First job questions (Merged 2012)

[isi3000]

Firstly, I apologise if this has been asked elsewhere but I could not find anything whilst using the search function...

I wanted to hear from anyone and everyone who is now flying for an airline/private company. Could you tell me how long it took after your training to get your first job, when you completed your training and which type of training you completed? (So integrated, modular, transition from military or even training with a university course).

I am just trying to gather some information as I've chosen a training related topic for my uni dissertation :8.


P.S. Please, no attacks on modular/integrated training as I'm not valuing one type of training over the other :}

[shiver]

18 months and still waiting.

[Klimax]

AB initio, finished in late 96'. First job, half a year later, was as a co-pilot (multi crew) on twin turboprops in Africa and Afghanistan. 1.5 years later regional airline flying bigger turboprops. 8 years later flew heavy jets for on of the worlds most "admired" airlines in Asia. Got bored and fed up with airline flying and went to Africa to fly for real again on small single engine turboprops.. Now flying small biz jets around Europe.

You know. There are many ways that leads to Rome. Some are lucky and priviledged to have a choice along that road - others are not. Though its not always the ones who had the choices that are the happiest. When back flying single turbos in Africa I met a lot of younger pilots who were just starting out their paths towards wherever they were heading - but I know now that they will be looking back at those years - when they get old and sit on that boat somewhere looking back.

Good luck to you - always knowing - you will get there :ok:

[KAG]

AB initio, finished in late 96'. First job, half a year later, was as a co-pilot (multi crew) on twin turboprops in Africa and Afghanistan. 1.5 years later regional airline flying bigger turboprops. 8 years later flew heavy jets for on of the worlds most "admired" airlines in Asia. Got bored and fed up with airline flying and went to Africa to fly for real again on small single engine turboprops.. Now flying small biz jets around Europe. :ok:May I ask how old were you when you went bak to Africa?

Concerning the topic: I got my first job immediately after my CPL, the day after. (some flight school have sometimes a charter operation...)

[A330ETOPS]

Finished Integrated in Aug 2008......Still waiting

[redsnail]

Finished CPL in Sept 1991. Did it modular (although, there was no other real choice in Australia when I started. The QF scheme started afterwards).
No jobs because of the Dispute. :ouch:

Completed an instructor rating in 1992 and got part time work immediately. (At the school where I did the CPL). (300 hours)
Headed "north" to the Kimberley in February 1994. Got a full time job flying in June 1994.
Which lead to a twin job in 1996 (1600 hours) which lead to a turboprop job (3300 hours) in 1999 and another in 2000. (4300 hours)
Then left Australia in 2001.

Completed conversion of ATPL in 2002 which lead to a turboprop job in 2002. (4500 hours)
Got a jet job (finally) in 2005. (5100 hours) :ok: Command 4 years ago. (6100 hours)

There are easier ways, but the trip was well worth the ride.
There are many who dismiss single engine bush flying, I drew a lot on that experience during the command upgrade sim checks.

[CAT3C AUTOLAND]

Finished my CPL/IR in 2004 from modular training.

Instructed from 2005 to 2007.

From 2007 working for an Airline and still going :).

[Denti]

Did my first assessment around 8 months before finishing my training (abinitio course with a large German airline owned flightschool), didn't pass though. Finished my training in April 2000 and had two job offers by september, one for a Fokker 50 job where i had to pay the typerating, the other was on a 737 with 12 months bond. Took the latter one and still fly the 737, hope to get my CCQ for the planned MFF 737/787 in a few years.

[flyhighspeed300]

I finished in 2008. I have not got a flying job. I still have kept up my rating, waiting for the chance of the life time. However I have got a very good avaition job and the company keeps on exspanding.

[CABUS]

Finished mod in December 2007 and started on the 320 in the UK in may 2008. I worked on the ground as a dispatcher for the months between.

