Where to spend my cash...

[Dupre]

Hi all,

I am about to start on the track towards CPL (currently 140ish hours) and want to spend my hard-earned dough wisely – to get the best possible prospects of a first job.

How do GA employers (Mountain air, GBA, Salt Air, Air Napier, Sun-Air, Vincent Aviation, Wings over Whales, South East Air etc etc.) rate the importance of the following aspects when hiring new pilots?

• Experience in tailwheel aircraft
• Experience in higher performance aircraft (e.g. C-180)
• Experience in aircraft ownership and maintenance
• Place of training

Do they often recruit primarily from their local club? (e.g. does GBA take only North Shore Aero Club pilots). Or is what really matters your attitude, skills, adaptability and enthusiasm?

Which employers only recruit from certain clubs/schools, and which ones recruit from other places?

I’ve got a really good opportunity to get into an aircraft syndicate at the moment, but while it’s cheap, I’m afraid not having any ties with a club might leave me at a disadvantage when it comes to applying for that first job.

Any constructive comments appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your input,

Dupre.

[piontyendforward]

In New Zealand the answer to:

Question1
None whatsoever

Question 2
None again

Question 3
Less than the above

Question 4
Yes, but only because those third level operators take from a certain area. i.e. GBA North Shore, SunAir Tauranga aeroclub or Bayflight center, Queenstown operators Wakatipu Aero club

All I can advise is get as much multi time a fast as possible, dont waste time and money on anything else, because it dont mean didly to any operators. Time is time and multi is king. One of the regional operators just took a pilot with under 1000 hours, but he had over 500 multi.

However if you are flying for fun, 180's are great, and ownership of one is even better and a great personal learning experience, its just that most operators dont take any notice of the exercise.

[Dupre]

Would training in my own aircraft put me at a significant disadvantage for the first job? Or would I still get a fair crack at employment?

Thanks for your reply pointy,

Dupre.

[tinpis]

If you can afford to own a C180,stay that way by avoiding an aviation job.

:p

[piontyendforward]

Well said tinpis agreed.

Dupre, you will find the green eyed monster will hold you back in entry level jobs if you rock up in your own 180, or have time that it "out of the norm" from how everyone else did it.

Regional type flying dont care as long as you have a couple of hundred multi hours IFR.
C180 time would help with meat bombing jobs, but there are very few operators that use the C180 or 185 commercially and two of them don't like people with lots of C180/185 time as they prefer to teach pilots their way of flying without having to un-train bad habits.

If you do go down the C180 way, find a good C180 instructor to do your training. Look for someone in the C180/185 club to ask for any advise for the type. You could P.M. me if you want some suggestions for good operators to train with.

Taupo Air Services is the most northly thats any good, the CFI own's his own 185 (last 20 years) and is also the New Zealand head of the International Cessna 180/185 Club. Any further north and they are just taking YOUR money to fly in YOUR 180.

Cheers P

[Sqwark2004]

If I had to do it all again, I would have gone from PPL to Instrument Rating, built up PIC time in a single (or twin that your dream company operates, Seneca, Aztec, Islander), flying everywhere IFR, then onto CPL, look for a job with a company that operates singles & twins on Pt135 then work for them doing the single stuff and going for as many rides as you can in the twin then hope like H!#L that a place comes up on the twin flying IF and since you are already in there with plenty of IF time and time on type, ask very nicely if you can have the job. Forget about earning any money for a while and grease up to the boss every chance you get , clean planes, vacum the office, wash the windows, do the dishes, never complain about the lack of flying/pay/maintainence/ etc.

Good Luck.


S2K4eva

[Dupre]

Thanks for the input!

Pionty - I've actually been to Taupo air services and flown with Chris in his super cub (great chap and the aircraft is... well... super!) - but they require 500hrs TT before they'll let you loose in the C-180 solo.

The syndicate is actually a Piper Pacer (beautiful 1957 model). The 180 option is a club aircraft.

So really, the options are train at an aero club and grease up the local GA operators, or train in the Pacer and grease up the local GA operators.

Thanks again, and keep em coming!

Dupre.

[tinpis]

Many years ago (60s) flew a C185 out of Taupo
CHM I think it was from memory.

You could always put a hopper in a 180 and call yourself Rural Aviation.

:}

[piontyendforward]

How about training in the pacer and use North Shore instructors, and do the IFR in their twin/single, as a set up for GBA. Greeze around them loading bags etc

JFG is an OK 180 but too hard to get any real experience in as it is controlled very tight on where it can go, and all the AAC instructors can teach you is how to do circuits at AR plus it is quite expensive to hire.

AAC AFS AFC are hopeless for getting that first look in.

The Pacer would be OK if there is not too much cash outlay for the share, remember if you had to sell how long and how much would you get back if you sold your share. Remember a pacer is only worth about 30K max.

It would also be a hell of a lot of fun while putting up with GA bull**it. And life is to short to not enjoy it!

Cheers