Skyway Airlines
 

I'm a CFI and I just passed the 500hr point. I am already tired of flight instructing. The people I work with are wonderful, but there isn't much to learn about flying a C152. In fact, because I just sit there and talk students through I have lost my own flying skills. Anyway, I do love flying. I am wondering about Skyway Airlines. I have known of them for quite a while. They are close to home in the Midwest and I would love to move back to the heartland. Can anyone give me a little more info about the company other than what’s on their web site? Thanks!

I'm going to sound like an old codger here...

Why is it that pilots nowadays want to take the short road? How can you be sick of instructing already? You say that there is nothing left for you to learn in that 152, but I say that you still have LOTS to learn. I myself have only been flying since 1990, but I learn something new everyday that I approach an airplane. I'm a CFI as well, and I instructed for 800 hrs before moving on. I worked my way up to 135 mins. and went to fly checks. I understand that low time pilots have many more opportunities available to them than I had, but I guess your statement about being tired of instructing and having nothing left to learn at 500 hrs rubs me the wrong way.

As for Skyway, I can speak to that as well, but my info isn't very current. Spent 3.5 years there on the 1900. Great group of pilots; very capable pilots. Have 1900s and D328J. Not sure how many of each, sounds like the 1900s are going away slowly. Work hard, fairly low pay, good maintenance. If you are so lucky as to get hired on there, and they put you into the jet, I hope you are a much better pilot than I was at 500 hrs because it will eat you alive. The beech is a little slower, but it will get you as well.

It just sounds like another case of SJS. I truly wish you good luck, but you may want to do a reality check of your "career" so far, lest you "learn" something new.

Perhaps I should be a little more clear. I do learn new things everyday, and I am in no way in a hurry. I am 19 years old I already have all my ratings and 500TT and 70ME and I have a lifetime to fly big jets. Sir you are right there are many things to learn from a 152. However, as flying for an airline isn't for some people. Flight instructing isn't for me. I feel rewarded when my students pass check rides, however the flight training school I work at is crooked and cheats students all the time. Being an employee there I can put on over 100 hrs a month so its the best place for an instructor to be. Personally I'm really not into flight instructing. I'm therefore looking for alternate routs like Great Lakes or Skyway. A smaller airline with lower mins where I can get hands on experience flying smaller aircraft.

Mother midwest is outsourcing 15-25 50 seat jets to another codeshare partner. Just annouced the RFP a few days ago. I wouldn't count on any growth at skyway for a long time. I'd put my money on the 328's going away.

PS I had 1496.1 dual given when I was hired at an airline. 500 hours TT? LOL, jeez if you're tired of the BS there just WAIT till you go work for a shoddy operator that hires at 600 hours. Instructing is better at that point...

Check out the "Do the Colgan" thread on flight info if you don't believe me. The crap they put up with makes my head spin. All for some turbine time...

Thanks for the info, but why do you guys dis my 500TT? I'm not tired of aviation, I'm tired of being a young instructor. Not many students take me seriously no matter how sincere I am. So, if anyone has any advice about that I'd love to get some there as well. I'm not planning on getting hired by an airline any time soon. I'm just collecting info about airlines with lower minimums.

I agree with everyone above. If you think there isn't much to learn flying a C152, you haven't been doing it long enough yet. I'll give you a little secret about making people take you seriously at 500 hours. Be where you are. You are a flight instructor. You need to be a flight instructor. There's nothing that makes people check out on you faster than you telling them you're only here to put in your time and get out. Sure, they may ask you what you aspire to do. Most people know that instruction isn't your last stop. You don't need to remind them of that. Instruction is all what you make of it. I GUARANTEE that if you focus on being the best instructor you can be, and put out of your mind as best you can the thoughts about moving on, you'll get a lot more respect. At 500 hours, you have reached a level that many GA pilots never reach. The FAA says you have the knowledge level to teach people with no prior experience how to fly an airplane. That's a huge responsibility, and when you realize how big that experience can be, you'll be happier. You don't have to love instructing. You just have to be where you are. You'll get to the regionals before you know it. At 100 hours per month, you'll have the minimums for most places in 6 months. That's not a long time.

it sucks
 

hey man i can understand getting tired of the bs and sometimes people on here forget the struggle at the bottom but if you think people dont take you seriously now wait intell your on the right side of and RJ and you look like your mom just dropped you off to work. dont worry things will happen soon enough, i myself get unpatient all the time. im at colgan and its a blast, the pay sucks but some awsome people. pinnicale lowered there mins to 500/100

Thanks all for the advice. I've learned a lot...but I would still like to learn more about Skyway.

At least you're frank about it...but here's the rub. You're already complaining about your school being crooked and cheats. Every company you're going to work for will make you feel that way if you have that attitude now. I, like most other airline pilots, meet a wide swath of people everyday. I had a widebody F/O on my jumpseat the other day complaining about what happened to him. I've seen guys who have been at 10 (yes TEN) airlines and have been furloughed from each one.

This is a tough career. No matter where you start, at the entry level, you WILL be worked. On reserve, you'll be on a 1.5 hour callout, and lose weekends and holidays. It's a terrible life. I'm not kidding. I love to fly, and my company is fortunate to be one that is growing and we have a good Quality of Life contract, however, it's a tough life.

If you're bored right now, you will be out of your gourd at an airline (that means nothing exciting, as say emergencies, broke airplanes, WX you wouldn't drive a car in, but you'd fly in, and what not).

I'm sorry if this sounds harsh, but you need to do a gut check. I've heard the same rants from our F/O's, only focused to upgrade before they've mastered the skills of their job. iflyjetsforfood said it best. Be a flight instructor. Be the BEST flight instructor. That will also develop your professionalism. I was a young low-time guy and at over 5000 hrs, I'm still a low-time guy. As much as you think you know now, you haven't scraped the iceerg yet. You are still acquiring the tools to make your experience mean something. Today you could start groundschool and successfully complete training, but being online shooting an approach to mins in wind and rain with a bus full of people and being behind the airplane is a handful. Take it from someone who's been there. Moving on is a side project, because it won't matter if someone you trained hurts themselves.

Good luck.

I hear ya man. Before i got a 135 job, I was at the end of my rope being a CFI. You can only tell a student "right rudder" so many times before you puke. Looking back, however, that time while I was flight instructing was the best times of my life. Nights, holidays off. Lack of corporate bs and freedom to fly pretty much wherever you want. Small, cool airports. You get flexibility, MEET A LOT OF COOL PEOPS (met my wife thru it). Your hey day will come soon enough. I know it sounds trite bro, but enjoy it. trust us:cool: