Originally Posted by
Interested_Layman
This is my son's plan. He is currently first year at University of Waterloo, Aviation+Science ( which is paired with Waterloo Wellington Flight Centre ), started with PPL so started aviation part of program is in second year. Will have CPL, IFR, and float rating by start of year 2 this September...of 4 year program. He plans to get his CFI ( not part of program ) and instruct for years 3 and 4 of his university program. Maybe try and get a summer aviation related job , but it's tough with only 250 or so hours. Hopefully when he finishes university he'll have 750-1000 hours and should be able to get a job at least doing Medevac or something like that to build more hours. Does that seem reasonable? He wants to get into an airline job eventually.
Hello Interested_Layman,
First, your son is in a great program. I've known many graduates who've gone on to managerial positions later in their careers.
What you've outlined is reasonable, given the current employment climate for pilots. Two hundred fifty hours is not a lot of experience, but it is enough to quickly get in the door for a First Officer position at many smaller outfits and regional airlines given he has the right attitude. Indeed, regional airlines like Jazz and Porter have been hiring 250-hour pilots directly from University programs for quite some time now, and WestJet Encore is headed down that road as well.
What I would suggest your son does is once he has his CPL, Group 1 Instrument Rating, and 250 hours, he sits the
IATRA Exam. The IATRA exam will permit him to work on a two-crew aircraft without the need for his Airline Transport License. Once he has completed this exam, he can then apply to companies like Encore, Jazz, or Porter in addition to any Medevac or other turboprop companies. While I find it noble that he wants to build his experience with a smaller outfit before joining the airlines, seniority is everything, and he does not want to see himself 5 or 10 years behind his classmates if he has the option to apply to the airlines now.
I do loathe myself for making this suggestion, as I am one of the guys who came through the traditional route of working in the far northern reaches of Canada before setting my ever growing bum into an airline seat. However, the difference of 5 or 10 years seniority can mean the difference between having a very comfortable life in your mid-to-late 30's onward or can mean sitting on reserve in a city far removed from family and friends.
Feel free to PM me if you or your son have any specific questions about the charter, corporate, or airline lifestyles.