Type Rating with Line hours, or Flight Instructor Rating?

[EpsilonVaz]

I hold a CPL/IR and MCC, I have been jobless now for a few months. Fortunately I have no debt. To futher my career it seems more and more likely I will have to take a loan from a bank.

What do you think is the best option in the current climate? To purchase a Type Rating with Line hours and hope that the company training you will take you on, or hope for another contract? Or perhaps train as a Flight Instructor and instruct and hope that something comes along?

Your opinions would be most appreciated.

[MIKECR]

Hard hats on, prepare for the tirade!!:ugh::ugh::}

[MJR]

If you are young then do an FI course as instruction is a great experience that you will struggle to carryout once you start commercial flying.

As for the type rating, I wouldn't do it unless its on a scheme that completely guarantees you a job at the end of the training i.e. not a recommendation or an interview but an actual job with a competitive salary.

Cheers

MJR

[spinnaker]

A type rating is ok, as long as you can secure a job soon afterwards. That's getting more unlikely as each day goes by. United will ground 100 aircraft by the year end = lots of experienced pilots on the market, cheap.

FI is probably a better idea, from an economic point of view. If your pockets are deep enough to stay current on your chosen type, then its your choice. Personal circumstances play a major part in which way to jump.

[pablo2973]

If you do a type rating make sure its on a modern a/c nothing like an old 737-200 or any non glass cockpit ,if you dont get a job flying within a year you are lost ......it would cost you in Europe about 4000Euros to revalidate the TR if it has expired .
Its a good idea getting the CFI to instruct so you´ll be learning ,getting some money and will have some flight experience to offer also will be alert on jobs comming up ,Do not pay for a TR if you dont have the contract upfront ,and believe me ,promises are not good enough..:=...we all have plenty of those on our backs.
Good luck

[rjay259]

I have to say I did do both, became an FI and then did a type rating with some line training.

The instructing did do good as it gave me some very good flying experience, taught me lots as well as teaching others to fly. Some situations i was put in gave me a chance to use the training I had to a safe conclusion. Best thing I did was to get my FI rating.

The type rating was another thing, I wont say it was a bad thing but I wont say it was good either, the training company left me hanging for quite some time and the line training was very disjointed.

I did get a commercial job with a well known company and I cant say it was due to the type rating or not and I cant say it was due to the experience of the FI rating either.

What i can say is that the possible combination of both did me well, if anything I think the FI course was the best tho.

Good luck in what ever you chose.

259:cool: