Originally Posted by
mikewil
And for gods sake make sure you get some Cessna time. I have spoken to 3 or 4 operators over the past year and they said their biggest problem has been new pilots who come from the city sausage factory flying schools having flown nothing other than a DA40, who can't even seem to operate a C172 properly
Get at least 10 hours in a C206 and learn how to fly a nice tidy circuit, or a C182 at the very least.
DA40 time isn't competitive, sadly it's tied up with many of the financed courses, that will make job hunting challenging.
I think it would be wise for CPL students who are moving into the PIC time building phase, to plan out what one will spend the time in, don't do it all in a 152 or DA40 if you can. Research the employers, see what types they have, and plan accordingly. You will find near nobody does a large chunk of the hour building in a 206, so being that person, will make you competitive. I understand that not everyone can afford to do 50-100 hours in a 182/206, however 15 or 20 hours in each is more than most, that would still be a plus.
Any CV that passed my desk back in the day, that had 50-100 hours heavy Cessna PIC time, got my attention. They were the 5%. It was also much easier onboarding someone to a 210 that has spent significant time in a 206. Needless to say those 5% all got hired.