Explore

I recently spent 7 weeks in Canada, taking my PPL there. The best 7 weeks of my life however. I would rather spend my saturdays flying the Diamond Eclipse, than going out in Norway Even though I missed the norwegian girls, compared to the Candians ones

Anyways, I ended up with 85 hours, at a cost around 15 000 CAD. Well, back in Norway I need to convert to JAA PPL, which is pretty straight forward with a skilltest. But after im done with that, what should I do?

There are plenty of options:

- I could start at the University next month, which is free, and after 3 years end up with a Bachelor.
- I could start the reading for the ATPL exams, get started on my hourbouilding, and fly at Luftfartsskolen
- I could work and save up for flying in the US. Get a FI job there, and get my hours there, before I get back to Norway to convert and get though the exams.

I now there is a cricis and so on right now. But isent the best thing to get the education during the downturn, and maybe you get a job in the upswing. I know im not getting rich or something like that, but isent it about doing what you like the most?

Any tips?

8ah

Sounds like you got a good picture of what it takes, what to do etc....

All that is left for you, is the decition on what, when and where.

Good luck on your future endaveours....

Trolle

Go to university and read the ATPL on the side as distance learning. It is possible if you are dedicated.

If you only go the ATPL route you may end up like my friends who are out a job and without an education other than a type rating that won't get you a desk job.

If I could do it again I'd learn a trade (carpenter, etc.) and then do my flight training. A trade is something that is always in demand and flexible hours. Something you can do yourself when you're not flying.

Just my 2 cents.

TowerDog

Nah, plenty of stuff to do in between flying jobs: Drive cabs or trucks or whatever..Don't waste money and time getting some kind of education you may never put to good use.

Guttn

"Don't waste money and time getting some kind of education you may never put to good use."

....like flying

Sorry TD, couldn`t help myself. It`s just one of those days again

TowerDog

Well, he was asking about getting another education in addition to flying...

Sometimes it can be hard to find a good flying gig, no changes there, it was not easy for us who went through the program 30 years ago either.

As a brand new pilot in Norway I made out 32 hand-written applications to 32 companies in Norway. (As many as was registred with 'verket, from SAS to the small stuff and all in between.)

Not one positive result such as an invitation to an interview, or any job-offer..No nothing.

Drove cabs, flew sky-divers on week-ends and saved money, then bought a one-way ticket to Alaska.

Not sure what good some other "education" would have done..

Everybody is different of course and if one is afraid of putting all eggs in one basket, then by all means, go back to school, take out more loans and miss out on a few years of building hours and quals for a good flying job..

Guttn

TD, yes I know, but it was just too obvious to ignore

Oneway tickets are far cheaper than an education. Why not combine the two?

On the otherhand, rockbands don`t just set up their amps at an arena if nobody has heard of them... They put in the hours, elbowgrease, a bit of talent, sweat n tears, and then... if they`re lucky, some record company may cut them a deal. It`s a long way to the top if you wanna rock n roll

TowerDog

Hmm, not sure how...?

As for eduacation: These days ya can buy one:

Down by the Diploma Mills Stream

University Degree Program - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I bought a Bachelors Degree of Aeronautical Science from Harrington University for $800.00 some 10 or 11 years ago.

As most major airlines requires a degree, I showed my diploma and got hired..

Saved me 4 years and $100K.

Perfectly legal AND tax deductible.

Explore

Thanks for the inputs!

I guess buying a one-way ticket to Alaska would be great challenge. How many hours per month did you get there? Was it a tuff enviroment to work in?

As I mention earlier, I spent 3 months at Boundary Bay and after seeing how hard it is to make a good living as a pilot, especially in the beginning I just got a bit worried. Maybe the marked is better in Europe though.

If I invest 3 years in school, you get a good education and many new friends. If you spend 3 years in "low paining job", you get the money.

I think im gonna start school at least, and try to combine reading ATPL (read like a chapter every day, and every 7 chapter, go over it to make sure I got it), and continue my parttime-work. Put up a plan, try to make it as a flight-instructor within 2 years.

Should I do the hourbuliding in North America, and then do the IR/CPL/ME here in Europe, or should just do everything in North America? Yes, I know there is many ways and so on, and I could do a seach. But what do the carrieres want? Do they care if you have been flying in Europe or the US/Canada

And thanks for the inputs. Really much appreciated!

TowerDog

120

Yes

Guttn

Flew 100-120 hours a month, as flight instructor. Pay was better than in the lower 48, but cost of living was also a bit higher (not too much though). Anyway, I had no problems renting an apartment, getting transportation, food and booze. Challenging yes, but as an instructor you`re a bit more protected than flying part 135 out in the bush. Would I do it again? Hell yeah!

