Never Mind...

 

I got mine two years ago with 600TT...

 

but, turbofan started it

 

Want hours and high pay.. call these guys.. just posted on 350 yesterday..

DEAN INTERNATIONAL (Flight Instructors - (Earn $52,000 to $55,000 a year))
Tel: (305) 282-3058
Web Site: http://www.flymiami.com

 

First Post

A quick intro: I'm Kendall. Got my license in Watsonville, CA. Have about 250 hours. Instrument Rated. Was about to take Cmcl tests, then on to the CFI route when 9-11 hit. Uncle at TWA said find another career to feed my family as so many of his friends went on furlough. Now I'm in real estate. Currently residing in Grants Pass, OR and out of currency... in more ways than one. I enjoy my job, but I'm a bird with clipped wings.

So when I began reading this thread, it was about 5 pages. I wanted to post a response, but it took awhile to get the approval from the mods. I am short on time and haven't gotten past page 6 so if someone has posted something similar... well now here's another one.

I'll try to be brief...

This thread reminded me of my uncle. I have many family members in aviation and this uncle of mine is now retired from TWA. He and a buddy went into aviation around the same time. The buddy went the Vietnam, military route; my uncle civilian.

Here's the quick version of the story and reminds us what aviation was like during the booming years...

My grandfather bought my uncle a Champ. My uncle trained in it and flew it around the Northeast until he got his 250 hours; apparently the minimum at the time. He was then hired on at TWA where they continued his training. A very few hours later he performed his first retractable gear landing in a 707. Shortly after that he was granted Flight Engineer status. He went on to have a very successful career. As some of you probably understand, he says he never worked a day in his life.

His buddy trained in the military and did his first, solo retractable-gear landing in a Phantom at 50 hours. Shortly after that, he went on his first bombing mission. Again, this man went on to have a very successful, military career.

Throughout my uncle's career, he would rent a Cessna on rare occasions and fly it just fine.

I have no allusions about my level of expertise. I just thought these stories tell a little bit about the reality of what it can take or not to get in the right-seat.

Cheers

 

NOBODY flew a phantom ( F-4 ) with only 50 hours of flight training... not ever. T-37's ( or T-28's )...then T-38's..... then Fighter lead-in ...THEN F-4's..... at which point he would have had a couple hundred hours probably 300 of JET time..... much of hit fastmover time. .....

note: he very well may have soloed a T-37 at 8-10 hours .... thats about right, but a Phantom with 50 hours total time....nope.

 

Well I'll take your word for it. I'm no expert and I could be mistaken. That's the way I recall the story from my uncle's buddy. I met him at my cousin's wedding and we B.S.ed about aviation the whole time, but I haven't spoken to him since/in years. If I get in touch with him again, I'll ask him to retell the tale.

However 300 is not a lot of hours to command a fighter/bomber either... at least for the purposes of this conversation when we're talking 1000 hour minimums and such.

 

Military flight training... is a much more controlled environment....not better ....( though some might disagree with that ) not worse... just different. USAF pilots routinely upgrade from the right seat to Aircraft Commander with 800 hours in type.... usually about 2 years. Infact I would say you were expected to upgrade at that point..... at least they were when I did so.

 

[comment was deleted after further research that comment posted wasnt accurate]

 

Kendall - Regardless of what the guys say that was a good story. I hope your family is doing well these days.

I'm curious, how do you feel about pursuing real-estate as opposed to becoming a pilot? The funny thing is, I've talked to a lot of pilots who wished they had become real-estate agents.

Good luck.