Any Pilots around?

[D-Pound]

I have been flying for a few years now and love it, trying to make a career out of it.

[AJbuilder]

Flying is superb. I'm finishing up my instrument rating this summer and hoping to complete everything to MEI in two semesters with my degree. Putting it bluntly I had the director of ops at my college tell me the industry is going through some turbulent changes with regards to the majors contracting out flying to regionals, hence the race to the bottom with low low wages at the regional levels. The major jobs paying 250k are fewer than ever before and that much more competitive. Only a few companies like Southwest, UPS, Fedex, Netjets will allow you to top 200k at the peak of your career and that's if you can even get into those companies, otherwise you can very well be stuck earning 90k(after 20 years) at the lower legacies and regionals.

[skinnyme]

Yup. Private SEL here. I too had though about a career in flying, but I decided I liked it more for the fun of it. I ended up in the medical field instead. Even so, I still wouldn't mind getting my commercial and instructor rating and doing a little teaching on the side. With school and all that goes with it, I haven't been up in quite a while, so I'm planning on a little refresher stuff this summer and getting back into the hot seat.
That is true about the jobs though. I do have a little experience in the corporate aviation world, and so had the opportunity to pick up on a lot of stuff going on. I would agree on the companies that AJ listed. It is hard to get a slot with some of them anymore. And any other companies isn't going to pay nearly as good. A close follower of NetJets is Flight Options, and also FlexJets. I consider them both excellent companies to work with (I did a lot of business with both).
Of course, if you want to start rock bottom, there's always the freighter services like Ameristar of Grand Aire! ;) You'll get your ass worked off for next to nothing, but it's flight time. Even small-time 141 ops are getting harder to come by. You almost have to know the right people to get into something like that.
Anyway, good luck with ya'lls careers in aviation. It's lots of fun. To me, there's nothing like flying.

[GLFST550]

If your are a NetJets pilot you can have fun collecting public welfare compensation for a year or two, those guys get paid ****.

[skinnyme]

Really? Those guys always implied to me that they made pretty good for their line of work. I didn't do a whole lot of business with NetJets, but what pilots I did talk to acted like it was a great company to fly for.
I will say that most pilots I talked to that flew for companies like these were hoping to hook up with some private corporate flying job eventually.

[AJbuilder]

Check out airlinepilotcentral.com for payrates of the companies. Top pay at Netjets is on reserve as captain after 10yrs on the BBJ at 229,850. Starting first year pay is 39k for line at 7 days on and 7 days off. You also count in extended day pay and overtime flying so the salaries that those guys make are actually a bit higher than the base pay listed on the site. They also got a pay raise over the holidays. Their pay is highest out of all the fractionals and it's a career place .

[GLFST550]

Check out airlinepilotcentral.com for payrates of the companies. Top pay at Netjets is on reserve as captain after 10yrs on the BBJ at 229,850. Starting first year pay is 39k for line at 7 days on and 7 days off. You also count in extended day pay and overtime flying so the salaries that those guys make are actually a bit higher than the base pay listed on the site. They also got a pay raise over the holidays. Their pay is highest out of all the fractionals and it's a career place .

There was an article about a year ago talking about how NetJets pilots got payed dirt, must have changed it.

Regardless, if you start out at a regional or cheap corporate place you can count on getting payed less than a bus driver alot of the time.

[Snoopis]

I used to fly with friends, but never actually tried to get my private. It was a lot of fun, if I won the lottery I'd definitely own a small plane.

[bluemarlin04]

I want to be a naval aviator when I grad college...Looking to fly p-3's, or e-2s. or helos.

[D-Pound]

The airlines are having a tough time but it looks like its on the upside. If you look at a time line, every ten years or so the industry falls out and pilots are out of jobs. Also within the next 5-10 years all those babyboomers will have to retire opeing up may of slots! The airliners was my main goal not too long ago now corporate looks good too. Which is the better field?

[AJbuilder]

The airlines are having a tough time but it looks like its on the upside. If you look at a time line, every ten years or so the industry falls out and pilots are out of jobs. Also within the next 5-10 years all those babyboomers will have to retire opeing up may of slots! The airliners was my main goal not too long ago now corporate looks good too. Which is the better field?