[FougaMagister]

Finished JAA modular training late Jan '03. Got an FO position 3.5 years later (holding pool for 6 months). In the meantime, worked as Cabin Crew and Flight Dispatcher.

Cheers :cool:

[SAB]

Finished my integrated course by October 2010 and beginning type rating May 2011.

Best of luck to everyone looking for that first job :)

[MD11forever]

Five years - finished 2003, first job 2008.

[UltimateWarrior]

Finished modular in July 2008......Still waiting

[Niceflight]

Finished modular in 2007, type rated on A320 in 2 years after but still waiting for a job any were in the world (even on turbo prop!) :\ Applyed about 200 companies.

[A320Dreamer]

A bit off topic but for those of you who finished training years ago:

Are you all looking for right seat in a 737 or A320 or is it that hard to get a job even as a flight instructor?

[norton2005]

Finished training 09, 1.5 years searching, 5 month hold pool.

[isi3000]

Thanks to everyone that has replied so far. Very useful :ok:

[skyhigher]

I'll give my two cents:

started commercial training 2004 finished 2006. flight instructor 2006/07, first commercial job late 2007, turboprop regional. now flying 737. dont think it would have happened without the FI rating.

keep your chin above Vimd!

[Dane-Ger]

Finished modular Aug 09, started working at weekends as a jump pilot (expenses only) early 2010, which led to some paid photo work, which in turn led to some full time summer work doing VFR pleasure flights / freight / air taxi.

Going back to the same company for this summer season.

[Paolo]

Finished IR early Sept 98, Blagged an interview over the telephone with Debonair Airways in mid Sept, passed interview in late Sept and job offer shortly after, signed contract exactly one month to the day after passing my IR. Started Debonair airways 146 ground school in Nov 1998, and am now Capt with Easyjet on the 'bus. Life was so much easier then!

[bavarian-buddy]

Finished integrated in march 2008, got a job on the Q400 in june 2008 in Germany, now 1700h tt and soon will join our EMB 190/195 fleet.

[Fingersmac]

Took me 6 months of working as a loadmaster and ramp attendant in Northern Canada to get into the right seat of a Caravan. That eventually led to an FO position on a Hawker Siddeley 748 and more recently PC12 captain position. I might finally get out of the north and back to civilization this summer but nothing is certain!

[Drakestream]

Started modular training in 2007, spent all of my hours building flying around Europe visiting different airlines and trying to meet the recruiters. Out of the 19 different airlines I visited I got to meet 3 recruiters and ended up with two job offers. Networking, networking, networking. That's my only advice.

I started my type rating on a 10 tonne turboprop a couple of days after I finished my CPL/IR back in 2008. Got laid off two years ago, flew for another company for a while overseas and am now about to start on a CRJ-700 in the homeland of my wife.

Get to know people, knock on doors and always expect the angels to p!ss in your beer, those are the main lessons I've learnt. Nothing ever goes quite the way you expect it to and you always need to have backups and alternative plans. I wouldn't do anything else in the world though and I still love going to work every day.

[bairni]

I finished my integrated course March 2010 and got hired on a dash8 August 2010 ... so it took me 5 months to find a job

[aerorrancio]

I finished December 2007 and by now i'm waiting.
3,5 years by the moment but I hope a world aviation change.
Actually is very complicated to get a pilot job but not impossible, and I know that it will be.

[welliewanger]

July '07 Finished integrated training.
Feb '08 Started instructor rating.
Mar '08 Instructor job with same company as I did the instructor rating.
Aug '08 Got a jet job, but it turned out to be a fictitious company.
Continued instructing and working for the TRTO (I'd done the rating with them)
Nov '09 Got a job on a large corporate jet, the same one as I'd done the TR on earlier but the job had fallen through.

2 years and 4 months to get the "Dream Job"

FWIW I would recommend being creative and flexible in your approach to getting the job. Don't just send out CVs and fill in job applications. Get varied experience and go out and meet people. You may be a pilot, but working as an ops controller or a fueller or whatever will give you the opportunity to meet people. Without my "other experience" there's no way I would have got this job.

