Does an extra 250h SEP tug-pilot time help find a GA/ bizz jet job?

[Bearcat F8F]

Hi everyone,

I've got a bit of a dilemma. I have the possibility of flying tugs for half a year and build around 250 hours, after which I would do the fATPL.

Or, I could not bother with tugging and complete the fATPL about 8 months earlier.

Financially, both options would work out similarly for me and I'm really keen on having a license in my hand ASAP. The only major difference is the extra 8 months before I can complete the fATPL - which is putting me off somewhat.

The only way I could justify tugging is if it helps to get some sort of payed flying job (be it GA or even corporate at one point) once I get my license. I understand it wont make much difference to the airlines if I have around 200 hours or 450 hours, but perhaps it does in the GA/ bizz jet world?

Any opinions/ advice welcome :ok:

[what next]

Hello!

Generally, VFR piston time is worth nothing anywhere. But it always depends on the job situation and who picks your application from the heap. Personally, I would go for it (fly the 250 hours I mean). I can't imagine that the job situation will change a lot over the next year. And in one year's time, you will have a fresh fATPL and 250 hours extra wheras the other guys applying for the same job will have a half-year old fATPL and no extra hours. Especially if the guy who selects the pilots has gone the same way himself and appreciates "self improvers". But I could of course be totally wrong and there is a big demand for GA pilots within the next year, which would mean that you are stuck on glider tugs whereas everyone else gets his bizjet job... Who knows?

If you selected our profession for the love of flying, go fly whatever they offer you to fly! If you selected it basically as a quick route to earning lots of money the most easy way, then you probably should reconsider your choice of profession anyway!

Happy landings
max

[JonDyer]

The other benefit, certainly in the EASA GA world - is that 250 hours P1 will reduce your time to command by a year to 2 years (depending on type and workload).

It can be a struggle getting the minimum command hours if you're racking them up at 350hr per year P2 - as you will only get credit for half that time.

[tommoutrie]

Do the glider towing. Do it because it's a lot of fun and do some gliding at the same time because it's fun too. The handling you learn from repeated take offs and landings is very hard to learn elsewhere. The other option, doing your atpls and joining the ranks of unemployed pilots with the minimums, makes no sense.

[tommoutrie]

Also, as john "gandalf" dyer just pointed out, hours are tough to come by in ga even when you have a job. If you are an established tug pilot you can keep adding hours even when you do get a job. It's all P1..

[Bearcat F8F]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

What sort of GA jobs can I do with around 450 hours TT? I know somone who says he went to fly a Caravan after tugging to do paradropping. He said they required 400 hours minimum. Is that quite a common requirement for GA in the UK?

My end goal is to end up in the airlines or corporate (depending on where life takes me) but as I'm aware finding work is rather difficult, getting hours done in GA whilst I search for airline work would be ideal... that is why I wonder whether or not it will make me a better candidate with an extra 250 odd SEP hours.

[Flying Mechanic]

Do the tug flying, good way to network/meet people/make contacts. Once your training is done, u can get back into it.

[drag king]

Do the glider towing. Do it because it's a lot of fun and do some gliding at the same time because it's fun too. The handling you learn from repeated take offs and landings is very hard to learn elsewhere. The other option, doing your atpls and joining the ranks of unemployed pilots with the minimums, makes no sense.

Go for it, especially if it is taildragger time: very valuable for outfits like Susi (PNG on the Porter) and Zimex, both pay substantial salaries compared to most GA jobs and you don't want to end up behind a coded door for over 40 years, do ya?

DK ;)

[Trim Stab]

Yep - do the tug-flying. GA pilots who might be in a position to recruit you will respect that far more for it.

[Deep and fast]

Do the flying, it shows a commitment and it's good fun. The industry is slowly recovering so a small delay won't do any harm IMHO.

D and F :8

[smalljetpilot]

do the tug flying.
it won't do any harm thats for sure.
you may find you can get on with your commercial at the same time anyway.
it could help you get that first twin job survey flying or para dropping, you just never know!!!!!
good luck.......

[rightbank]

And many commercial pilots, both airline and bizjet, also fly gliders. If you make a good impression as a tug pilot then you just might get a recomendation from one of them. As you will hear many times on this forum, networking is important.