can you make a living flying slow and low in Europe?

[ArcherII]

That's the type of flying I'm interested in.

Just curious to know how the charter, cargo and corporate markets are in Europe for flying piston airplanes or perhaps a small turboprop like a King Air or Conquest.

I would eventually be interested in flying small jets such as Citations and Lears over short distances, but if I went the pilot route, I would like to spend a good amount of time (10 years or so at least) flying piston twins and light turboprops.

For example, in the UK...you guys must have check haulers and time-critical cargo on small piston aircraft like here in the US.

thanx a lot

Archer

[FlyingForFun]

There is some of the type of aviation you're looking for in Europe, but nowhere near as much as in the US. I'm sure others could give you more information... but one thing worth bearing in mind is that, under JARs, you need at least 700 hours for single-pilot commercial IFR operations. This basically rules out a lot of the type of work you're looking at as a first job.

Good luck!

FFF
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[ArcherII]

that's probably for charter/cargo operations. At least that's how it is here in the US. For charter/cargo single pilot IFR ops you need 1200 hours here in the US (the 700 hours you talk of for JAA)

But here under FAA Part 91, which is basically what corporate aviation is all about, you can fly for hire with less than 1200...though probably next to impossible to find a Part 91 corporate that isn't a jet operator...and for those you need like 4000 hours...most of which should be turbine/jet time


But I did hear that people with 400 hours get positions as 737 FOs...

so maybe there are some jobs where you can be an FO of a two-pilot operation...probably need lower mins...

I can't remember if the 1200 horus here in the US applies also for FOs/co-pilots

I think it's to operate a PIC...

Archer

[M.85]

the 1200 hour thing is to operate as PIC in Far 135,(also maybe in 121 ops..not sure)

M.85

[ArcherII]

I'm sure 121 ops is probably even higher...though I never heard of any minimums for that...

I mean to be PIC of a 121 op you have to have an ATP I believe, and for that you need 1500 hours...

and for part 135, so you could be a co-pilot and not need 1200 hours...though usually the small pistion 135 planes are single pilot...

[ArcherII]

so are there any charter/cargo companies that fly Senecas, Barons, Cessn 400 series, Navjos

or some smaller turbines...like King Airs and Conquest etc?

I would be interested in that type of jobs...I'm wondering if in the UK especially there is a decent market in this type of flying...and could you eventually make a pretty good living?

say 50K+ salary?

Archer

[scroggs]

As far as I'm aware (this end of the market isn''t really my field) there aren't that very many companies that fly these types in UK, and few of them are freight orientated.

My real resaon for posting is your hope for 50k (pounds or dollars?) from such work - frankly, not a chance! I would suggest that a captain on Beech 1900s (at the large end of the scale you cover) might make 20k pounds at best.

Check out PPJN (http://www.ppjn.com) for a decent database of professional flying salaries from all sectors of the industry.

Scroggs