TowerDog

Aha, so you flew in Alaska as well.?
Anchorage I presume..The Towerdog had a brief stint as an instructor @ Merill Field as well back in 1980. Came back the year after and flew 207s in the bush. Also 83 and 84, 185;s and 206/207. Polished off my Alaska time with fish-haul, flying a DC-3 of the beaches in 1986 for Silver Salmon season.

Came back with 747s starting in 1989 but that was just fuel stops and crew changes on the way from New York to Hong Kong and such.

Alaska is good for a young man, ya learn to fly and to suck it up.
Any crosswind landing is easy after having forced a C-207 down on a dirt stip with a 30 knot direct cross wind.

The most I flew up there was 25 flights in one day and the monthly record 144 hours. Better enjoy flying if you are headed for Alaska.

Guttn

TD, you bet! Merrill Field was the place. Good fun for a young man with no worries pre-9/11. We might even have flown for the same company at Merrill.... Had been around since late 50s, family-owned and the Chief Pilot was also with Wien Alaska and later on Alaska Airlines. Know who I`m talking about? But of course, you get to hone your stick and rudder skills at lot more out in the real world (bush) where your flying actually makes a difference to locals.

Haven`t been back since, but I will within a couple of years. There`s something about the place that slowly draws you back

TowerDog

Nah, did not really work for anybody @ Merrill, I was free-lancing. Instructed folks in the their own planes. Plenty of business.
That being said, I knew some of the guys at Wilbur's..Is that were you worked?

Bunch of the instructors and pilots came to a party me and my room-mate threw one fine summer day: The Chief Pilot or Chief Instructor whatever he was had blond hair, a red beard, black t-shirt and blue jeans...By co-incident, I also had blond hair, red beard, black t-shirt and blue jeans...I walked over to him and said: I don't like the way you look...He was too drunk to see the humor and instead got aggressive saying " I don't give a fukk what you like or don't like".....I was rolling around on the floor laughing...

Them were the days..Party to 0500, catch a few hours sleep, then up and shine..

Alaska is still there if anybody wants to go and fly airplanes full-time, then some. A little harder now because of TSA and background checks for any kind of flying job. Back then it was "dont ask, don't tell" if ya did not have a green card. They asked ya for a Social Security number though. I didn't have one, so I took a dead pilots number and changed a few digits, used that to pay taxes on..It would work for a few months before the questions started coming in from the IRS and the FAA..Then it was time to move on anyways...

Guttn

Don`t think this was the same guy. Was at the southern end of the airport. Aero Tech is the name. Good folks to work for. 5 days on, 2 days on. Lots of students, and time to uhhh see the sights and stuff. Had a couple of trips out to Northway, Kodia and Illiamna, but that`s not what you can call the bush regarding airports. Oh yeah, was at King Salmon once. Had my IFR students tracking AM radio stations since the published NDB approaches were too far away from Merrill . Had a near mdi-air with an MD11 who thought he was on final to PANC, but was actually on final to Elmendorff, heard one plane`s last transmission before disaster in a mountain pass (was due to lowering cloudbase, and there was probably not enough room to turn around in there - sickening feeling), had an electrical fire onboard (interesting) and got cought by unexpected WX twice. And those were the good days. Not flyingwise, but experiencewise.

As TD says, AK is still there. But head way out west or up north and they might not ask too many Qs

TowerDog

Aye, King Salmon...

I was based there in 1983 with a C-188 Ag Truck: Landing on the Nearby beaches filling up the hopper-tank with fresh salmon, then flying to K.S. and loading it into bigger airplanes for a final ride to the processing plants or fresh market in Seattle or Japan.

Did not like the airplane, but it paid the bills I guess....

dieselsix

Alaska is Norway, but 3-4 times bigger with only 650 thousand people who don't care much for socialism. Here you have the freedom to do all the stuff you can only dream about back there. I came to Ak back in '89 and paid of my loan in two years and still had $25 grand left. Times have change a little, the insurance companies has managed to do what the FAA never could, bring some rules to the sport, but there are still opportunities for a go-getter.

Guttn

dieselsix, that`s what`s so appelaing

TD, you`re a freightdog

TowerDog

Aye, 20 years in Alaska...You probably know A.Ø and them other Norwegians up there as well as the Bush Company?

Yo bro, freight dog by heart, but probably have an equal number of hours or more hauling pax here, there and everywhere...