Hows the job market for newbies?

KAG · Post by **KAG** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 10:15 am

Seeing all these job adds, lots of movment (best I've seen yet in 11 years) just wondering how the newly minted pilots are making out. Ramp jobs, dock jobs, or straight into a seat? How is it really for a newbie?

beechy · Post by **beechy** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 10:34 am

Um....i think the effects are still trickeling down slowly. Well at least for me, then again i am not trying extreamly hard yet. It seems most companies are still requiring high times to get onto tplanes like ho's and smaller twins. Pretty hard to get MPIC time if you can't get on one of these planes. It would appear to me at least that companies are still finding some higher time folks to fill these positions......anyone experience anything different?

I have heard of a few 2-3 hundred hour people getting F/o jobs on like bigger twins .... king airs, twin otters etc.. however eventually they will likely have to take a lay off to build PIC time in order to be upgraded......

ski_bum · Post by **ski_bum** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 10:50 am

I think right now is a great time to have a instructor rating, with all the movement happening, people looking for FO's etc, the flight schools are loosing staff. The amount of job adds for instructors right now is amazing, there are lots of people looking. Also with the boom more people will be trying to get a CPL finished or renewing an IFR or starting out a multi-IFR.

As for ramp positions I would think that turnover is pretty high right now with people getting upgraded into flying positions or hoping around company to company.

Good Luck to everyone trying to get there foot in the door, I think the time is perfect right now for someone who is keen...

Switchfoot · Post by **Switchfoot** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 11:51 am

beechy wrote:I have heard of a few 2-3 hundred hour people getting F/o jobs on like bigger twins .... king airs, twin otters etc.. however eventually they will likely have to take a lay off to build PIC time in order to be upgraded......

This is certainly true in Western Canada and places north. I have spoken with several co-pilots who got yanked off the ramp onto BE20 and bigger with some of the companies. Air Tindi was one of them in CYZF. There are a few in Alberta hiring low timers too.

But having said that, there are several companies who are still requiring some time to fly Navajo and to get right seat turbine. It hasn't trickled down all the way yet!

Instructors will be sitting good...

Switchfoot.

merlin · Post by **merlin** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 1:26 pm

how long will it last? thats what I'm interested to see, and will it get good enough to cut the ramp time down or even do away with it.

Buzz Lightyear · Post by **Buzz Lightyear** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 2:12 pm

I'm currently a flight instructor in a school operating a charter company in parallel (Navajos and King Airs). More experienced instructors are moving up in the turbine right seat but they all have above 1000 hrs. As for captains, they have no choice but hire from the outside although the company's policy has always been internal promotion.

So there is movement but you still need a great bunch of hours, whether it's for a F/O or a captain position. I currently have about 450 hrs increasing steadily and I don't expect to move up anytime soon, except maybe to teach on the twin and get the golden MPIC hours.

Then again, who knows what will happen tomorrow.

Good luck to all

Dave T · Post by **Dave T** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 8:16 pm

Still pretty tough to go straight into a pilot seat. Ramp wait at some places is getting shorter while others are just keeping it the same by filling more positions with pilots. It is a lot easier to get a ramp job though (less lurking and road trips). Luck and right place right time still has tons to do with all of it.

cinical · Post by **cinical** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 8:28 pm

The company I'm working for right now is looking for a Navajo Captain(1000 hrs min for Single pilot ifr) and get this.....everyone I've talked to at my old company who has moved on to other companies are all happy where they are and working in the field......I'm happy for all of them but shocked as well that my company can't find anyone with experience.

So nice to see though compared to only a few yrs ago.

nohojob · Post by **nohojob** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 1:52 pm

Company I am working for:
Ramp, office or counter + - 1 year
First position: first officer on Jetstream, PC12 or Navajo (200 to 250 hours)

V1 · Post by V1 » Tue Jun 13, 2006 10:04 pm

Things seem to be rolling a lot faster. Lots of people are getting jobs, and there is a lot of movement.
Ramp/office jobs that lead to a flight position tend to be less of a wait. Captains are taking off for the airlines, leaving companies short for people to upgrade, because of either high or ridiculous Captain requirements.

As for instructors, if your willing to shovel out the cash for your training and do circuits all day long, go for it. I would still pick a person with right seat multi time over an instructor any day. Its funny how insurance will let someone who's been flying a 1000 hours in a cessna 152 on vfr days sit right seat or go left seat faster then someone flying multi for half that time. But i guess that's a different topic;)

rampman · Post by **rampman** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 1:03 am

V1 · Post by V1 » Wed Jun 14, 2006 6:40 am

Sounds like you need to move..

Redneck_pilot86 · Post by **Redneck_pilot86** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 3:11 pm

Three days after my commercial ride I was sitting left seat on a 185. It can be done.

Capt. Obvious · Post by **Capt. Obvious** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 3:36 pm

I've been in the office for 5 months and am next up for the right seat of the PC12, food for thought.

Glory. · Post by **Glory.** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 3:46 pm

Iv been waiting for 13 years and havent gone anywhere

like someone else said, how long will it last?

If everything goes according to plan, ill have all my ratings by december 07/jan 08

is this boom going to last until then?