What direction to go in??opinions anyone?

[Ryguy]

Hello fellow Canadians :), I'm new to this board and forum and well I need some advice.
I'm kind of a newbie here, just finshing off my commercial and plan to get my multi-IFR. I've been doing a lot of thinking recently and just can't seem to decide what I want to do after training, so I figured I see what all of you think. So here are the things that I've thought of.(kind of long, sorry)

1) Get my multi-IFR and instructor rating and find a job instructing. I work at the flying club that I do my training at and there might be a chance of instructing here, but its a small club and not too many hours available. Also I don't really have it in me to instruct, I see whats its like to instruct by working with instructors and i just don't think I'll enjoy it.

2) Do the multi-IFR training and look for work doing skydiving work, charter, sightseeing, or go up north and find work up there. But with the 220 hrs I'll have that might be hard.

3) After my commercial training(flight and written tests done) I do a 50hr float course, I can do it for about $8700 on a Cessna Hawk XP or for about $11000 on a C180 at the local air tour base only 5 minutes away from where I live. There is a possibility of getting a job doing air tours and charters at the local 1000 Island Air Tours (which also flys a Beaver as well) after my training which would be great since I live near by.
The question is should I do my multi-IFR training on top of that even though they have no twin?
Flying floats is something that really interests me and that I'll probably enjoy doing. On the down side its only seasonal and I'll be unemployed and getting no hours in the winter, whereas instucting is year round.

4) Get license conversion and go either overseas, down south to the US, or down under to Australia and find work there.

So thats what I've come up with, I was also thinking, if I get my multi rating, how do I get a job with only 7hrs??
On top of all of this I'm thinking of going to College and getting a diploma and thats going to cost me $10g's on top of all my training. OUCH, lots of money!!

So what do all you people think, whats the best way to go?? do you have any other suggestions?

Thanks for the help everyone, I really appreciate it.
:)

[flightcraft]

Get your multi IFR and your float rating before you get your first job. In this industry things tend to happen quickly. When a job comes up an owner is not likely to wait for you to get additional training.
Don't be afraid of getting a job on as a dock hand. If you work hard you will get a job flying.
Good Luck

[Ryguy]

Thanks flightcraft, I only problem with getting my multi-ifr and 50 float course is the money, I don't think I can afford the $16000 to get all of that, plus I want to go to school and get a college diploma so that I have something to fall back on, another $10g's there.

I was wondering, how much money does it cost to convert a CPL/multi-ifr to a UK license? and are there better job opportunities over there. I heard that guys with 250TT are getting right seats in B757.

[yahooair]

Well to give you an idea, my instructor was form France, and the procedures to get a CPL are somewhat close. To be a CPL in Europe, (depending where) in theory you are 3 courses away from being a tech.engineer. The theory was outrageous...He was telling me in France you fly more with your head than with your hands. That’s one of the reasons he why he left Europe. Didn't like that idea and don’t forget the prices, allot of European pilots come here to learn to fly due to the high prices they pay for their training. I.e.: C-152 per hour might cost you somewhere around $200.00/hour and don’t forget the high priced landing fees. Might cost you easily $100K to get a commercial-multi-IFR
I would look into converting to the US license.

[TrueNorth]

Hello Ryguy,

I`m doing my CPL/MEIR here in Canada but am also looking at the possiblities of converting to a JAR licence.

JAR is fairly new, and I think I`m right in saying that the conversion from other ICAO licences to JAR ones has not been completely worked out.

I don`t know what the requirements are to convert to a JAR CPL, but I do know that if you had a Canadian ATPL you would still have to sit all the JAR ATPL exams and pass a flight test. Also, the hours requirement for a JAR ATPL, although similar in amount to other ICAO ATPLs, has to be completed on aircraft heavier than 12,500.

In short, I don`t think it would be a painless process. I imagine you would have to pass an ME/IR flight test in the UK, and probably sit some of the CPL exam papers. This all costs money! I`m going to do it, though mainly for personal reasons...

As an aside, I`m not sure how many 250hr pilots jump to the RHS of a 757. I`m sure a lucky few do, and both BA and Air Lingus have ab initio cadetships whose graduates start on jets (or turbo-props) with that sort of time. I think the situation in the UK is the same as here - you have to be willing to build up the hours. The thing is, in the UK that means almost exclusively instructing, as there is not the same sort of charter/float industry as exists here. You might be better staying here and getting some hours/experience up North and then trying the UK.

