Is spending a summer towing gliders for the air cadets worth it? It's tough to get into unless you're properly connected. Decent pay, Free room and board all summer and as many tail dragger hours as you can fly...
But, is it worth putting off working the ramp and possibly advancing the career. I guess what I'm asking is should I go for the Scout pilot job, or hope and wait for a ramp job somewhere?
Towing For Air Cadets?
Moderators: North Shore, sky's the limit, sepia, Sulako
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stuckinthemiddle
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just curious
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Well Stuck,
As you may have noticed, summer is over.
Might start to work on it for next season. True, it is only a mitt-full of hours, but the connections you make (Flight Commanders, School COs) tend to be for life. A lot of your peers will be the usual low on the totem pole low-timers, but there are a lot of former cadets out there. Never know when you are going to run into one.
One of new FO's was the student of one of my students from 20 years ago.
The ramp will always be there.
As you may have noticed, summer is over.
Might start to work on it for next season. True, it is only a mitt-full of hours, but the connections you make (Flight Commanders, School COs) tend to be for life. A lot of your peers will be the usual low on the totem pole low-timers, but there are a lot of former cadets out there. Never know when you are going to run into one.
One of new FO's was the student of one of my students from 20 years ago.
The ramp will always be there.
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stuckinthemiddle
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- Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2005 7:23 am
i definatly got the ins, its just i dont know whats worth more... scout time... and a summer without having to worry about paying my student loans... or working on the ramp - with an opportunity to get into something like a navajo?
i'm really torn on the whole deal. should i move along, or stay somewhere i know i can probly get a job. whats it like in alberta, am i better off staying here and sucking it up and just doing what they tell me for another year?
being a pilot sucks.
i'm really torn on the whole deal. should i move along, or stay somewhere i know i can probly get a job. whats it like in alberta, am i better off staying here and sucking it up and just doing what they tell me for another year?
being a pilot sucks.
whats a guy gotta do to get a job in this town?
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just curious
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Flying time is always worth more than ramp time. As WJ gets it's 700 conversion traiing and line ndoc caught up, and AC and Jazz spool up their training schedule, the supply of drivers with 4-6000 hours will dry up.
Companies that lose these drivers often have client companies that want 3500 hour captains. So they rob from the next level down. Those client companies have the financial resources that drive higher safety standards, and they will not back off. This will force companies to ante up more cash to attract pilots who will meet those qualifications.
The upshot is that the companies looking for entry level pilots will always look at flying time as a driver for hiring.
There are of course companies in, say, YPL and YZF who will look for and find people who want to work the ramp prior to flying. Some have good policies for progresion in the company and operate aircraft under 702,703, 704, and 705, so that at many points along someone's time in the company, they can fly as PIC.
The trick is, if you must work the ramp to find a company that is actually using you in a way that will see you learn something useful, and at the same time, pay you, as a pilot, a living wage.
Meanwhile, the scout time you mention is PIC, reducing the time it takes for your ATPL, which is going to be really important if you get on a 704 company, since you won't be captain without it. It is total time, for companies with a 500 tt min for gov't & medevac contracts. It is a good networking tool, since the 300 powered and 300 glider students the cadets turned out each year (since 1974) are largely still in the industry.
Companies that lose these drivers often have client companies that want 3500 hour captains. So they rob from the next level down. Those client companies have the financial resources that drive higher safety standards, and they will not back off. This will force companies to ante up more cash to attract pilots who will meet those qualifications.
The upshot is that the companies looking for entry level pilots will always look at flying time as a driver for hiring.
There are of course companies in, say, YPL and YZF who will look for and find people who want to work the ramp prior to flying. Some have good policies for progresion in the company and operate aircraft under 702,703, 704, and 705, so that at many points along someone's time in the company, they can fly as PIC.
The trick is, if you must work the ramp to find a company that is actually using you in a way that will see you learn something useful, and at the same time, pay you, as a pilot, a living wage.
Meanwhile, the scout time you mention is PIC, reducing the time it takes for your ATPL, which is going to be really important if you get on a 704 company, since you won't be captain without it. It is total time, for companies with a 500 tt min for gov't & medevac contracts. It is a good networking tool, since the 300 powered and 300 glider students the cadets turned out each year (since 1974) are largely still in the industry.