They say that the year ending with 7 are good years for the airlines and years ending with 2 are bad. 1982, 1992, and 2002 were all bad years for the airlines. 1957, 1967, 1987, and 1997 were all good years to be hired. I don't think it's necessarily that corporate is better than airlines. You just have to research into the companies and decide for yourself which lifestyle you want. It's all very cyclical even on the corporate side. Working in a corporate setting is different from the scheduled airlines. There are ****ty companies on both sides. On airlines you have the crappy bottom feeder regionals with crap wages and crap work rules like Mesa, GoJets, Great Lakes. They fly as express feeders for the majors. Granted, a lot will go into regionals first to gain some turbine PIC time. You have currently good airlines too like Continental, Fedex and UPS which are both scheduled freight, Southwest, Airtran, Jetblue, and then the international airlines like Emirates and Cathay Pacific. Companies like Delta, United Airlines, Northwest are in trouble and will probably not hire anytime soon. Some companies have a lot of pilots on furlough so even with the babyboomers retiring, a good portion of those furloughed will get called back. Those furloughed are usually the younger pilots hired in the late 90s boom . Some from the regionals will move on to the majors leaving us new guys to fill in at the regionals and the whole process repeats.

[King Makaveli]

Nice! Glad to see that there are fellow pilots on here. Me myself I only have 6 hours, but my eventual goal is to be a commercial pilot. I learned to fly before I knew how to drive!

[GLFST550]

The airlines are having a tough time but it looks like its on the upside. If you look at a time line, every ten years or so the industry falls out and pilots are out of jobs. Also within the next 5-10 years all those babyboomers will have to retire opeing up may of slots! The airliners was my main goal not too long ago now corporate looks good too. Which is the better field?

Corporate depends...

You could be flying right seat on a 414 making pennies or you could be a G-V or a BBJ captain for a Fortune 500 company.

[RockyIV]

I want to be a naval aviator when I grad college...Looking to fly p-3's, or e-2s. or helos.


Good luck with that goal. I've heard that it's getting tougher with squadrons being phased out and displaced pilots being trained on new aircraft are taking up places in flight school for those that are trying to get in. They said the if your scores aren't very high, don't hold your breath. A family member of my flew p-3's and C-130 for 25 years in the Navy. Go Navy.

PM me if I can answer an specific questions for you.

[D-Pound]

My main goal is to get into a major airline down the road. To get there flying corporate may be the answer or reginoals i don't know. I just want to get paid to fly! I have recently been looking into the Air National Guard and believe it is a good way to reach my goal. Looking at some squadrons on the east cost flying F-16's, A-10's, C-130's, C-17's, or KC-135's. Any advise on the Air National Guard?

[bluemarlin04]

Good luck with that goal. I've heard that it's getting tougher with squadrons being phased out and displaced pilots being trained on new aircraft are taking up places in flight school for those that are trying to get in. They said the if your scores aren't very high, don't hold your breath. A family member of my flew p-3's and C-130 for 25 years in the Navy. Go Navy.

PM me if I can answer an specific questions for you.
thanks, I know its getting more competitive. I just want to get selected as a SNA than Im good to go. I dont care what I fly, as long as I can fly for the navy.

[RockyIV]

My main goal is to get into a major airline down the road. To get there flying corporate may be the answer or reginoals i don't know. I just want to get paid to fly! I have recently been looking into the Air National Guard and believe it is a good way to reach my goal. Looking at some squadrons on the east cost flying F-16's, A-10's, C-130's, C-17's, or KC-135's. Any advise on the Air National Guard?

I know you have a pretty good chance if you were in the service before.

[D-Pound]

I know you have a pretty good chance if you were in the service before.
I know that they like that and like to hire those within the unit but I would be coming off the street looking for a pilot training slot. I have my ratings with about 450 hrs. I visited one KC-135 squadron and they liked that i had this experience and told me to get my resume in. Just wondering if anyone has flow in the guard or advise on getting selected

[bluemarlin04]

I know that they like that and like to hire those within the unit but I would be coming off the street looking for a pilot training slot. I have my ratings with about 450 hrs. I visited one KC-135 squadron and they liked that i had this experience and told me to get my resume in. Just wondering if anyone has flow in the guard or advise on getting selected
heres how it works, you need to have a college degree, apply to a board, get selected for OCS, go to flight school, earn your wings which usually takes 1-2 years depending on aircraft. And good luck trying to fly with a reserve squadron with no prior military experience, chances are very slim.

[GLFST550]

heres how it works, you need to have a college degree, apply to a board, get selected for OCS, go to flight school, earn your wings which usually takes 1-2 years depending on aircraft. And good luck trying to fly with a reserve squadron with no prior military experience, chances are very slim.

You don't need a college degree.

[Snoopis]

In the last 10 years or so, there has been a major shift from hiring former military to hiring people with 4year degrees. More of the new hires are college grads than former military. I don't know if that's by choice, or just because that's who is available.

