Trafficwatch anyone?
03-24-2009, 03:49 PM
#2
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: May 2006
Position: 737 CA
Posts: 2,576
The best places are in LA and SF area. I did it in the San Fran Bay Area. The company (Traffic Central) was in Hayward. It's gone now, but you can find out who is doing it now. KCBS was the main radio station. Start there and you can probably find it.
03-24-2009, 04:51 PM
#3
Line Holder
Joined APC: Apr 2006
Position: Bus Driver
Posts: 51
I used to fly traffic out in Columbus, Ohio. The company, Metro Traffic, used to contract the flying to the flight school were I taught. They have since terminated the contract and are now using traffic cameras. Metro Traffic would provide a "reporter" who would talk on the air for a couple of different radio stations in the area who were operated by Clear Channel. I have also heard that Clear Channel was the one that made the decision to cancel the traffic watch to save money.
I would suggest making some cold calls to FBO's and radio stations to find out if traffic watch by airplane is still done your area.
Overall it was pretty fun job. My friends thought it was hilarious that they would see me flying around every once in awhile (the plane was bright yellow). However, the pay at the time was about 10.00 per flight hour (2005 dollars) and I had to get up at 4:30 in the morning. I would fly the morning and afternoon rush which would be about 3.0 to 3.5 hours a day in addition to flight instructing.
Hope this helps a little.
I would suggest making some cold calls to FBO's and radio stations to find out if traffic watch by airplane is still done your area.
Overall it was pretty fun job. My friends thought it was hilarious that they would see me flying around every once in awhile (the plane was bright yellow). However, the pay at the time was about 10.00 per flight hour (2005 dollars) and I had to get up at 4:30 in the morning. I would fly the morning and afternoon rush which would be about 3.0 to 3.5 hours a day in addition to flight instructing.
Hope this helps a little.
Last edited by neibert12; 03-24-2009 at 04:53 PM. Reason: grammar
03-24-2009, 06:18 PM
#4
Banned
Joined APC: Dec 2007
Position: PIC
Posts: 95
Illinois Aviation Academy (KDPA)is always looking for people to do that for the chicago area. It's unpaid when you fly and you get $5 an hr for sitting in the right seat and reporting. Fly half the time, report half the time.....C-172/A 's
03-25-2009, 09:16 AM
#7
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2007
Position: Ungh... I sign the log
Posts: 119
Traffic.com would be another place to check. Although my traffic watch gig just got canceled here in Detroit, so anyone looking around here is out of luck. It was done much the same as the others, contracted out to a flight school who designated a plane (C152). Single pilot and you reported to another guy in a box.
03-25-2009, 02:15 PM
#8
Does NOT get weekends off
Joined APC: Jul 2007
Position: ERJ - 145
Posts: 1,631
Flying for traffic.com was...scary. They also adopted the "you get to log flight hours so we will not pay you" which unfortunately in this world... people will still go for it.
