Flying Ninja

I've come across this statement (or something to the effect of):

"You can always supplement your income with a second job."

No one ever gives any details as to how they are doing this and how much they're bring in and how stable that second income is. How are you, in your first 5 years as a First Officer at the regionals able to supplement your pilot income with something else? Please provide details so that everyone can benefit from this. Thanks!

ryane946

When I go glider flying, about half of our tow pilots are regional FO's who work on the side as a tail wheel towpilot. I know another towpilot who is a CRJ capt for Skywest, and he is senior enough that he fly's 3 day trips during the week, and tows on the weekend (And during summer you can make over $100 a day yanking and banking a cropduster!).

Just one way I know of pilots supplementing their income.

KiloAlpha

I'm saving money now to supplement my income later.

I currrently save $550 per month after all my expenses are paid for. When I save up about $10-15000 I will try and move on to a regional. I have calculated how much I will need to have saved to supplement my FO income on a per airline basis. My estimates range from $6000 to $11000. I estimate my FO expenses to be roughly $2000 per month.

LAfrequentflyer

What do you need to crop dust?

a special ticket or just a commercial SE/ME?

-LA

rickair7777

Military. Solves all the scheduling and conflict issues. You TELL the airline when you're doing military and they give enough time off to get there, do it, and return well rested. Federal law prevents any whining or hassles on their part...they REALLY don't want to go there. I never heard of any large airline giving pilots hassles. Try to go in as an aviator or at least an officer.

If you're a commuter and you can do your monthly drills in your home town, then you get an extra weekend at home every month.

Another good military trick is to finish year one at the airline (so you're done with your probabationary PC's), then go on military leave for a year or two. Your seniority accrues while you're gone, you get paid more by the military, you come back and presto, instant captain!

Real estate is another popular pilot hobby, but things are cooling a bit. Actually, your airline pilot status will help you in any sales job...the customers will find you interesting.

I have a friend at AAA who does high-end residential tile work work. He has a good rep, and people trust him in their home cuz he's an airline guy who lives in their neighborhood (as opposed to Julio from the Home Depot parking lot). He got into it by doing his own house. Nice fallback position in case of furlough too.

ryane946

I have no idea about cropdusting. What I know is these guys who got their private in a tailwheel. Then got their instrument/commercial/multi for the airlines. They wind up with about 250TT and 50 in taildragger. Get hired to tow gliders for slightly less than low regional FO or low CFI pay. Average 75month (More in summer, less in winter).

Towing gliders is usually done by old cropdusters (180HP supercub or 260HP pawnee). One you tow the glider to 3-5,000ft AGL, you go into a violent turning slip (3000+ FPM descent) and land, hook up, and go again. Kind of like doing aerobatics for pay.
That's what I was referring to. I am not sure about cropdusting.

rickair7777

Most airlines don't want you to do ANY outside flying, since that cuts into their weekly, monthly, and annual utilization planning. Unless you do it on the DL....

jmack

bartend. Thur fri and sat, make over $600 cash a weekend

MikeB525

Rickair, are you refering to commercial flying or just flying in general? My buddy at American sent me one of his old CFMs, and it said AA pilots could do as much personal flying as they want as long as it didn't affect their airline duties. They're not, however, allowed to do commercial flight activites, with the exception of the Military.

Slice

He's speaking of outside commercial flying...ie.,anything you get paid for. You can fly your Cub for fun 12 hrs a day if you wish. It's not worth doing the commercial flying on the DL because if you have an incident or if your co. finds out otherwise you'll probably get canned.