Getting The Job...

[VH-KMH]

Hey guys, this one is more pointed towards the pilots, but anyone with info to add...great!

Just wondering if you could asnwer me a couple questions.

How old were you when you made it into your first airline and what year was this?

Which airline was it and how many hours did you have, and what ratings (frozen ATPL, instrument, instructors, etc)?

And if you want, What salary did you start on?

Anything else you might want to add would be great as well!

Cheers, I just wanted to get an idea of what my situation might be like when its my turn to hustle for a job!

All is appreciated.

KMH

[VH-KMH]

Help please anyone...?

[AIRBUS_GAP]

I was 22 (and 3 month) when I was hired (Nov 1999) as F/O on MD-83 for a European leisure carrier. I converted to Airbus A320 in Toulouse in Dec 2001.
I was hired with 300 hrs TT (incl. 50 M/E) and a frozen ATPL. I started with about 1800 Euros after tax.

[ADFS]

I went PPL in the USA to PPL in Europe, then CPL/IFR MEL in USA to several years saving money, then ATPL in USA for 5 years gaining important experience then European ATPL and up to present full JAR ATPL flying charter jets based in Europe. I started in 1978 at 24, kind of late maybe, but we also had a baby boy at home. The salary then was enough to live, sharing many crash pads and making everlasting friendships. Some special force had to be at work to be able to stand being 6000 miles away from wife, baby and home, just to fly airplanes.
Money, secondary.
The planes I flew never came to get me. I had to manage that part...bugging chief pilots, calling all the time, visiting the dispatchers to get on a good term basis...years later you learn that your dispatchers are the owners of an airlines mood...pilots happy with rostering love their dispatchers...
This is harder nowadays. But getting in means getting out...getting out there where the action is...could well mean leaving home...
You are up against MANY others like yourself so go prepared, specially in attitude.
Good Luck

:ok:

[VH-KMH]

cheers fo the replies guys. Please anyone else?...

[sanket_patel]

Im about to be "released" from my college where, in 7 months, I'll have my college degree with all my licenses, C.P.L, Multi-Engine, IFR after I turn to the fresh new age of 19. I know I'm up for some big compition but I find my attitude will get me somewhere... hopefully... I'm pretty much gonna move anywhere around Canada (or another country if needed/possible) and become senior in a air company, which I find is important

[AFA]

I was 19 (about 3 months short of 20) when i started on a heavy turbo for a regional carrier at the end of 1997. Paid about 30000 euros before tax. I had just graduated from college with about 200hrs and a brand new frozen ATPL. Converted onto the Airbus 320 in 99, the A330 in 00 and the A340 earlier this year.

Sanket_patel i quite agree, your attitude and ability rather than your age (or lack of it) is far more important to any potential employer.

[VH-KMH]

thanks guys, i know i have the right attitude, and i know i will have the ability after my training, i am looking forward so much to it. it appears to me that if you get lcuky with the right placing you tend to move up the rank quite quickly, most of u guys have gone from a turbo prop or similar, with little hours, with a frozen atpl at a young age, and gone from strength to strength, moving to A320's and higher! congrats on that, i hope i will be as successful as you guys. thanks for the advice. where abouts did u guys get your work? did you have to move? moving is not a problem for me, as long as i get work.

can anyone else please reply also?

[VH-KMH]

can anyone else please reply???

[VH-KMH]

Cmon Guys, please help me out, it doesnt take long to write a small response. cheers.

[redsnail]

I'm afraid it has been done before...
Wanabes is your best bet. Search in there.

[Stearperson]

The job maket looks pretty good across the pond from where I am sitting.
I got my first airline job at 38 after 10 years of sending out applications. I had 5000 hrs total with 1500 turbine PIC and 3 type ratings. That dream job lasted 3 years until I was furloughed
on Oct 12, 2002.
I now have 7500 hrs and it has taken a year to find a new airline job with starting pay of 32,000 dollars a year.
I was one of the lucky ones in that I was able to get a corporate jet job shortly after my furlough and have been working steadily the whole time. Many of my co workers have been out of work for a year or more.
In the USA one must have several thousand hours of expirience to get an airline job in the right seat of a large jet.
If I could have landed a job right out of college with 300 hours it would have been a dream come true.