Good luck.

[captainsuperstorm]

the only people who reply are people who find employment, the most majority have found nothing and will not post anything here.
They have changed jobs years ago, and won't comment here.
answers here don't reflect the reality of the market! be careful!

[BUGS/BEARINGS/BOXES]

48 hours after completing training, I started with my first airline.

[Flying Wild]

Mar 07 - Started Training
Aug 08 - Finished
Oct 08 - Successful interview with a european regional carrier - into the hold pool
Majority of 09 - Waiting in the hope of coming out of the hold pool.
End of 09 - realised that nothing was likely to come of it, so did an FI rating so I could teach at my local club and build hours that way.
Apr-Nov 10 - Tour of duty with the TA in Afghanistan.
Dec 10 - Offered interview with a UK lo-co.
Jan 11 - Successful interview and start type rating.
Mar 11 - Start line training and loving it.

Yes, I'm one of those who paid for a type rating, however, I did so with a firm job offer in hand pending successful completion. Previously, my employer bonded cadets for the cost of the type rating, taking payments out each month from pay. I'd have ended up paying for it either way.
At least I've got a permanent contract and I know I'll be getting paid each month regardless of how much flying I do.
The airline has a great atmosphere and you are known as a person rather than a staff number. Wouldn't change anything (unless I'd had a stab at a paid for type rating!).

[redsnail]

Well done dj, hope it goes well. :ok:

[dnomyer]

I finished my training december 2011, did modular training, ppl,ir,cpl/me, and instructor ratings in florida. got around 1200hours after 2 years, then i went back to Norway and did my jaa conversion and passed on all 1st attempts. then i applied for a job in Qatar airways in February, and got in. so i will begin Airbus training in July. i recomend modular training instead of integrated. and use the time to be a instructor (cfi,cfii,mei), and build up as many hours as u can. and u will save alot of money it! Good luck to all u guys, THE GOOD TIMES ARE COMING, just wait and see, soon it will be pilot shortage around the world!

[Mystico]

Finished integrated 2009, 2 weeks ago invited to RYR

[Xolon]

August 2009 - Finished integrated training
April 2011 - Ryanair assessment (successful)
June 2011 - Start TR at CAE Amsterdam

So 20 months..

[chiaravalle]

Hello,
a couple of question for you!
when did you apply for air Memphis?
Are you current on A320?Do you know if they are recruiting only type rated applicants?

Anxiously waiting for your reply

Thanks in advance

Bernardo

[ingdisa]

hey davelongdon,

which grand caravan operator you applied to?!And wich job you picked up eventually?
Thanks!

ingdisa

[Busbar]

Finished modular training November 2003. Interview/selection with FR March 2004. Successful and started on the 737 May 2004. Now fly A340 for UK major.

[Megaton]

Finished modular summer '04 and started work for a TP operator in Nov that year one week after finishing work with my old employer. Six and a bit years later I'm now with BA and starting my Jumbo conversion his week :ok::ok:

[davelongdon]

Air Memphis is a DC9 Job...could think of alot worse for 4000us a month haha..... Havent got Air Memphis' email as I did it all through DELETED.

I am currently doing the caravan job.

[Mungo Man]

How long? I got offered an instructor position during my MCC course, before I'd even done my FI rating. That was end of 2005. I instructed for 12 months then started flying jets in 2007. Very lucky me thinks. Modular trained.

[Wodka]

Glider tuggie - 2006 as PPL
Finished CPL/IR/MCC training - Feb 2009
Para dropping - May 2009
Offered 1st airline role - Jan 2011
Lost medical - 7 days after job offer :ugh:

Currently - touring NHS establishments and street drinking

And remember... if you can't take a joke you shouldn't have signed up!

[stefair]

First off, wanted to fly since 4 (?), 5 (?) years old!

