Stuck around 850 hours getting frustrated.
 

I've been stuck here for about 5 months, no outlook on landing a job. I've applied at numerous places made the phone calls and nothing. I'm getting frustrated with all thats associated with the love of flying for a living. I don't know where I am going wrong.

It seems people I know that have less hours and experience than me get jobs I only dream of. I know it's a rough road, I've been at it since 2005. I don't want to quit but I don't know which direction to go!

End rant :mad:

Where have you applied to and where have you gone to put a face to the name?

Well same here, I built a mere 1500 honest hours in ten years of trying. You just keep looking for skydiver pilot, CFI, aerial surveys, jobs like that. I did all those jobs. A lot of people find a steady full time job instructing or pipeline inspection or what have you, and knock it out in a few years. If you find one of these jobs, make sure you are getting the quantities of flight time you need to fulfill ATP or Part 135 requirements, a ton of daytime local vfr is not enough. If you have bills babies and loans, flying full time might not be feasible for you since these entry level jobs pay nothing and you are paid in flight time rather than money. But keep going, you'll get there.

What type of flying have you been doing to get to 850? Are you willing to relocate? My biggest success getting out of the "low time" stigma, was my willingness to move when an opportunity came.

I was able to get a job almost on the spot at 400 hours when the industry was in a worse place than it is now by being willing to move across the country for it. If you're not getting offers at 850 hours with the regionals almost all hiring then something is wrong. I'm betting what's wrong is that you're not willing to relocate.

I relocated for a Crappy caravan job, you can do it too with the proper budgeting.

If you have a CFI, you should have no problem getting a job. Especially summer time, flight schools pretty darn busy.

Disagree 100%. This post is way off.

1. Regionals are NOT all hiring, and of the ones who are, some are only hiring for attrition.
2. There is no shortage of pilots at ANY of the regionals as far as I am concerned. NO shortage. Maybe later, but not now.
3. Any minor weakness in qualifications (tickets, busts, low ME, etc.) still counts.
4. MUST hire people with 1500 hours, or close, it per the new ATP rule. In fact, you must have the other times required to take the ATP checkride that he does not have, almost certainly.

This guy faces the same uphill effort any new pilot faced in the last 25 years.

I have done charter flying for a local outfit since 250 hrs. I left for reasons I would rather not get into, just say planes were not up to par. Relocating is pretty much out of the question, I don't mind being gone for a few months but can't relocate.

As far as the regionals hiring at 850 where? ATP requirements are 1500 they will not look at you unless you have 1499 or more. I applied to numerous airlines about 9 months ago. Every reply began with " Sorry, you will not have enough hours by the time the ATP rule takes effect".


I do not have my CFI, I've been thinking about going back and getting it. I have a decent amount of Turbine time, 400+ multi, 82 actual, 140 ish night, I have a good amount of cross country time being thats was pretty much all of our flying besides Banner tow.

If you aren't willing to relocate then good luck, you face a very steep uphill battle.