[AJbuilder]

In the last 10 years or so, there has been a major shift from hiring former military to hiring people with 4year degrees. More of the new hires are college grads than former military. I don't know if that's by choice, or just because that's who is available.


That's because in the "glory" days of aviation there was regulation and fewer chances of getting hired if you were civilian. After deregulation in the late 70s, hiring slowed so they took the military guys because it has traditionally been mainly military. Airlines were still coping with deregulation and stopped hiring for a few years into the 80s. It picked up a bit in the mid to late 80s and more civilians were hired(including lots of female civilian pilots) as the military downsized the supply of pilots. The WW2 era of pilots also started retiring.

[GLFST550]

In the last 10 years or so, there has been a major shift from hiring former military to hiring people with 4year degrees. More of the new hires are college grads than former military. I don't know if that's by choice, or just because that's who is available.

Alot of the pilots in Nam are getting to the age where the FAA requires you to retire (60).

There hasnt been a major war requiring a massive military build up, like during the Cold War.

[D-Pound]

To be an officer (pilot) you need a four year degree. We'll see what happens its worth trying even without proir service.

[bluemarlin04]

You don't need a college degree.
to fly in the navy or marine corps you do, only comissioned officers fly. They are trying out warrants, only a few, but you still have to have a AA.

[jmonty]

To be an officer (pilot) you need a four year degree. We'll see what happens its worth trying even without proir service.
wrong. you can join the US Army and fly helicopters right out of highschool.

[bluemarlin04]

wrong. you can join the US Army and fly helicopters right out of highschool.
no you cant, you have to be a e5 which doesnt happen out of highschool, and even than you are limited to choppers, and most warrants have degrees. To fly in the Navy, Marines, airforce you must have a degree.

[jmonty]

no you cant, you have to be a e5 which doesnt happen out of highschool, and even than you are limited to choppers, and most warrants have degrees. To fly in the Navy, Marines, airforce you must have a degree.
hmm.. the pilot that flew me around yesterday must have been imaginary then.

[bluemarlin04]

hmm.. the pilot that flew me around yesterday must have been imaginary then.
what were you flying in? Are you telling me an enlisted guy flew you around?

[jmonty]

i guess we are just not understanding each other. all i'm saying is that you can be a helicopter pilot in the army with no other experiene and no degree.

[bluemarlin04]

i guess we are just not understanding each other. all i'm saying is that you can be a helicopter pilot in the army with no other experiene and no degree.
Yes, I am agreeing with you here, I thought that to be a warrant you had to be a sgt or higher before applying, I stand corrected. But to fly in other service, you have to be a comissioned officer.

[RockyIV]

You don't need a college degree.

I think you do need a 4 year degree to be pilot or copilot. You can be a flight engineer w/o college.

[Geno]

I think you do need a 4 year degree to be pilot or copilot. You can be a flight engineer w/o college.

Nope - Army and Marines allow warrant officers to fly rotor wing aircraft. No degree needed, just hard work.

[RockyIV]

Nope - Army and Marines allow warrant officers to fly rotor wing aircraft. No degree needed, just hard work.

They must have reduced the requirements. From the 80's on back you had to be an officer to be pilot or copilot. The flight engineers were enlisted and I think the navigators, if you had one, were too.

[bluemarlin04]

Nope - Army and Marines allow warrant officers to fly rotor wing aircraft. No degree needed, just hard work.
wrong, only army allows warrant officers to fly, Tobe a pilot in the Corps, you hav to be a officer. Marine corps falls under Naval Aviation, you have to have a degree.

[bluemarlin04]

They must have reduced the requirements. From the 80's on back you had to be an officer to be pilot or copilot. The flight engineers were enlisted and I think the navigators, if you had one, were too.
you are correct, navigators are NFO's and are commissioned as well as pilots, you can be a flight engineer or Aircrew but not fly if you are enlisted in anything except army.

[GLFST550]

to fly in the navy or marine corps you do, only comissioned officers fly. They are trying out warrants, only a few, but you still have to have a AA.

No you don't, I know plenty of guys who were PRIOR SERVICE enlisted with no higher education who went to OCS and got their bars.

[bluemarlin04]

No you don't, I know plenty of guys who were PRIOR SERVICE enlisted with no higher education who went to OCS and got their bars.
How so? Please tell me how to apply to ocs with no degree and get accepted. And it still goes with what I said, To fy in the marine corps or navy you have to be a commissioned officer.

[GLFST550]

How so? Please tell me how to apply to ocs with no degree and get accepted. And it still goes with what I said, To fy in the marine corps or navy you have to be a commissioned officer.

I never said you don't have to be a commissioned officer.