Early 20s. Did not pass Class 1 medical. Laser eye surgery. One year later issued with Class 1.
Fail selection for sponsorship abinito training with European major. Bummer.
Still wanting to fly!
Uni. Aero Engineering major. Start gliding. Supermarket part time job to make end's meet and fund gliding.
PPL between 2nd and final year in US.
Hour building and ATPL groundschool.
IR in US. CPL in UK. ME/IR conversion in Espana.
While training for CPL get an interview for a BE200 corporate job. Pass it. Asked to show up for a second one after ME/IR part. Pass that too. Two weeks later management decide to get rid of airplane. Company would have paid for TR. Nice salary. Would have been too sweet.
Plan B had to be implemented. Had passed an interview for single engine freelance job earlier that year. Called those guys right after had been called by BE200 people. SE outfit had lost a guy so I get asked to start immediately. I relocate. Very little pay, great flying. Loving it.
Start applying on a massive scale now. Another interview for CRJ job. Pass CBT stuff, fail sim.
Another interview for TP regional. Pass all. Thrown in holding pool but never called to this day. Company about to to pack in.
Another interview, 757 job. No spare cash to do sim session beforehand so no surprise to fail sim. Trainers recommend to first learn the trade on TP equipment...
While still soaring the skies in my little SE call up a company doing survey work on a little bigger single and light twin. Asked to send in CV. Interview. Pass. Asked to drop by for test ride. Pass. They want to do another interview. Haggling over salary. Found common ground. Get offered job. About same time meet a guy who got me in line for another FO light twin job. No pay. Turn down the salary twin survey job as only VFR flying. I know, bit nuts though. Keep helping out the guys with the other light twin job for a few months. It's IFR multi pilot work so thought even though worse, or better say, non existing Ts and Cs (!) much better to learn the trade. Waiting for my turn. Turn never comes as applied for a temp job flying a vintage taildragger. Get it. While in the midst of working that gig another interview for another TP job pops up. Pass all. Get hired one month before taildragger contract ends. Company paid for TR.
Only a few months later laid off. World coming to an end but life had to go on.
Call light twin job people who I'd helped out and lucky me they were short of FOs that month. Asked to relocate. Get the job this time. Freelance, very little pay.
Been a helluva ride so far without much pay but have loved every single hour. Take away flying and I'd go nuts...

To all those wannabes, keep on keeping on!

[havana_club69]

Great post stefair, just shows if you have that determination and drive you will get there :D:D:D:D:D

[Mungo Man]

Offered 1st airline role - Jan 2011
Lost medical - 7 days after job offer :ugh:

That is really awful. You have my sympathy. Is there any chance of getting your Class I back? Will you even be allowed a Class II for private flying?

[Flying Mechanic]

CPL 1996, age 26.
First job in 1999 -2001 flying Piston single then twins.
Then Caribeean 2002-2003 Flying Piston Twins.
Turboprop job in Middle east 2004-6
Asian airline 2006-2009.
Corporate since then on a Gulfstream.
My advice is knock on doors and be prepared to travel, my first 3 jobs were all due to knocking on doors, be prepared to take a job doing anything in company....eventually u will get the flying gig. Never give up, its the best job ever weather u are flying a Cessna 206 or Gulfstream.:D

[Wodka]

That is really awful. You have my sympathy. Is there any chance of getting your Class I back? Will you even be allowed a Class II for private flying?

Yeah it sucks pretty bad... I am hopeful, need to have a operation on my heart first then we will see.

Look after your health guys it all means :mad: without that bit of paper from the doc!

