That is what makes sense to me too, but there is some disagreement on it (at the national level) and people have been violated. Holding Out is a complex legal concept that was glossed over in comm training. Go ask the FSDO to be safe.

Air National Guard is always one way. It'll take awhile, but you can get there without a CFI/II/MEI. Thats where I am at in my life. Didnt really wanna go the regional route, but when you need insurance you need insurance.
Also I would agree about the meet someone who has a plane and fly with them. If you can really get buddies with an old dude who doesnt give a sh!t about hours he'll let you log it.
If you can become friends with a dealer and he wants you to do deliveries that would be great too.

These are all things that I have done to get hours. Here I am prepping for interviews with regionals and flyin heavy metal!!! All without a CFI.

Definitely don't need MEI. It's a money pit...and many flight schools won't even let you teach in the multi until you get 1000TT or 500 dual given or something like that. But you'll need to find SOME way to get some cheap multi time...part 135 etc.

God your obsessed with that shythole.

Seriously I dont see what is so great about ATP.

Hammer on 135 operators doors.

I found one where they let me sit right seat in a 402 until I hit 500 hrs. At 500 hrs they checked me out PIC VFR in a bonanza, 700 hours VFR PIC 402. At 1200 hours I went full time IFR Captain.

I got from 250tt to 1200 in a year and a half. Everyone here will prob be offended but the quality of time was way better than CFI time. Single pilot IFR at night, no autopilot, all types of weather makes you one hell of a proficient pilot.

...and how much insurance they can afford.

X Rated

So why not be a CFI. Since august of 2005 when I graduated with 300hrs To now, that's including 2 months of not working, I'm sitting at 1700ish hours. I have about 40 in a twin turbo prop because of the local owner. I've also opened up doors to other 135 jobs since I've been one. I don't have my MEI and will probably only get it just to keep my certificate up to date. However it will be odd doing a checkride in a merlin :/ It's the only twin I have available to fly.

Don't 135 ops allow you fly so long as you meet the 135 mins if the checkpilot for the company is qualified enough? I thought if they checked you out you could dodge some of the insurance requirements.

http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/sh...irlines+prefer

(Read Billy32's posts for a good description.)

Great hour-building (better than most CFI positions in terms of the hours you get... I got 40 in my best week so far!) and relatively decent pay (for example, a company in Rochester pays $1800 biweekly, with a $3500 bonus at the end of the season. But you have to pay for your own hotel as opposed to most companies that pay you lesser salary but pay for your hotel/rental car.) Good learning experience too, as far as the flying goes... I got my first single pilot IMC hours through this job. Flew grids in NYC Class B for a couple weeks, etc. (Got chewed out by NY controller only once during my entire time there! :P) Most of my relocating cross-countries are done IFR - keeps me real current on instrument stuff. You move around a lot, but that could be a plus if you like travelling, or minus if you have family. It's seriously the best kept secret in time building. There are lots of companies out there... a few even start you out in twins. And most of these companies do hire fresh grads with 250 hrs (although they might state that they want 500... it never hurts to call and ask.)