Pilot/AME

[ryolanovitch]

To Anyone that cares,

For some reason as hard as I try I cant seem to get going as a pilot!

I saved all my money built up a little tail dragger...crankshaft snapped...no hours toward ATPL....no commercial even..friggin bogus..
I saved all my money went to flight school finished my commercial,...got a job on Cessna 206 and 210, place went broke 3 months later no job no hours no money.....Again...Friggin Bogus

Again saved all my money...Went to AME school....am now working as an ame but still longing for the cockpit...

If I hear a Chief pilot say AME huh? one more time... seriously!!

Or to anyone who hires out there why don't you value at all a pilot/ame? Like seriously...If your going to hire a F/O woulden't you want someone who knows about under the hood?? And not stand there like an idiot when its broke? Or have the correct parts requested before it even goes in for maintenance?? A pilot that cares about components and how not to abuse the aircraft??
In the very least a pilot that wont write some ridiculous snag in the log causing confusion, time and money.

Anyway Im sitting at 486 hours

Any advise out there?

Think Ill just keep the fact that Im an AME under my hat when I go looking work as a pilot.... thought I had a leg up...

[overhaulin]

GO NORTH man! You'll get a job in no time.

[iflyforpie]

I got headhunted with 375TT and an M1/M2. Since I am basically the only full-time employee, I do most of the flying.


But it depends on the company too. We have an AMO and not too much flying (I get 2-300 hours a year). If you are going to be flying like crazy, the planes are going to need maintenance like crazy too. Better to have dedicated pilots and mechanics.

Plus, just because somebody is just a pilot doesn't mean they aren't mechanically inclined. I've maintained all kinds of strange birds over the years and my biggest resource for knowledge is often the pilot who flies it.

[Wburns]

Check your PM's

[Chemtech]

ryolanovitch

I feel your pain. I am in the same boat. I have an M1/M2, group 1, float time, taildragger approaching the 800hr mark and have been unable to find a full time flying job as everywhere I go I am not given the chance to get out of the hangar.

[mbav8r]

AHH, the old AME shortage stikes again. Back when I was a young whipper snapper, I was a rampie up North and we handled the Canadian 737 turns. There was a toolbox and a box of common parts in the forward baggage compartment. I asked the Captain if they had an AME with them, he replied," yep, me." He was certified on the 737 and obviously typed as well. He said it helped him get many jobs over his career.
I've seen a few companies promise flight line to AMEs to get them in the door, but you spend alot of time twisting wrenches and minimal time flying, until you get upset and leave for another company that promises you flying, guess what happens there.
I almost went that route, if it wasn't for the Director of Maintenance, he was willing to apprentice me but only if I could promise not to get my commercial licence. He didn't want to invest 4 years, to have me turn around and leave to go flying somewhere else. Sounds like it may have been a good thing for me.

[gianthammer]

The Pilot\AME is a route that will only work for the right person in the right situation.Your best chances of finding a place that will offer you a job doing both is to find a bush type operator up north that works heavy seasonal work then you can turn wrenches in the off season full time, but fill in only when really needed in the busy season. With that in mind you are only as desireable as your expereince and abilities, with no real experience you have no advantage over any other pilot that has more time then you. I had an M1/M2 with 1500 hours in 2005 and still could not find a job that did not want to use my M license more then my Pilot license. I finally was able to find a full time flying job but had to move back up north. Right now the AME part of my life has taken a back seat, I do not mix wrenching and flying down south as most small time operators dont want to pay you to do both, they will just expect to use your License for free. (my personal experience) I now work a part time AME job that is more then happy to use me on the right projects.

This day and age most operators are to narrow minded to see the advantage of having an AME that can Trouble Shoot a problem and pass on the right information to the AME to save them time in doing the job.

PM me if you have any furher questions or concerns

[structurespilot]

ryolanovitch I know exactly how you feel. I'm a structures AME in a major center, for a large charter outfit, and I have my MIFR too. They will not give me an opportunity to fly even though we have internal postings for entry level pilots all the time. They used to say "you need more hours". I'm at 275 and climbing. They last rampie to go on the flight line had less hours than me, so that excuse doesn't cut it any more.
The next place I go to is not going to know I'm an AME till I'm well established in the flight department. The good news is I have a part time flying job to build time, but it will only get me about 50 to 100hrs for the whole summer at best. Better than nothing I guess.
take care and best of luck.