emp opportunities with bare minimums

[a330_wingspan_love]

hi folks,

just wondering what employment opportunities are available in canada for someone with just the bare minimums CPL/IR/ME 300 hrsTT. a local flight school told me they generally see that 70+% students find employment in their first year after they finish their CPL.

can this be taken at face value?

[altiplano]

Take anything your flight school tells you with a big grain of salt. They often lie outright to prospective students. I wouldn't have believed the 70% number even 2 years ago when things were going strong for hiring...

With the downturn that has started it is going to be very difficult for low timers over the next several years - coming back are the days of lurking up north in hopes to getting a ramp job and maybe a flight line spot a couple years down the road... If you want to get right into a seat you are going to have to get lucky or know someone.

[kevinsky18]

I agree with with the above post. and as I've mentioned in other forums I bet that not one low timer gets hired via faxed resume this year.

If you want to get hired even for a ramp job you're gonna have to show up in person.

Hand deliver and get all the time and ratings that you can. If you can rent a plane with some buddies do a flying road trip.

It sounds extreme but I believe the ecconomy is going to get much worse and this season is going to be the low time pilots last chance to get something even a ramp job before all hiring of low time guys completely ceases while the industry floods with higher time guys that have been laid off.

I was in aviaition in the mid 90's and I think this is going to be an even sharper down turn. At least in the 90s it was just slow aviation the rest of the ecconomy was ok.

[altiplano]

Here's a few for a low timer:

AVCANADA • View topic - entry level 206 (WAMAIR) (http://www.avcanada.ca/forums2/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=50831)

AVCANADA • View topic - pilot (alair) (http://www.avcanada.ca/forums2/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=50318)

AVCANADA • View topic - C-185, C-206, C-210 (Northwestern Air ) (http://www.avcanada.ca/forums2/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=50628)

[+TSRA]

I'd agree that most, if not all CPL students find work within a year of completing their licence.

I'd say about 85% of them though will be working outside the industry. :8

With airlines, charter companies and flight schools either doing reduced time blocks, lay-offs or shut-downs now is the time to be starting your training in aviation - not starting to look for work. Unfortunately I have to agree with the above posters that gone are the last 5 - 7 years where a fax, e-mail or letter may have gotten you at least a phone interview.

Of course, it is not all doom and gloom.

Because aviation is cyclic there will be an up trend again in anywhere from 2 - 4 years, so instructing may actually be the one place where you want to get into now so that in 18 months you are at the mid level range of instuctors teaching on twins and IFR - by then the operators will start hiring and you may be able to miss the ramp work all together. :cool: