Flyboydan

I completed my multi on May 4th and will be flying my butt off now, with a loan, to get the comm-multi out of the way. The next step will be straight to the person who does the highering for the airline I work for.

This day ans age your total times can be very flexible if you know the right people at an airline. As stated in this thread's previous posts, it's about networking if you want to get in easier, but don't forget that networking with people at an airline can usually get you in faster than others. Getting a job with an airline doing basic stuff like working the ramp or gate can pay off just by talking to the pilots, meeting chief pilots..etc. Also working at a flight school washing planes or at an FBO/Flight School working the line can help you meet a lot of people too and most places give employee discounts on airplane rental and instructors. I personally get $10 off per hour of instructor time and 10% off the airplane/pilot stuff. Every dollar saved is priceless in aviation.

SharkyBN584

I like that your thinking ahead, but at 125 hours you're still following directions just to get to the airport. You have plenty of time to build Multi.

aerospacepilot

Thanks for all the comments. Sounds like I am either going to buy that block multi time or MEI.

Here is the decision I need to make. I have 125 hours and need to build 100 hours before I start working on my commercial. I can either do that in a single engine aircraft for $75 an hour, or do that in a multi engine aircraft (half simulated instrument, half safety pilot) for $90 an hour. Even if the airlines I want to go to do not accept safety pilot time, I still have 50 hours of multi and I have the time required to get my commercial license. The difference in price is only $1,500.

Here is my problem about the MEI. I plan to get all my instructor ratings CFI/II/MEI, and instruct. However, there are no multi engine airplanes to rent at my airport, and the other nearby airport only has two (2 diamond twin stars that rent for $315/hr). So MEI time will be hard to come by here. I could go out to Sacramento and instruct for ATP, or out to Atwater and instruct for Sierra Academy (I will get plenty of MEI time), but the pay will be much lower. ATP only pays $1,000 a month, and Sierra Academy does not pay that much (although they pay more than ATP). If I instruct at my home airport, I can get between $40 and $50 an hour, and make a decent living. So while I won't be getting multi time instructing near home, I will be making so much more money that I can buy the multi time and still come out ahead. And since I need to built 100 hours now, I thought doing it in a multi would be a good idea. (And it only costs $1,500 more than a single engine if I do 1/2 safety pilot).

For all the 135 recommenders... It sounds like a decent job, but I really hope to be at an airline before I have 1,200 hours.

Knowing this, if you were me, what would you do?
Buy the block multi time, or instruct at a below average paying flight school?
Thanks.

BYUFlyr

Got my MEI in October and got picked up by a regional before I could pick up my first multi-student (this was well below 100 hrs). Times have changed... start firing off resumes.

ExperimentalAB

ATP is the way to go for your CFI/II/MEI. You have to go to one of four locations that offer it thought. Don't tool around during training and they'll hire you. You'll be with an Airline just a few months into instructing. AND you'll be flying the Seminole exclusively.

Aviatormar

Where did you hear that Sierra doesn't pay that much? Free housing, free food, and I average about 2000 grand a pay check. Name a better entry level cfi job, ohh least I forget, all the multi time you want. What do you expect, someone to just give you anything you want? No offence, but it's a pretty good gig. All the guys who work here are fun, we basically do our job during the day, and party at night. Nuff said.

flyitall

I got mine through training (after PPL came Multi-PPL) and the rest of my ratings except for single commercial add-on, CFi and CFII (about 20 hours total) was all multi. After that I've used my MEI heavily and right now my total time is about 2/3rds multi-engine. 665 total and about 415 multi...resumes are out!

POPA

Shoot, I'd quit my airline job for that much money!

Aviatormar

It's not bad, honestly, tough to make it, teaching chinese students with little grasp of the english language (I know, read speak understand and write english for every cert.), but the money can't be beat. Old planes, hot weather, crappy mx, but great money. Plus we party quite a bit, on the weekends we try new places to pick up chicks. Last weekend Santa Cruz, pretty nice, the weekend before that Vegas. Only CFI job that I know that you can spend 400 bucks a month on nothing but kicking back and not feel bad. Good gig.