word302

I think I'll sleep fine Ace, but thanks for your concern. I was just trying to understand how all the numbers worked as I'm fairly close to the same stage in my career as you, just finishing up my CFI and hope to be instructing by March.

Good luck

chrisreedrules

first post on here... I'm in the process of finishing up my commercial multi and when its all said and done, I will have 350TT w/ 250ME. In the same boat as you. Not sure if I want to instruct but obviously attracted to it as a means of building TT. But the reality is, there isn't much out there initially for new pilots like us. Like one poster said, it can be the most difficult part of a career. Find a flight school that has a foreign pipeline... steady business and money even if it isn't the best pay. It would probably end up paying about the same as a first year FO job at a regional.

Systemized

The regionals pay between $14,000 to $23,000 for first year pilots sitting reserve. As a newly certified CFI, you could easily earn at least $30,000.

If you are not already familiar with it, climbto350.com is a popular website that advertises aviation jobs.

Systemized

I thought my knowledge of the FARs was decent until I met a pilot that held his CFI, CFII, and MEI with only 186 hours total time.

2bennySODC6

PFT at GIA (Silver) is out the door, so they say.
What a smelly pile of Bull@#$%!!!!

hesitant

I am not sure what you meant by Silver Airways. There is a flight school that says they are currently hiring and they are called Silver Express at Kendall. Give them a call. They were allways busy in the past.

BaronRouge380

Silver Airways is the new Gulfstream International Airlines (GIA)

Swedish Blender

Aces,

You say you have no bills but can't live off 1500/month. Fine. If there was ever a time to do it, it is now. Life goes on and you can't do it. I'm not telling you to go to Silver, but I'll give you my experience.

I've instructed, towed banners, flown charter, and air ambulance. I chose not to PFT (in the 90s). I had roommates who went to ASA, COEX, Chatauqua who PFT'd. I didn't. They beat me to the majors by 5 years.

Fast forward to post 9/11. Places like Chatauqua hired low time guys and had fast upgrades. Those guys got to majors at a much younger age than most people were able to.

You passed an opportunity that most people dont get at a time when you can afford it the most. You would build time faster and be able to move to another airline you like better.

Good luck.

BaronRouge380

Aces, I did not try to be little you at all. Sorry if my comment sounded negative I was just trying to be realistic given the pilot job market. My only message is with such low time besides instructing I just can see anything else. So by all means go ahead and prove my ignorance.
For info, I met a pilot at a job fair with about 400hours and a little over 100 hours on the 737 flying in Africa. Guess what, he was telling me he was going back to instructing because he's been looking for a while and in the US, with such total low time 737 time doesn't really matter.
Also, I would revise that know it all attitude and don't call people ignorant. You never know, this world is so small! An ignorant guy may be a pilot recruiter reading your resume, you just never know!
This being said, good luck in your search!
BR

nehringer

I don't think Ace posted his age or previous professional background. Many of you are just ahead of your very first professional employment, or you haven't been working very long. We all know that a kid flipping burgers makes more money than new pilots. We also all know that there are several place to flip burgers, just like there are several places to work as a new pilot. I'm starting to cull my employment history on my resume because it is beginning to look like I can't hold a job for more than a couple of years. When you jump on the very first opportunity that looks and sounds too good to be true, it can very easily end up as one of those "Why am I still including this on my resume" kinda jobs. Those of you who have had these kinds of jobs understand exactly what I am talking about. Maybe this guy has already had some experience with jobs like this and his professional experience is greater than his aviation experience. While most of us may view his decision to pass as an extravagant luxury the rest of us don't have, you might want to think about it and trust your gut when you are invited to an interview. Some jobs are better than others and money isn't everything. I'm making 1/4 of the salary as a CFI than I made flying helicopters. I know my future opportunities will increase as my airplane hours increase, but I have to admit that I have never been a happier employee. The business structure of my company is growing and there maybe a long term opportunity right here for me that will sustain my wife and I after our kids graduate from high school. That isn't the kind of thing you hear from most new pilots. You guys always look at what's directly in front of you and don't take time to look beyond it. That's probably got a lot to do with why our wages are so low!