[Halfwayback]

I have removed, for the following reasons, all references given by Davelongdon to a particular company that he has referred to

the site registered to the person given in this post http://www.pprune.org/private-flying/418792-bit-support.html (check with Whois)
the company is located in Longdon (company website)
He stated his intention to start such a venture in October '10 http://www.pprune.org/interviews-jobs-sponsorship/429398-bit-advice-job-seeking-market-please.html
it is blatant advertising which is against the rules of Pprune and has earned him a little rest for a few days.
HWB

[CS-DDO]

Hi guys, second post here...=)

Started Integrated in 2006, finished in early 2008,
My Flight School actually offered me a job as a flight instructor (and the Instructor rating) two weeks later so I was pretty lucky...
Been working there since, not the best working conditions (€€) but almost 1500TT, wich isn't that bad...

Hoping for those better days...

[nbairlines]

-Started Integrated in 2003
-Finished 2005
-Interview+Job offer in December 2005, 737 with charter company. TR payed by company.
-moved to big "blue" EU legacy airline in 2007; started on Fokker 50, currently on B777

Hang in there guys :ok:

[agent.oen]

Finished integrated in 2010.
Started to fly turboprops in 2010 just some 2 months later.
Most of my colleagues (some 85%) who finished their integrated with me are flying now.

[Alif]

hye guys. i am fresh pilot from malaysia. and i'm CAA CPL IR & fATPL, can i get favour where i can find airline that take fresh pilot?

Thank guys!

[vdaff]

Still waiting for my first job....waiting for nearly 2 and half year

[lorenzo721]

February 1994 - Got an FAA CPL+IFR, unfortunately no opportunity at this time for a foreign pilot to stay as an instructor, so I just packed and returned home.
October 1996 - Almost got a job in a freight company flying two DC-3s, but it went bankrupt after my very first flight. That's life.
November 1996 - January 1997 - Tried to build up some flying time in a skydiving center, got only a few hours, no pay and large expenses, but had fun.
May 2011 - Started as a ground instructor for a ridiculous pay, and said to the VP that I wanted to kiss her when she handed me my first pay in seventeen years in aviation (it amounted to about £18). She has a sense of humor, so I still have my job.

Not a single interview for years, and regular dark thoughts involving rope or sleeping pills, until the sun finally shone again. Suddenly everything's so fast, even ground instructors around me barely stay six months on the job before being sucked up as F/O on A320, so future is bright at last. If you have no patience though, or are in short supply of hope, it's probably safer to consider another career. Nevertheless, reading all the previous posts, I guess the waiting time before securing a job is unpredictable.

[waldowinter]

Many with CPL(fATPL)+ME IR+MCC will never get a job...previous certificates don't mean yet, that a person is capable to be a professional pilot.

[wangus]

3 years, 4 months, and still dreaming, I mean waiting.....

[wangus]

Alif. Are you serious???

[Jerry Lee]

Alif, pay for your TR and LT and go to Lion Air.

Easy, isn't it?:eek:

[Lplates_Flyer]

Started ground theory Aug '08
Started flying Dec '08
PPL May '09
CPL Dec '09
SEIR Mar '10
C Cat Instructor Sept '10
Instructor job Oct '10-Current
First 'real' job sometime soon when the fun of Instructing runs out.. :ok:

[PH-Chucky]

-Started Integrated in March 2008
-Finished in December 2009

Between January 2010 and May 2011:
-Worked for a Crew transportation company at Schiphol
-Worked for a B737 simulator (not certified sim) company as instructor
-Worked as a Flight Dispatcher at Dutch legacy airline

From May 2011:
-Got hired by German legacy airline (learned a new language)
-Also in holding pool (completed the selection) for Dutch legacy airline

I might say I'm very lucky to win the lottery compared to the situation of other Ab-Initio's. Even I hated that 16 months waiting periode while doing nice work in the airline industry. Can't image how sh*t it is for all guys to wait even longer with no/little improvement of job availability worldwide... Hope ya all find decent work in the airline industry soon!

[Cavallier]

Finished mod training Aug 2001. Instructed between 2002 - 2005, Rhs Airbus 2005, converted onto 747 early 2009. Not what you know more who you know. Enjoy your time in GA as you will never really be in a financial position later in life to revisit it full time. I remember airline pilots telling me when I was an instructor that they would gladly change jobs with me. I wholeheartedly agree especially when doing an uneventful long trans pacific or ****ting myself flying into India during monsoon season!!!!

