Need advice

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Skcollin
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Need advice

Post by Skcollin »

Currently working as a class 2 flight instructor. Got a job offer for fire detection up north and pending some responses from regionals. Should I accept this specialty air service job up north, I fully intend to finish the contract. I'll be banking multi time although centreline thrust, are my chances to be hired by a regional in the fall good? Or will I likely be falling back to instruction
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triplebarrel
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Re: Need advice

Post by triplebarrel »

Skcollin wrote: Wed Feb 09, 2022 6:55 pm Currently working as a class 2 flight instructor. Got a job offer for fire detection up north and pending some responses from regionals. Should I accept this specialty air service job up north, I fully intend to finish the contract. I'll be banking multi-time although centreline thrust, are my chances to be hired by a regional in the fall good? Or will I likely be falling back to instruction
what do you mean by pending responses? Does that mean you applied with your resume and expecting a response? Or does that mean you've heard back, got an interview and you are waiting or maybe they've even asked for your references?

How much time do you have? Would a fire patrol season bring you up to ATPL level or will it make you still short?

I don't know much about hiring at regionals and what the outlook is, I'm pretty optimistic about air travel (so are all these ULCC, which is rad) you can read the forum on encore hiring, people seem to know quite a bit.

I take things on the front end, guaranteed job and guaranteed hours. I've always been a firm believer in that. But that's just my opinion. Wheres North? Whether it is NW Ontario, or NWT, YUKON etc while on the road you can talk to other pilots and operators and see where they are at and perhaps find out what you can get post-fire detection. There's lots of great work up north too.

I guess at the end of the day if a regional doesn't take you, you can fall back onto flight instruction, are you ok with that?

If you've had an interview and are waiting for a response I'd wait but if you've simply applied I would take the money (hours) and run. That's just me, iI don't think there's a right or wrong answer
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DanWEC
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Re: Need advice

Post by DanWEC »

Do it.
When you're in the airline world you'll wish you had more stories to tell. It'll come. You'll be more hirable too.
Trust me, after even a few years you'll look back at these "fun" gigs as some of the best times of your life. :)
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Skcollin
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Re: Need advice

Post by Skcollin »

triplebarrel wrote: Thu Feb 10, 2022 8:31 pm
Skcollin wrote: Wed Feb 09, 2022 6:55 pm Currently working as a class 2 flight instructor. Got a job offer for fire detection up north and pending some responses from regionals. Should I accept this specialty air service job up north, I fully intend to finish the contract. I'll be banking multi-time although centreline thrust, are my chances to be hired by a regional in the fall good? Or will I likely be falling back to instruction
what do you mean by pending responses? Does that mean you applied with your resume and expecting a response? Or does that mean you've heard back, got an interview and you are waiting or maybe they've even asked for your references?

How much time do you have? Would a fire patrol season bring you up to ATPL level or will it make you still short?

I don't know much about hiring at regionals and what the outlook is, I'm pretty optimistic about air travel (so are all these ULCC, which is rad) you can read the forum on encore hiring, people seem to know quite a bit.

I take things on the front end, guaranteed job and guaranteed hours. I've always been a firm believer in that. But that's just my opinion. Wheres North? Whether it is NW Ontario, or NWT, YUKON etc while on the road you can talk to other pilots and operators and see where they are at and perhaps find out what you can get post-fire detection. There's lots of great work up north too.

I guess at the end of the day if a regional doesn't take you, you can fall back onto flight instruction, are you ok with that?