Not sure how useful any of that was...just my tuppence worth, I suppose.

Good luck

TrueNorth

(edited for spelling - bit anal in that regard...)



[This message has been edited by TrueNorth (edited 13 October 2000).]

[Ryguy]

Thanks ppl, ya i'll probably build up some hours before I do any license conversion. OK,I got more questions,do you think that time on a Beaver on floats would really be good to have?
Also, do companies hire guys with maybe 1000TT with about 800 of that PIC all single engine with only a 7hr multi rating to fly twins?or do you have to get much more hours than that to get a twin job?

Thanks again :)

[alapt]

What to do??
We have all had the same problems deciding how to get there.
"There are many ways to skin a cat".
One thing is for sure, do not get advise from "wanabees". They have not actually done what they preach.

If you want to continue and you don't know what to do, consider these few points before commiting yourself.

1) What are your plans, goals, and ambitions?
Once all your plans and goals are established, you can attack the problems and find solutions. This will generally be cheaper than just doing anything.

2) What are your financial resources?
No use trying to be a 757 driver if you cannot afford the training. Besides, I don't believe that 250 Hrs. pilots should be on heavy jets. I can hear the comments comming guys! Be gentle with your comments. I just believe that 1,000 Hrs or even 500 Hrs of flying ifr on a slow aircraft is a better learning experience. I know that some people can do it well, but most will have problems adapting to the environment with so few hours.

3) What time of the year do you plan on finishing your training?
If you finish "training" in the spring chances are that you could get hired on with a float operator, where as in the fall, you will not find a job.

I did my multi ifr right after my commercial. It took me about six months to get the first "job". With hindsight, I should have done an instructor rating. If you want to fly "floats" and "bush", then get your float rating. If you want to eventually fly bigger jets, then skip the bush operators and get the IFR experience NOW.

Hope this helps a little. Now I'll get back on my DC-10 and go have fun. :)

[Ryguy]

Well I think I've decided what I'll do.
There is the local air tour operator just down the road and he has a 50hr float course staring next spring. So I'll do that and the owner says he's hiring for next year and since I live near by I'll be the first choice, but I don't have it engraved in stone yet that he'll hire me, if not I can probably find something else. So I'll do that for 2 yrs maybe, get up to 1000-1500TT, then get my multi-ifr ratings and try to get a job with an operator that has a twin.
I know its only seasonal work, but I think I'll like it more than instructing. My CFI told me "you don't make much money when you start, so you might as well do something you'll enjoy", works for me.

Thanks again people.

[Luftwaffle]

Typically you need 50 hours multi-engine or float in order for an operator to insure you on the respective aircraft.

[Randy_g]

Howdy there. As one of the previous post mentioned, you need to decide what your goals are. If the airlines are where you want to be, then multi-ifr is what you want. Especially anything that has a schedule to it. Bank runs, and things like that. There are other types of flying that are a lot of fun, and pay well. Aerial tankers (waterbombers) offer an incredible challenge, and are fun to fly. Would Air Canada allow you to fly at 185 knots 100 feet A.G.L. and drop stuff??? They also pay fairly well also. If you love the outdoors and you like to fly, then bush operations can be a good choice. Yes they do work you hard, and the hours can be very long, but you can't argue with the experience and the chance to be where few people ever get to go. (by north, do most of you think that Muskoka is north ??? That's not north, try going to Inuvik, Whitehorse, or Yellowknife, that's the real north) The long-term captains also make a good living. The life away from the big smog can be satisfying, and rewarding.

Good luck, and keep your stick on the ice !!!

--------------------------------------------

A professional pilot is not defined by the aircraft they fly, but by their actions, and their attitude.

Randy_G

[offshoreigor]

Ryguy:

All the above mentioned advice is great, but I think even if your going to fly bush, you should definately get an IFR ticket. Especially considering the terrain you'll be flying in.

Check out an article I posted from Transport Canada, called 178 seconds. It's in the Rotorheads section under the IFR Rating thread.

Cheers, OffshoreIgor http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/eek.gif

[alapt]

AHHHH, INUVIK, what memories :)
Any former AKLAK drivers on here??
1990/91
To protect the innocent, I cannot name anybody, but you know who you are.
And we got paid for this!!
Regards