Good Luck

[Polorutz]

I'll put my 2 cents here I guess.
Dec 2006 - Decided to be a pilot after finishing uni.
Feb 2007 - Failed CTC application.
Apr 2007 - Went to the US, got PPL at EFT in Fort Pierce.
Sept 2007 - Passed CTC application.
Nov 2007 - May 2009 - CTC Integrated Course.
No job after graduating.
Mar 2010 - Got the call for a SSTR with CTC Flexicrew (£7k A320TR).
Jun 2010 - Started flying with easyJet
Winter 2010 - Failed Aer Lingus interview.
Apr 2011 - Passed easyJet permanent contract interview.
Jun 2011 - First Real Job (IE no hourly pay) in MAD with EZY.

[muten]

Hi all,

I'm a newbie looking for my first job as a pilot, and after spending lots of hours reading threads, I think I had enough of the P2F is bad, don't go to Africa, don't apply to that, this is a nightmare, etc.

I just want the FACT, not the opinion, this is what I would like from this thread, I hope to get enough answers to be able to do some kind of statistic work where the newbies can see the best way to start.

As I presume most of the people in this sub-forum are jobless (I don't know if this fits better somewhere else), it'd be good also if you can tell how your friends, acquaintances, instructors, etc, made it.

(I don't know if this has been asked before, I couldn't find anything with the search function, if it has, I'm sorry)

Thank you all for your help

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

I'll begin with my own experience:

- Of course, I don't have a job (Hope to find one soon :ugh:)
- I know of 8 FI that found the Job in the same school they studied and where they did the FI course. Out of this 8, one after 4000TT found a job in central america after he applied through the company website (no P2F), and another one after 2500TT was selected in the RYR assessment (P2F job). The rest still work as FI
- I also know a guy with 250TT that was selected the last september by RYR (P2F job)

[redsnail]

Part time flight instructor. 1992. Sydney Australia
Full time charter/bush pilot. 1994. Kununurra, Australia.

[Denti]

Had two job offers after around 7 months of jumping through all the hoops of various companies. Took the 737 job which just bonded for 12 months for the type rating (nothing payed by me). All that back in 2000 with the usual 230 hours right out of flightschool (plus a couple hundred more in gliders, but i dont count them).

[Jerry Lee]

The good old years!:{

[119.35]

Muten, do you think Ryanair is P2F!? Or do you mean that you don't want to pay for a TR?

You might find this recent thread of some interest, if you haven't seen it already:

http://www.pprune.org/interviews-jobs-sponsorship/472335-2011-modular-did-you-get-job.html

Good luck.

[kiwialex]

Bit the bullet, sold everything I owned, moved to the other side of the world, showed interest for months on end, got hired.

Too many people complain about not having jobs but won't make sacrifices to get into this industry.

[muten]

Well, I don't consider ryanair P2F (it's just a new way to reduce costs for the company), but the fact is that you have to pay again after finishing with all the "mandatory" stuff, some people consider it the same as a line training. I don't want to start with the debate one more time, so P2F it's, and specifying that is ryanair or a TR would help the people to understand the idea.

Thanks for the link, I saw the thread the last year but I lost track of it.

[119.35]

I'm not an advocate of Ryanair, but I wouldn't put them in the same bracket as the 'Lion Air' varieties of P2F. But I agree with you that Ryanair charge for plenty of other things besides the TR.

I found this from earlier in the year - there are lots of posts on it, so it's worth a read:

http://www.pprune.org/interviews-jobs-sponsorship/447131-how-long-did-take-get-your-first-job.html

Cheers.

[ShyTorque]

Went to the RAF recruitment office in 1972. Kept pestering them until they finally gave in and let me join in 1976.

The fools :ok: