For those who are training to be pilots, whether it be to fly for fun, be an instructor,fly private jets, fly bush or, crack the big airline gig. I think I speak for many others in my shoes. Is the work really that hard to come by once licensed to do so?
To quote a fellow ppruner (can't remember who). That if one is willing to strap on their backpack and set sail to where ever the work takes you, you will have no problem finding work regardless of whats happening in the world. Is there truth behind that?
My concern as a Canadian is that apart from instructing there are not to many other options to start building hours. I recently looked at what credentials are needed to start flying with Canadas one major regional carrier, and was shocked to see that I would need 4000 hrs PIC or 2000 hrs and a university degree!! This was to start flying dash 8's and rj's. Oh and wait all this experiance to start making 37k /yr!!
. Surely there has to be a better option!
Not that I am saying that a greenhorn pilot should be making 6 figures right off the bat, but is it naive of me to think that a 300 hr pilot could get a job somewhere flying for a low fare airline flying Dash 8's, instead of having to spend five years of my youth instructing circuit entry, landings, takeoffs, stalls, and to get the blood really flowing.... an insipient spin
. its not that I wouldn't be good at instructing, and its not that I don't respect instructors, their job is integral in this whole picture. It's just that I think I would find it very boring doing the same routine over and over again.
On a 5 hr layover in Gatwick last august I was shocked to see how young many of the pilots for the low fare airlines were. And for that matter the f/o of my flight to Amsterdam (a-319) was no more than 2-5 years older than me. Come on a 22-25 yr old as the f/o for a 319. In Canada I swear some of the f/o's for a-319's would literally have to check their walker at the gate!!
All jokes aside is the job market that much better over the pond? because lets face it, there are two major carriers in Canada and both of which require more or less 2000 hrs PIC to be considered, in Europe there are many many more carriers for pilots to get jobs with am I correct?
It seems that there is simply more oppurtunity in Europe, simply because there are more airlines there.
Do airlines frequently hire the young low hr pilots because we have open, moldable minds to adhere to S.O.P and have no prior experiance to have opionions on how things should be conducted? and lets not forget we can also can be paid much less.
Thanks for the time and answers,
Cheers,
G.H