Walkeraviator

So it has happened. My 135 job will be gone soon and I have my ear to the ground trying to find work that isn't airlines. I have 1400TT and 800+ multi. Let me repeat airline sare not an option. I will go into another career field before I will accept substandard pay and QOL. However, I may have found a job that has its pros, but one major con.

It is a part 91 job flying around the owner of a Cessna 340. It pays really well, but I will sit right seat. My issue with this is that the only way to log time in it is as a safety pilot (my CFI/MEI is currently expired). How much safety pilot time can I log before other companies I wish to work for start to cry foul?

Would you be willing to fly an airplane where you can log no time if the pay was good enough? I know in this economy "beggers cant be choosers" but I have to think about where i go after this job, and I need to keep logging time.

usmc-sgt

Unless the first pilot wants to fly under the hood every time it is not IMC you can never log safety pilot time. I cant imagine an owner who wants two pilots wants the PIC flying under the hood the entire time. This job would essentially be non loggable.

The only way you could log it is if the owner wanted two pilots and did not care who flew, you could switch out legs and log the legs you are hands on as PIC. Either way if you say youd rather quit aviation than go 121 and this job pays really well I would say id rather sit right seat being paid really well and not logging time than leave the industry.


Right seat in a piston twin really pays more than a regional? I know first year can be weak but some regionals FOs easily top 40K their second year. Dont get me wrong, that is not good money but I would be surprised if someone would offer 40K for an FO in a small piston twin that didnt need one. If it does then heck..jump on it if the QOL is good. Your times are competitive for the regionals but not really anything else at this time.

bcrosier

What usmc-sgt said, and I'd ask for them to renew your CFI/MEI as part of the deal if that's the route you want to go, so that you can log the time.

Walkeraviator

The pay is about twice what a first year regional guy makes, which is about what i make now flight SIC in King Air 200 (this IS loggable thanks to OP SPECS that require two pilots). 1st year FO pay in the regionals is not just low it is insulting. I would lose my house before i could ever get it sold, or i would have to commute which sucks. But the pay isnt my biggest complaint. I have been working 7on/7off at home every night for 4 years. I dont think I can handle not seeing my wife and kid for 12-15 days straight like the airlines do. The QOL at this 340 job sounds pretty close to what i have now.

As for the CFI, my intent is to get my CFII checkride as i never did it before, and that will re-instate my other two ratings. The problem is coming up with funds when you know you are gonna be jobless in a few months.

wrxpilot

What airline has you gone for 12-15 days straight? That's not even legal.

Oh, and op specs aren't what determine the legality of SIC king air time. It all depends on if you're flying 135 charter and have passed a SIC checkride.

usmc-sgt

Sounds good..I would not argue your reasons for not going 121 as they are your reasons.

As for the MEI gig, that also would not "fly". You can only log MEI time for the purpose of legitimate instruction. It is in the FARS (ive got to catch the airport van so dont have time to find it). Simply stated, just because you are an MEI you would not be able to legally log the time as PIC. Unless PIC needs dual given in the furtherance of a rating or simply proficiency, approaches etc it would not work.

Either way it sounds like a decent gig and I wouldnt doubt that in short time you could get your hands on the controls as PIC. With your hours and coming from king air SIC the 340 is not really a reach in terms of your qualifications.

Walkeraviator

Yes you have to have a 135 SIC checkride. But if your opspecs do not require two pilots, then even with your company giving you checkrides, it is questionable as to whether you can log it as SIC time. This from the Louisville and Denver FSDO's.

And it is indeed legal for you to sit on reserve that long. And I am including a day on each end for the commute. I am not about to live in Newark or Chicago or some place. So blowing a full day commuting from KSDF to wherever is a reality i would have to deal with.

bcrosier

It would be better if you knew what you were talking about before you answered. World, Omni, North American, Evergreen, Atlas, to name just a few. But feel free to call my POI do DO and tell them to get me home from my 18 day pairing.

ryan1234

Are you sitting right seat because someone with time as to be on the insurance or is it for the owner's peace of mind? If it is the former, than I would log it as PIC... right or left seat, whatever... if the insurance company sees you as responsible for the airplane, then all fingers will be pointing at you if something happens... so in light of that, you have responsibility.

There is really no reason why anyone would need to sit in the right seat of a 340, unless it were for those reasons. If the owner wants you to be an extra pilot for safety reasons, then obviously he isn't capable of doing things by himself... so it's not far fetched to log PIC time, because ultimately you'll have (or should have) a role in PIC decision making.

I'm guessing your salary is in the 40-50k range... I don't know what 340 owner in his right mind would pay someone that amount to sit in the right seat if that right seater didn't have some type of PIC role in the aircraft.... unless he was just looking for a charity case.

Can you shed a little more light into the reasons why you are there?

wrxpilot

At a regional airline? That's the posted I quoted, NOT supplemental 121.

Theoretically they could be stuck out on the road (like you guys), but I'm not aware of any US regionals where that would happen. Commuting is obviously an issue, and could certainly leave one on the road for who knows how long.

If there's something I'm not understanding, I'm all ears. I'm certainly not an expert on 121 rest rules.