If you've had an interview and are waiting for a response I'd wait but if you've simply applied I would take the money (hours) and run. That's just me, iI don't think there's a right or wrong answer
Interview completed and was quoted a date to hear back by. I'm sitting at around 1500hrs, so in ATPL territory but short IFR. Fire detection is solely VFR so I'd still come short whereas if I stayed as an instructor through another summer teaching IFR I'd get my ATPL signed off. I'm pretty burnt out as an instructor, even if I don't get my ATPL req's flying a Skymaster VFR, I'd enjoy it much more. If I HAVE to go back to instruction, I will - but I am really hoping for a solid 705 come fall 2022.
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Skcollin
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Re: Need advice

Post by Skcollin »

DanWEC wrote: Thu Feb 10, 2022 10:24 pm Do it.
When you're in the airline world you'll wish you had more stories to tell. It'll come. You'll be more hirable too.
Trust me, after even a few years you'll look back at these "fun" gigs as some of the best times of your life. :)
This is the general consensus I'm receiving from other co-workers and friends. However, management and parental figures suggest getting into the airlines ASAP. I know ultimately it's my decision, but I'm not getting any younger and we all know entry level AV jobs don't pay anywhere near what would be ideal. Fire detection pays better lol
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triplebarrel
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Re: Need advice

Post by triplebarrel »

Skcollin wrote: Sat Feb 12, 2022 8:23 am
triplebarrel wrote: Thu Feb 10, 2022 8:31 pm
Skcollin wrote: Wed Feb 09, 2022 6:55 pm Currently working as a class 2 flight instructor. Got a job offer for fire detection up north and pending some responses from regionals. Should I accept this specialty air service job up north, I fully intend to finish the contract. I'll be banking multi-time although centreline thrust, are my chances to be hired by a regional in the fall good? Or will I likely be falling back to instruction
what do you mean by pending responses? Does that mean you applied with your resume and expecting a response? Or does that mean you've heard back, got an interview and you are waiting or maybe they've even asked for your references?

How much time do you have? Would a fire patrol season bring you up to ATPL level or will it make you still short?

I don't know much about hiring at regionals and what the outlook is, I'm pretty optimistic about air travel (so are all these ULCC, which is rad) you can read the forum on encore hiring, people seem to know quite a bit.

I take things on the front end, guaranteed job and guaranteed hours. I've always been a firm believer in that. But that's just my opinion. Wheres North? Whether it is NW Ontario, or NWT, YUKON etc while on the road you can talk to other pilots and operators and see where they are at and perhaps find out what you can get post-fire detection. There's lots of great work up north too.

I guess at the end of the day if a regional doesn't take you, you can fall back onto flight instruction, are you ok with that?

If you've had an interview and are waiting for a response I'd wait but if you've simply applied I would take the money (hours) and run. That's just me, iI don't think there's a right or wrong answer
Interview completed and was quoted a date to hear back by. I'm sitting at around 1500hrs, so in ATPL territory but short IFR. Fire detection is solely VFR so I'd still come short whereas if I stayed as an instructor through another summer teaching IFR I'd get my ATPL signed off. I'm pretty burnt out as an instructor, even if I don't get my ATPL req's flying a Skymaster VFR, I'd enjoy it much more. If I HAVE to go back to instruction, I will - but I am really hoping for a solid 705 come fall 2022.
The experience you'd get fire detection still isn't bad. Sometimes you will deal with marginal wx perhaps low vis in smoke it might make you a better pilot as well. I wouldn't flight instruct if you don't have it in you, not good for you or the student. I always respected my flight instructors greatly for their dedication. Sounds like you answered your own question there. It sounds like you'd be good with the Skymaster. I know your question still isn't answered but basically that's the million-dollar question; how is anyone supposed to know if you will be hired at the regionals. To my knowledge, they are hiring a good amount but it's fairly competitive. Do you gave your ATPL exams done? If not your chances might be lower. Also, think of all the people who built hours at 703/704 for the past 2 years who have atpl, turbine, multi turbine, pic, multi pic, raw experience, etc.

I don't know when your contract starts at fire or when you expect the airline call but Id squeeze it out as long as possible without losing the chance of a fire detection job. If that makes sense. Again if you take fire detection you can network up north and find out about other 705s, or even other big operators up north.
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Bede
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Re: Need advice

Post by Bede »

Easy. Go do detection. No one cares that the time is centerline thrust, only that you fill in that column of the logbook. With 1500+ hours + a bunch of multi PIC, you can easily get any turboprop job with a quick upgrade.
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