Rent a Plane?

[DonutHole]

The most important command decision is knowing when to decide not to fly.

It stands to reason, more experience, more latitude in limitations... whether on your own or externally imposed.

But still, you're talking about a second job, not a first job. This guy needs 500 hours to get that jumper job, he's competing with people who haven't done any of that stuff either, but he's going in with almost 3x the hours.

You're talking about the job this guy is getting after he used his 500 hours to get a job dropping jumpers.

[Shiny Side Up]

Flying around a business owner in the mighty turbo arrow VI

That is a pretty sweet gig,

Maybe not as sweet as you think, it sounds like my first job in aviation. It was flying a 182 around for a business owner. Got yelled at a lot, didn't get paid for a lot of stuff, but learned a lot about the bad side of aviation in Canada. That $500 would have been a raise back then. Owner was really resentful that he'd lost his medical and needed my services. Also didn't seem to understand the limitations of the plane. Fun stuff, good times!

[SuperchargedRS]

Flying around a business owner in the mighty turbo arrow VI

That is a pretty sweet gig,

Maybe not as sweet as you think, it sounds like my first job in aviation. It was flying a 182 around for a business owner. Got yelled at a lot, didn't get paid for a lot of stuff, but learned a lot about the bad side of aviation in Canada. That $500 would have been a raise back then. Owner was really resentful that he'd lost his medical and needed my services. Also didn't seem to understand the limitations of the plane. Fun stuff, good times!

Owner was good to me with the arrow.

There are jobs out there for wet CPLs, just gotta look and move around the country, or other countries.

[JohnnyHotRocks]

Well said supercharged

[PilotDAR]

Owning your plane enables you to make flying decisions that you will not be otherwise able to make for a long time in a flying career. The boss does not want their plane out there in your "wet CPL" hands, taking risks, at their cost, so you can gain experience. You'll gain that experience only very slowly as an employee. Employed flying controls risk carefully, and therefore your opportunity to learn.

If you own your plane, you're making the decisions, you're gaining the experience, and the potential employer knows that. When I have has a say in hiring a pilot, the breadth of experience meant a lot more to me than the number of hours. I like the pilots who have crossed the continent a few times on their own, rather than the pilots who have left the province once.

One of the pilots I considered on behalf of a client came well recommended, but had a very narrow band of experience, largely as an FI, circuit to training area. Sure lots of time, but little experience. He was hard to tell. So he did not take advice well, and instead took a highly modified million plus dollar Cessna to his death. Another pilot I considered similarly found the place where the weather met the surface, instead of turning around.

So now, I consider the types of flying a pilot has done, much more than the hours in their log. There is no single answer, and yes, some lucky wet CPLs get excellent entry level jobs. But many more get passed over, when that extra one or two hundred hours of broad experience in the private beater plane would have made the difference...

[Rookie50]

Owning your plane enables you to make flying decisions that you will not be otherwise able to make for a long time in a flying career. The boss does not want their plane out there in your "wet CPL" hands, taking risks, at their cost, so you can gain experience. You'll gain that experience only very slowly as an employee. Employed flying controls risk carefully, and therefore your opportunity to learn.

If you own your plane, you're making the decisions, you're gaining the experience, and the potential employer knows that. When I have has a say in hiring a pilot, the breadth of experience meant a lot more to me than the number of hours. I like the pilots who have crossed the continent a few times on their own, rather than the pilots who have left the province once.

One of the pilots I considered on behalf of a client came well recommended, but had a very narrow band of experience, largely as an FI, circuit to training area. Sure lots of time, but little experience. He was hard to tell. So he did not take advice well, and instead took a highly modified million plus dollar Cessna to his death. Another pilot I considered similarly found the place where the weather met the surface, instead of turning around.

So now, I consider the types of flying a pilot has done, much more than the hours in their log. There is no single answer, and yes, some lucky wet CPLs get excellent entry level jobs. But many more get passed over, when that extra one or two hundred hours of broad experience in the private beater plane would have made the difference...

I agree with Dar. And it continues to blow me away that instructing is the first choice for many CPL's who have never left the circuit. And then furthermore will never leave the circuit and practice area while building their next 700 hrs, while surfing their IPhone. Yeah, Loads of seasoning and command decisions there.

You think as a wet 200 hr CPL now are fully qualified to teach the next crop of Air Asia captains? Rest my case.

Sorry it is what it is. And on my own next refresher training, when required, no way I consider using a green class 4. I'll stick to those with a lot more actual experience.

I don't hate flight instructors. I do have an issue with flight instruction, and especially advanced flight instruction, by those with precisely zero actual experience outside the practice area, and those not completely in love with quality instruction as an advocation, as opposed to gaining hours.

