Suggestions on what to do now?
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Suggestions on what to do now?
Have approx 900 hrs total with almost 300 on twins, flying skydivers at the moment . I am thinking of what my next step should be. Go for a FI rating, buying a typerating?? or just wait for better times. I am not sure I can afford a typerating but I am beginning to feel somewhat stressed because the years are going fast (36 years now). I live in Sweden but I am looking for jobs in other countries as well, without success so far.
Any suggestions are appreciated
Regards
Any suggestions are appreciated
Regards
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Europe
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Ingo1,
You're in the same boat as hundreds of others who started flying late in life after doing all sorts of sxxt (myself included, same age as you). You could do worse than strapping your backpack on and heading out to the Caribbean, there are often jobs available in Air Taxi operations. Don't expect to fly fancy stuff to begin with, most likely Aztec, Islanders, maybe C402/404.
The bottom line is: choose where you want to be and what kind of life you want to be having and then try to sort out the flying. If you knock on enough doors someone will let you in. Even Sweden has nice things about it doesn't it?
The problem with flying as a career is that you get itchy feet all the time and want to find that definitive "cool" job that gets you money and chicks etc. but I digress....
I thought about both FI and Type rating and scrapped both ideas.
Why? Because both areas have too many unemployed with ratings (FI & TR), many with experience. If they can't find gainful employment I sure as hell am not going to spend the extra money to stand at the back of yet another qeue with more ratings to keep current. I can't keep the basic stuff current (IR/ME) so I don't need the extra headache.
I'm concentrating on finding an Air Taxi job in the sun. Don't bother with Southern Africa at the moment, every bar in Windhoek is overflowing with unemployed low-time pilots (will probably get shouted at for being negative now!!)
Failing all of these ideas I'm going to have to find a parallel occupation that will allow me to fly for fun or part-time commercial if that's all I can get.
If you want to talk more dig out my e-mail address or PM me.
el d.
You're in the same boat as hundreds of others who started flying late in life after doing all sorts of sxxt (myself included, same age as you). You could do worse than strapping your backpack on and heading out to the Caribbean, there are often jobs available in Air Taxi operations. Don't expect to fly fancy stuff to begin with, most likely Aztec, Islanders, maybe C402/404.
The bottom line is: choose where you want to be and what kind of life you want to be having and then try to sort out the flying. If you knock on enough doors someone will let you in. Even Sweden has nice things about it doesn't it?
The problem with flying as a career is that you get itchy feet all the time and want to find that definitive "cool" job that gets you money and chicks etc. but I digress....
I thought about both FI and Type rating and scrapped both ideas.
Why? Because both areas have too many unemployed with ratings (FI & TR), many with experience. If they can't find gainful employment I sure as hell am not going to spend the extra money to stand at the back of yet another qeue with more ratings to keep current. I can't keep the basic stuff current (IR/ME) so I don't need the extra headache.
I'm concentrating on finding an Air Taxi job in the sun. Don't bother with Southern Africa at the moment, every bar in Windhoek is overflowing with unemployed low-time pilots (will probably get shouted at for being negative now!!)
Failing all of these ideas I'm going to have to find a parallel occupation that will allow me to fly for fun or part-time commercial if that's all I can get.
If you want to talk more dig out my e-mail address or PM me.
el d.
Last edited by el dorado; 8th Jul 2004 at 18:12.
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el dorado,
Flying airtaxi in the caribbean sounds great but I guess it is to far away for me due to wife and kids. I think I will have to focus on Europe when I am applying for jobs.
So, the Islander is common in the caribbean... I am actually flying one at the moment in skydiving operations.
/Ingo1
Flying airtaxi in the caribbean sounds great but I guess it is to far away for me due to wife and kids. I think I will have to focus on Europe when I am applying for jobs.
So, the Islander is common in the caribbean... I am actually flying one at the moment in skydiving operations.
/Ingo1
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Hi Ingo1
Yes, I guess that having dependents does make it a little harder to move about. Having said that, not all employers see it as entirely negative if one has a family because it shows a certain amount of stability. The scourge of all small operators (perhaps all companies, whatever the size) is pilots who know they only want to be there as long as it takes to get a better job.
You'd be surprised at how many companies would be very happy to have pilots who are willing to spend more than a year with them.
In the end communication is everything. It's all been said before I know but if employers and employees talk to each other most problems aren't problems. Most issues can be resolved to mutual satisfaction.
The Islander is a workhorse around the world. When all else fails people go back to the Islander because it's robust and cheap to operate.
I guess I say what I say about the Caribbean because it's what I've been doing for a number of years now and I'm used to it. Maybe if I got a good break in Europe I would very quickly get used to that too but as you know it isn't so easy these days.
The advantage that Europe has is that most companies have decent maintenance facilities which is not always the case on the islands. But it's flying.
Air is air is air.....
Yes, I guess that having dependents does make it a little harder to move about. Having said that, not all employers see it as entirely negative if one has a family because it shows a certain amount of stability. The scourge of all small operators (perhaps all companies, whatever the size) is pilots who know they only want to be there as long as it takes to get a better job.
You'd be surprised at how many companies would be very happy to have pilots who are willing to spend more than a year with them.
In the end communication is everything. It's all been said before I know but if employers and employees talk to each other most problems aren't problems. Most issues can be resolved to mutual satisfaction.
The Islander is a workhorse around the world. When all else fails people go back to the Islander because it's robust and cheap to operate.
I guess I say what I say about the Caribbean because it's what I've been doing for a number of years now and I'm used to it. Maybe if I got a good break in Europe I would very quickly get used to that too but as you know it isn't so easy these days.
The advantage that Europe has is that most companies have decent maintenance facilities which is not always the case on the islands. But it's flying.
Air is air is air.....
