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[Fiske]

After actively seeking employment as a First Officer for nearly a year, I decided I needed to do something in order to improve my chance of employment and stand out from the crowd a little.

I had considered many options, including, amongst others, gaining a tail dragger rating to secure a glider tug position promised to me which, sadly, never materialised! Finally I decided to gain a B737 rating, which although expensive, would I thought prove to potential employers my capability to operate faster, heavy machinery. :eek:

Three months on I've not managed to secure a single interview.

As I see it the problem is that I have low hours (250) and no time on type. The question is, if I could gain time on type how many hours would I need in order to look attractive to a potential employer, 100, 200, 500?

Obviously the more the better, but does anyone have an opinion on a minimum number of hours?

Please don't start a debate on the rights and wrongs of SSTRs as I've already done the rating, so it's too late to go back now!!!!!!!!
:ouch:

[airshowpilot]

500 on type is the ideal number... I am currently working in pilot recruitment.

Keep battling away. Now that you have the B737 type-rating keep in touch with all of your future employers (B737 operators) on a regular basis and keep your flying CV active by increasing your hours. Good luck!

[OBK!]

Hi Fiske

It sure is upsetting to here you're struggling to get recruitment despite commiting yourself to do a type rating. It's also depressing for us to come onto the forum and here of how hard it is but if you could give us a few more details of your status it helps.

All we know is that you're a low houred pilot with a 73 rating. If you don't mind me asking, where did you train? where abouts did you do the rating? how old are you? etc?

Kind regards

[witchdoctor]

From what I've seen of positions advertised for type-rated crews (737 and A320), 200 hrs on type is the minimum I can recall, with an additional requirement of 1000hrs TT. The typical requirement would seem to be 1500 TT with 250 - 500 required on type.

[dreamingA380]

I'll ditto the witch doctor.

Its a crazy world out there. When does the expence end? The bloomin goal posts keep on moving.

Good luck with it.... as I keep saying to myself it will all come right in the end. It has to.

[Fiske]

Thanks for the support guys, the main thing seems to be keeping your CV ticking over.

Any increase in hrs seems to help I guess.

I've been in contact with all the UK based 737 operators and quite a few from other countries, they've be unable to commit to an ideal number of hours on type.

At best I've been told it depends who else is out there, if other people have 500hrs you need 501 hrs.....not a great deal of help.

I'll keep plugging away!

OKB! I took the modular route for training, passed every thing first time:yuk: and I'm not yet 30, not by a long way. Hopefully that should shed some light on the situation :ok:

[D 129]

A number of my friends are now doing 737 type ratings at their own expense - again with no promise of a job at the end.

They are doing this because 1/ They have heard that the pool of 737 TR pilots is drying up and 2/ Summer demand will give at least a few months work to TR pilots - the magic number seems to be 500 hours.

What is financially scary is that you can now pay for your own line training too !. After £ 20 K for a type rating a futher £ 9 K can get you 100 Hours on the real 737. Or to put it another way, you are paying to work !. Subsequent 100 hours are only about £ 3 K apparently.

Frankly I'm stalling at the cost !.

[Yorkshire-Pud]

It's really all about supply vs demand. If the so-called pool of TR guys is drying up and 73' operators need guys quick, then you'll get an interview. It might be 500 hours this week but 200 or less the following week - there's no set rule.

I would say however that having some commercial time be it prop/turbo-prop or jet is the real 'leg-up' (so to speak) - suppose it kinda shows you can operate multi-crew, you have some previous knowledge base you can draw from and that someone previously has employed you.

There are still those airlines around who hire the person not the rating - despite having little experience, and there will be more 737 recruitment before the summer season starts

Hope it works out for you

YP

[flugfisch]

Hi guys,

looks I also need some "advice" or different sights from you.

I´m a German - got 300 h SE and have the offer to do a type rating 737 NG and get the Supervision afterwards - the Supervision is paid - but no promise for a job.

It would start in tree weeks - so now my brain going round and round - still wait - or just do it - and I really don´t know.

It´s nice to get the supervison - but ....

Any advice is welcome!

Wish you a nice day:confused:

[Kinetic]

What do you mean.... " get the supervision "

are you being paid to do your line training? do you have a limited contract? or is it only type rating and base check?

Is the offer through or linked to an airline or is purely just a type rating training provider?

If you do get the NG rating with some line experience consider it very seriously, with the NG rating it's easy to fly any 737 from 300 series upwards.

Good luck ;)

[flugfisch]

Hi,

it´s a training organization - but they work together with an airline - you pay the rating - afterwards you will get a short time contract with the airline for the time of the supervision with an final line check.

[K2SkyRider]

flugfisch,

Which airline and which training organisation? How much are you paying, if you don't mind me asking? What is the minimum entry criteria for the course?

Thanks.

K2