FlyboyPhil

Send out your applications now.. but get the cfi/cfii/mei.. you will need the experience when you upgrade so that you can keep yourself, the 300 hour FO that is assigned to you on your first trip out of captain training and the passengers alive! Nothing like having a couple hundred hours of someone trying to kill you on a regular basis to increase your awareness!
And.. to answer your question, Great Lakes, Mesa(if you went through their program?), I think COEX/Expressjet lowered their mins too.. Good luck, and while you wait get the instructors ratings.
P.S. www.raa.org is a good resource for looking up airlines/finding their minimums.

nick@FL350

Thanks for all of the info. Still not sure about the CFi route because not sure if it is the best route for myself. I have been offered a position (non-paid) to build time by flying friends/cargo all over the country, which would allow me to have way over the minimums for applying within 3-4 months. I think the experience I would gain ther would be way more valuable then instructing a student stalls day in and day out. Just my opinion though. I haven't ruled out instructing, but the price tag for all 3 ratings is scaring me away. So far I have gotten figures in the range of $16,000-$18,000 for a 141 school Vs. the non salary postion which i would only need to pay for housing, food, etc. for 3-4 months and gaining multi PIC time. Not making a decision any time soon because I want to finish up with my degree since I feel that will be the biggest factor when it comes to an employers decision, I just wanted to get some thoughts. Thanks for the help

KiloAlpha

I worked for a formed US Air Check Airman who also did hiring and he told me that he would hire a CFI over a non-CFI any day. So yes, maybe it is quicker to get into a regional without instructing, but down the road it may come back to haunt you.

Having had the same thoughts you are having now, I am speaking from experience. I did not initially want to be a CFI, my conception was the same as yours. Who wants to do stalls day in and day out. Well, as I have come to realize, you are doing much more that. You are developing leadership and interpersonal skills that you will not obtain flying boxes of Frosted Flakes around.

These skills are much more imporant than flying some lame piston twin across the country in the middle of the night. Also, while I'm at it... NOT PAID.. are you really that worthless that you are willing to work for free? You have trained hard and spent countless thousands of dollars, don't you think you deserve some sort of compensation? That's like a college graduate taking a job with no pay.. kinda silly huh?

People like you are the reason turboprop FOs are making $15 an hour!

Sorry for being rude, I was only reacting to your post and do not know all details of your situation.

CONCLUSION: Everyone on this board cannot be wrong. People who have been there and done that will all tell you the same. BE AN INSTRUCTOR! You will be a better pilot and future FO because of it.

nick@FL350

KiloAlpha-
I see what you are saying about the leadership and listening skills-good point. i haven't yet decided on whether or not to go down the instructor route so it's still up in the air. Some friends of my father have kind of taken me under their wing and allowed me to come with them whenever they go somewhere, but it's just that I'm not flying as much as i would like to. I guess i will just see where my future goes when I am finished with my degree. Who knows, I could have enough time when i get finished with school to start applying.

SkyHigh

Hey Nick,

If you really don't want to become a CFI then I wouldn't. It is a tuff job and your potential students deserve someone who wants to be there. I would add up the cost of getting all your licences and see how much time you could buy with the money. Perhaps that would be enough to put you over the top.

SkyHigh

FlyerJosh

Nick,

For once I totally agree with SkyHigh. If you don't want to instruct (for whatever personal reason), DON'T! I agree that instructing is one of the best ways to build flight time and learn a LOT about flying (and yourself). I personally learned more about flying in my first 3 months of teaching than I did at a 4 year aviation college.

However, just because it is a great way to go, doesn't mean that it is for everybody. Some people just don't make good teachers. Some people don't enjoy it, and others just can't make the commitment to the students that they deserve. If you are dead set against teaching, then steer clear... your (potential) students deserve somebody that will take their needs into consideration and have the dedication/determination to see thier lessons through.

~J

FlyerJosh

Oh, one other thing about your potential gig... will you actually be flying? Or will you just be sitting there and watching, while you log time for no pay? If you are actually flying, you should reach some sort of agreement to be paid if the aircraft is being used to make money. If it is just a friend that is willing to let you fly their plane, then it's a different story... but if you are making money for a company, you should be monetarily compensated in some form.

nick@FL350

Ya it basically is just some friends of mine helping me build time which I am actually flying. I don't think I could work for free after reading through some post and from some of my original post I made. I understand now that it is that exactly that which will bring down the profession and in the long run my pay.

-Nick

otter

600 TT 50 ME. Sure it's a twin otter, however, 121 time always looks good.

nick@FL350

That is where I plan going to since I have some great connections there (unfortunately it's pretty much my only connection right now). I think it's a great place to start out because I like the fact that you get to come home everyday instead of some hotel room