Sincerely, Stearperson

[concorde cadet]

Heres another one - I will be starting a type rating this week for a regional tuboprop airline. Im not even 21 and finished IR 5 months ago. I have about 280 hrs TT and 45 hrs muli piston and I cant wait to get going and start my dream job! What a start - esp after all the doom and gloom of the last couple of years

[2FLYEU]

I GOT MY FIRST AIRLINE JOB WHEN I WAS 23 AFTER BEING INSTRUCTING FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS.
FLEW FOR FOUR YEARS AS A F/O ON 737'S 2/3 AND DID THE A320/319 WHICH DIDN'T FLY VERY FOR LONG TIME.
1 MONTH AFTER SEPT 11 2001, GOT FOURLOUGH!!!
NO JOB STILL AND DECIDED TO COME TO EU TO CONVERT MY FAA ATPL.....STILL WORKING ON THE 14 EXAMS....TIME WILL TELL.
I HOPE TO FIND SOMETHING SOON. I MISS FLYING.
:ok:

I STARTED WITH 2600 US $$$

[An2]

2FLYEU,

Wow man!! Why're you screamin'?! :ooh: :} (...as in; un-capslock, pleease!!;) )


VH-KMH,

Don't know what your times are, but......why only look towards the airlines?
If you're a lowtimer maybe you should give the ad, for a skydiver-driver in northern Oz, a chance? I saw it on climbto350.

Flying skygods is real good fun!:ok:

Whatever you do,....Good luck to ya!! :cool:

[VH-KMH]

Hey AN2,

im still in learning, and i have to finish the 3 year course at uni, which is a Bachelor in Science (Aviation), and a choice in either instrument or instructors rating, and i think i will be doing the instructors rating. but i am so dead set on airlines haha. yeah, i will have to do any work i can, be it instructing or whatever to get some hours. it would be nice to make it in to a regional airline, something small to get some decent pay and some good hours. just have to see what happens hey! thanks for the luck, i may need it. good luck in whatever you do also.

[Danou_71]

G'day mate, here is mine:

-1996, PPL in Brisbane(I was there in vacation) with no intention to continue further at that time. Came back in Europe.
-Feb1998, virus hit and started building hours in USA.
-June 1998, started my CPL-IFR rating and later that year ATPL. I did the final exam end of April 99. I started to send applications to different airlines here in Europe. I got an answer from a Swiss Airline(No, not the big one which collapsed ;) ) and first interview mid june, 2nd one the 25th of June. Got the positive answer the next day and I started there...5 days later, the 1th of July!!! :ok: , flying the Saab 2000. At that time I was 28 years old and I had: 230hours total time, 40hours were IFR in BE-55.

Now the airlines here in Europe are not hiring much but I recon it will change in the next 2 years. So keep up the good work it will pay up one day:D ... Hope it will be better soon down-under as I wouldn't mind to come in OZ to work a few years:cool: .

See ya

Danou_71

[VH-KMH]

Hey thanks for the info Danou. Yeah i hope things get better here in OZ soon also. There are a couple more LCC opening up next year so hopefully things will start to look up in the near future.

Cheers.

KMH

[jetjackel]

Captain on a Twin Otter in 1979 when the FAA made it mandatory to hold an ATP for Commuter Ops. with over 8 or 9 passengers, or something. Anyway hired direct with a commuter based out of SFO. Was 27 with about 4500 hours, most of it ME but no turboprop time. Had just returned from 3 years of flying in Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Rhodesia. Thought it was the coolist job in the world. The first year the airline replace the T-O with SA 226's. it was then double cool and managed to hold my seat as Captain. Been moving around ever since, as most commuters, back then, managed to terminate themselves after a few years. Got my fist Captain job on the DC-9 in 1985.

[BIGBAD]

i got my first job 16 months ago for a uk regional flying RJ's.

I had 300 TT (50 ME) aged 28 got the job about 3 months after my IR, started on around £1800

[liemel]

I got my PPL when I was 33, my CPL/IR when I was 36, FI(A) when I was 37, ME and King Air ratings when I was 38 and presently I am commander on a 50 seat twin turboprop for a European regional.

What it took at this age ?: "absolute determination and persistence". If you can't work as a pilot yet it is very important to have some sort of other job. At least you will keep your selfrespect and some cashflow. One thing often leads to another.

When I joined the regional airline I had about 2500 hours.

[azdriver]

hi everyones,

here is mine.

Started training with a major european airline in late 1999.Age 20

Not sponsorship though! f@#ing expensive....:mad:
Finished my training in early summer 2001Frozen Atpl and PA42 rating. And ofcourse a huge loan...
Airline hiring freeze for 3 month....:{
911 in the middle. :ugh:
Finally hired in late summer 2002 on the ERJ145. age 23 :ok:

see ya

[VH-RWT]

Re: VH-KMH

Hey buddy

Just wondering what part of aus you are from. Im not familiar with the aircraft id you use.
Im in the same boat as you my friend. Looking at uni this year coming... either ecu over here in wa or going over east for the unsw course.
Cant wait.

Neil

[v1rotate]

Made it into the airlines at 31 years old.

A freight airline in the UK flying F27's, had a Frozen ATPL and 410 hours total.

Had an Aussie CPL which was next to useless to find a job so I started to convert to the UK licence in 1998.