How long did it take you to get your first job?
 

There are many future fATPL holders (including me) who are wondering about the chances of a job. Most of the fATPL's I know have now found work, but they all have >1000 hours instructing, and that sadly isn't an option for many people with £50k already invested.

Having read on another thread about the depressing number of fATPL holders who are still hunting for a job, I'm interested in the other side of the coin ....

How long did it take you to get your first "airline" (ie not hours-building FI / Meatbombing / Glider Tugging) job? How many hours did you have at the time?

FD&H

Australia.
CPL obtained in 1991. Recession etc.
First Airline type job in 1998. FO Bandits. 3300 hours TT

UK.
ATPL obtained in July 2002. Got job in ops immediately. Flying doing night freight for same company on Sheds, 6 months later. 4500 hours TT.

Now looking for another job. 5100 hours TT.

Got CPL in 1995, spent 6 1/2 years in the aviation wilderness, spent my time instructing, working in poorly paid menial jobs, and generally cruising the world looking for flying work.

Got first piston twin job with around 1800 TT, did that for 18 months.

Got first "airline" position this year. (turboprop RHS in the UK) with 2400 TT, 550 MEP.

First CPL/IR in 1991, bits and bobs for the next five years and first Air Taxi job (From 500 hours to 1200. Single Piston, Africa).
FATPL (UK) in 99 then first Turbine job (Single Turbine from 1200 to 1500 hours) in late 2000
First Jet job in 2001, October 2001 but like many I was made redundant before it has started.
December 2001 First twin Turbine job (from 1500 to 1700 hours, Africa).
February 2002 til March 2003... Back to the UK and twin pistons (1700 hours to 2200 hrs).
March 2003 First Medium/heavy jet job.... So far so good ;)

Finished IR 10 days after 9/11 (nice timing!!)
Finished MCC in May 2002.
Finished FIC course May 03.
Joined airline 1st june 03.
300 hrs total time - was lucky with who I knew!!

Passed IR, in summer 2000.

Laned first job, multi engine turbo prop winter 2003.

The three and a half years in between spend desparately searching for that break.

worzel

finished training may 2001, licence atually issued 11/09/2001 ! FIC in November, instructed for 18 months then got first job with new airline at Luton, then recieved the bullet at christmas, back on the pile now.

Christmas was cancelled. Humbug.

Gidday Fat Dumb and Happy,

Living down under so this probably does'nt have much relevance.

Licensed August 1988.
First Job October 1998,
First Twin Job October 1999,
First Turbine Job March 2001,
First Turbine Command June 2002.

Total time now, 4050 hours of which 3300 is multi.

And as your name suggests, I too, am now fat dumb and happy....

Cheers, HH.

:ok:

Exams, BCPL and FI Sep-Jan 1999/2000

Started instructing June 2000

IR May 2001

Selected for jet job Sep 2001

Continue instructing and get time on air taxi Navajo

started jet job Jun 2003

Fatter, dumber and much much happier :D

Finished the ATPL course April 2002. FI rating April 2003, since then instructing at difrent schools. May 2004 turboprop job as FO on the ATR. Total time 340....

Greetings,

Theo

fATPL April 2003

First job on B737 Oct 2003 (CTC ATP Scheme)

fATPL March 2002
Job in night freight Ops department July 2002
Job on 757 with night freight operation May 2003 - 250TT

I know how lucky I was. However, it was not without a huge amount of graft on my part too. I had 2 near misses at jobs and the third one stuck. The airlines will look at the low-timer who makes him/herself stand out.

Take every opportunity to talk to absolutely anyone who is in commercial aviation, the vast majority are more than willing to take a bit of time to chat. It may well not lead to anything, but it has several benefits: It keeps you in touch with a business that unless you are closely involved with can prove elusive and you never know who or what they might know.

ANY job within aviation is better than sitting at home alone and hoping, especially with the smaller outfits - if you have the skills you are then in a position to make yourself known to the MD/Chief pilot who would otherwise have put your CV in the enormous pile with all the other suitably qualified individuals they have never heard of, other than by mass mailing. There may not be immediate opportunities for them to use you, but you are ideally placed for the time that WILL come eventually when they have got it their crewing levels wrong and are suddenly stuck for pilots. If that time doesn't come with that airline, you have still not wasted your time, but given yourself something else aviation related on your CV that may well set you apart when the others recruit.

I was very lucky, I got my job when a pilot from the airline I was working in OPs for tipped me off that the 757 operator I work for was recruiting low-timers. I called up IMMEDIATELY and had a CV in the recruiter's computer about 10 minutes after initial contact. Much hoop jumping ensued and here I am.

That's my story, obviously not the only way to do it, but it worked well for me. Have faith - it can be done. There are the jobs out there for the low-time pilot if you are persistent, and be sure to act on all rumours promptly - they can only be refuted, and if not you're ahead of the competition...

Good luck of you all...

IR finished in 2002.

Due to start first job in June this year as FO on a turboprop.

After nearly 2 years of sending out CVs mostly with no replies, last week I get a call from a guy overseas offering me another job flying as FO on a Twotter. Sods law!

I hope that the market is picking up for all of us wannabes.

Dont give up and good luck.:ok:

Hey, Mr Fixer, any chance of throwing that twotter job my way then? I've got all the ticks in all the boxes with 1100Hrs TT

Cheers

Magoo

FD&H - I'll let you know when I find it! :rolleyes:

Cheers

Passes IR 1st June 2002. Job on Turboprop Feb 2003. Now 750hrs TT (not much, but better than nothing!). Enjoying every minute

Got my Frozen ATPL in April 1999 and first jet job in June 1999, not bad for 200hrs TT but realise I was stupidly lucky and am of course eternally grateful. Now have 1700hrs TT, all jet apart from those 200hrs and all is well. Do however have mates that were on my course that are still looking........:{

Obtained First Officer position on Jet in March 2004, passed IR in April 2004 - nepotism at it's best!!!!!

Jet job before you got the IR passed, Sounds like a f**ken miracle to me.:p

FAA CPL ME IR 1991
CAA fATPL 1992
SEP Africa job 1996
MEP Africa freelance job 1997-99
FI job Uk 2001
Still not made it.