A question to all you higher time folks out of work...Do you still try to maintain some sort of flying currency while unemployed (whether its renting or putting around in your own bird). Or do you not bother, and just wait for the next flying job to come around?


I have always wondered, maybe curious as to other pilots handle the rust factor when starting a new job, after being unemployed for months...

I'll keep the IFR/ATPL up to date but nothing other than that. Any rust will come off during the type rating/PPC training.

And to add on to my question a couple posts above...whats the longest some of you higher time folks have been out of a flying position?

I'll second that with keeping the ATPL up to date. That's about all I'll do. At this point, there's really no benefit from adding more instrument time.

I've flown about 75 hours in the last two years. Just did edit - three - edit hours in the sim and I'm good to go again after an IFR renewal. At some point it becomes routine and rust is not an issue.

can someone refresh my memory with regards to IFR renewal... I seem to remember something about being able to renew it once in the sim then the next time it has to be in a plane. if in the sim, can I just do it at a flight school's sim if it is a certain level (ie: level c)

17.000 hrs + total short of military I probably done it name a place worldwide good chance I flew into it anyone interested in buying a logbook or two cheap also included all the stories associated with the times . since nobody want to hire me might as well try to sell on ebay boys look on ebay!!

Biggles wrote:can someone refresh my memory with regards to IFR renewal... I seem to remember something about being able to renew it once in the sim then the next time it has to be in a plane. if in the sim, can I just do it at a flight school's sim if it is a certain level (ie: level c)

Depends which flight school... I'm not sure about the "levels" of sims, but I did mine in the sim at Confed and I know guys who have gone back to Seneca a number of times and used theirs.

Have some of you tried applying at Porter. Great company, only catch is that you must relocate to Toronto. With the experience some of you have, im sure it would be worth a try.
Keep your chin up boys/gals.

This thread seems like quite the paradox in ways. I gotta ask because it is unclear to me what happened to you guys? Laid off? Changed careers and now doing a comeback?

I am a low timer but I am in no rush for hours and now reading this, it makes me wonder what the heck is the point of having those "thousands of hours" in the log book. I just can't get my head wrapped around this at all. Every job I have come across has always stated that they wanted rediculous amounts of hours and now I see this. Speechless....

keep er' tight

302sc:

Yep... certain west coast operator recently hiring were specifically looking for low time guys that they knew they could maybe lay off and recall back next year. Higher time guys (over 2000 hrs, say) were not considered because of the risk of not having them back after a layoff. This was for a Saab.

Kind of ass-backwards, but it's the way it is right now.

I think maybe Pitot has something there. I have seen a lot more low timers finding work than high timers. Of course I say high timers in relative terms.

I have suspicions on why high timers are having a harder time but they're just suspicions. Low timers are easier to groom to the way that a company wants, and don't demand higher wages - again a relative statement. I don't know for sure, though.

I was offered a job about a month ago, which I ended up turning down because of accepting another job. But the operator told me he had hundreds of resumes from OVER-qualified individuals. You can not train a 10,000+ hour pilot to fly the plane the way you want. That pilot may fly "your" way during training, but will immediately go to "their" way afterwards. They also demand higher wages and can not be counted on for sticking around for more than a year or two in many cases. The job I accepted said the same thing. Both operators were getting resumes from guys with 5, 10 and even 15 + thousand hours, but they are hiring guys and gals with far less. Not saying it's fair or anything... just what I've been told.

Pete wrote:A question to all you higher time folks out of work...Do you still try to maintain some sort of flying currency while unemployed (whether its renting or putting around in your own bird). Or do you not bother, and just wait for the next flying job to come around?


I have always wondered, maybe curious as to other pilots handle the rust factor when starting a new job, after being unemployed for months...

For me, having been out of it for 18yrs with 3500 SMELS/Helicopters, I flew rentals and homebuilts in Vancouver.

It seems to me that Charter Companies want those they can, " bully " if need be - hey, it's all business. That is why Joe McBryant prefers to hire low timers. And, they can pay them less.

You are not alone my friend!


4500 hrs TT
2900 hrs SIC Saab 2000
1200 hrs PIC including 800 hrs jet above 20'000lbs

Applied to all EU who operate the aircraft I am rated and nothing at all!
Applied in Canada, still waiting...
One answer from India...

Keep looking ahead, however also 90° to the left

Ciao