun, but if u have a little time to have more fun, like getting out and exploring the places u land do that, I was on a timeline so I rushed through it, had a great time tho, good luck!!

We filed and did IAPs 95 percent of the time, even when controllers said expect visual, we would have the weather ready to request a particular approach

Just a question, if you are a wet ink commercial why not get the multi time through instructing? What are you trying to build time for?

Thanks for the info everyone so far. jerjon were you able to schedule a block of time to take the airplane across the country if you wanted or was it only during those night blocks. bcpilot what do you mean about the strict rules at Air America could you elaborate a little bit? Phalanxo at my school there is not an opportunity to be a MEI. There are about 10 or so other instructors ahead of me for MEI school. But i will get my MEI on the side.

Thanks,

WS6

I spoke with aviator a few weeks ago and they said you would take the plane at night in 6 hour blocks when there was no training going on and then the plane had to be returned every night. So it sounds like no taking the airplane cross country and flying where you want but still a good deal for multi time.