Find your local OSO and talk to him, you can get into OCS with prior service and no degree. I know a guy who was an avionics tech who is at P-Cola right now as a SNA.

BTW, if you go to OCS as prior service enlisted, theres going to be alot expected of you. Colonel Chase (http://www.ocs.usmc.mil/New_Web_Format/Command_Info/Commanding_Officer.htm) was enlisted... so as prior enlisted you don't want to have to go infront of him for performance defeciency. You don't want to have to go infront of him at all...

[admin]

I'm a private pilot as well. I got my license in 2004. LOVE IT! Trying to move up to a 182 from a 172 right now.

Ryan

[Travis71902]

Wow strong rich^

[bluemarlin04]

I never said you don't have to be a commissioned officer.

Find your local OSO and talk to him, you can get into OCS with prior service and no degree. I know a guy who was an avionics tech who is at P-Cola right now as a SNA.

BTW, if you go to OCS as prior service enlisted, theres going to be alot expected of you. Colonel Chase (http://www.ocs.usmc.mil/New_Web_Format/Command_Info/Commanding_Officer.htm) was enlisted... so as prior enlisted you don't want to have to go infront of him for performance defeciency. You don't want to have to go infront of him at all...
damn thats pretty sweet, Learn something new everyday, Are you a comissioned officer? Im trying to get a spot in 2009 when I graduate.

[skinnyme]

I'm a private pilot as well. I got my license in 2004. LOVE IT! Trying to move up to a 182 from a 172 right now.

Ryan

You'll love the performance difference. You've got a few more horses under the cowling of a 182, and a little more cabin room as well. ;)

[GLFST550]

You'll love the performance difference. You've got a few more horses under the cowling of a 182, and a little more cabin room as well. ;)

When I went from simple trainers to "complex/high performance" (bout 10 years ago) I thought it was easier to fly because it felt more stable. I went from a cherokee 160 to a turbo arrow, people were telling me 'oh my god you shouldnt do that! you'll ruin the engine!' because it has a fixed waste gate.

Idiots... if you ever encounter someone who talks like that, you'll know they are a dumbass and you don't want to be in the same airplane as them. They've probably never been behind the controls of a turbine or truely "high performance" airplane.

(Then I did all of my multi engine in a Baron... I wonder what those idiots would have said about that LOL)

[skinnyme]

I like the Baron's. They're a really good looking plane and seem to fly well. I've never flown one myself, but I've known several people that owned one and they loved it.
I did most of my time is in a 152, so I'm used to the really light feel and instant response from the controls. It felt really weird when I flew a 172 for a few hours. It felt really sluggish to me. But on the other hand, it did feel a little more solid.

[GLFST550]

I like the Baron's. They're a really good looking plane and seem to fly well. I've never flown one myself, but I've known several people that owned one and they loved it.
I did most of my time is in a 152, so I'm used to the really light feel and instant response from the controls. It felt really weird when I flew a 172 for a few hours. It felt really sluggish to me. But on the other hand, it did feel a little more solid.

I've only been in a 152 once, I could barely fit in it lol :D

When you get into faster planes it feels like your slicing through air when you look below you at low levels, like angels are pushing :)

[skinnyme]

I went up with a guy in a Piper Navajo (this one was turbocharged), so I know the feeling. You could definitely feel the difference in the speed. I loved it. I also had the chance to go up in a Grumman Tiger, which is a zippy little plane. It had a much faster approach speed than what I was used to. But I like the handling. Kindof a cool story behind that plane. A UPS aircraft mechanic bought it for $6000.00 because the engine was timed out. So being a mechanic, he overhauled it himself and made a few other small repairs to it as well. The plane looked like ****, but it flew well. He's kindof cheap though. He never wanted to pay the $10 for a preheat in the winter, so he went to the Dollar General and got a couple of hair dryers. He ended up catching the engine wiring on fire and had to replace quite a few things that got screwed up in the process. I miss the fun at the old FBO...

[D-Pound]

I'm flying the Baron 55 and 58 right now building twin time and i really enjoy the plane. I was lucky enough to do my training in a Cessna 310 and right after that i was pretty much in the baron! I flew a Piper Seneca for the first time the other day in IMC. You can really tell the difference. I didn't get a chance to do single engine work in it which i would have liked to see the single engine performance difference between the planes.

[Coulaid]

Nice to see that there are some pilots around. Flying runs in my family. My grandpa actually built an airplane (back around when he was 20ish he's now 91.) He actually took off on a street in chicago. My uncle flies a Beech Duke, and my Dad flies a Hawker 1000. Next summer I will be getting my license. Should be sweet.