[SuperchargedRS]

Owning your plane enables you to make flying decisions that you will not be otherwise able to make for a long time in a flying career. The boss does not want their plane out there in your "wet CPL" hands, taking risks, at their cost, so you can gain experience. You'll gain that experience only very slowly as an employee. Employed flying controls risk carefully, and therefore your opportunity to learn.

If you own your plane, you're making the decisions, you're gaining the experience, and the potential employer knows that. When I have has a say in hiring a pilot, the breadth of experience meant a lot more to me than the number of hours. I like the pilots who have crossed the continent a few times on their own, rather than the pilots who have left the province once.

One of the pilots I considered on behalf of a client came well recommended, but had a very narrow band of experience, largely as an FI, circuit to training area. Sure lots of time, but little experience. He was hard to tell. So he did not take advice well, and instead took a highly modified million plus dollar Cessna to his death. Another pilot I considered similarly found the place where the weather met the surface, instead of turning around.

So now, I consider the types of flying a pilot has done, much more than the hours in their log. There is no single answer, and yes, some lucky wet CPLs get excellent entry level jobs. But many more get passed over, when that extra one or two hundred hours of broad experience in the private beater plane would have made the difference...

I agree with Dar. And it continues to blow me away that instructing is the first choice for many CPL's who have never left the circuit. And then furthermore will never leave the circuit and practice area while building their next 700 hrs, while surfing their IPhone. Yeah, Loads of seasoning and command decisions there.

You think as a wet 200 hr CPL now are fully qualified to teach the next crop of Air Asia captains? Rest my case.

Sorry it is what it is. And on my own next refresher training, when required, no way I consider using a green class 4. I'll stick to those with a lot more actual experience.

I don't hate flight instructors. I do have an issue with flight instruction, and especially advanced flight instruction, by those with precisely zero actual experience outside the practice area, and those not completely in love with quality instruction as an advocation, as opposed to gaining hours.

Are you a instructor?

For student pilots, even as a wet instructor, you know a lot more than a student pilot a have lots you could teach them, now if a ATP wants instruction he'll probably be looking else where anyways.

So yeah, instructing is one good choice for a low time dude.

[Abel.DPL]

Where are you looking for work?

I hope your answer is you already tried every operator in Canada, put 10,000mi on your car, handed out resumes by the pound and shook so many hands you need some hand cream. Anything other than that and you're in the wrong industry.

Look into jobs in Africa, mainly Botswanna and Namibia, hiring season is pretty soon and they had a good turn over rate and lowish cost of living, if all else fails wait around and you'll get a job.

Getting your instructors isn't a bad idea.

I agree with you, I am curently in Africa,in Namibia i have handed out more resumes than I can count, i'm heading to Maun tomorow but I know the answer: 200hrs is not good enought, recently the requierments have been raised to 300 in two companys and 500hrs in the rest of them for all non native pilots.
Now as for the instrucor rating, first I don't have the 7K and on top of that as much as I respect instructors I agree with PilotDAR, as a class 4 you build time for sure butthe expierience you get is very limited (and i'm not a good teacher).

Maybe buying a little windmill is a good idea, i'll look into it.

Thank you all for your answers by the way!

[love2fly14]

I must say that I'm really discourage and was trying to tell my wife that I should stop investing money in this dream.
I actually have another obstacle, my age. 37 Years and from what I have been seeing must companies are hiring under 30 and some push it to 35 for low time pilots.... more obstacles

[LousyFisherman]

The most important command decision is knowing when to decide not to fly.

No the most important command decision is recognizing the situation is not what was expected and
that your previous command decision is not appropriate for the current situation.

It is harder to recognize you have made a mistake than it is to make the initial (what appeared to be) correct decision

IMHO
LF

[DonutHole]

If you're not flying you're not Making those Mistakes.

You're three holes through the cheese where you would be none on the ground.

[Pop n Fresh]

Look into jobs in Africa, mainly Botswanna and Namibia, hiring season is pretty soon and they had a good turn over rate and lowish cost of living, if all else fails wait around and you'll get a job.

This sounds pretty good.

[Abel.DPL]

Look into jobs in Africa, mainly Botswanna and Namibia, hiring season is pretty soon and they had a good turn over rate and lowish cost of living, if all else fails wait around and you'll get a job.

I am currently in Namibia looking for jobs, i've been to Botswana as well. Their home DCA just passed a law wich requires you to have 500 hours of flight to get a work permit. It is not "low hours friendly" anymore. However the word is that it may change to 300 hrs during this year.