Job types available to low hour pilots - in "good times"?
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Job types available to low hour pilots - in "good times"?
Hey all,
One thing that is constantly bugging me is what options do low hour pilots have in the "good times" for work, other than a self sponsored TR or a bond with an airline/jet company?
I'm concerned that if one has to pay £££££££ to get the licenses only to have a flying job that is very poorly paid (excluding airlines/jet jobs) i.e. less than £25k/yr, then it's going to be a struggle to live, pay off any loan and have any sort of life other than constantly working.
I was told that to become a charter pilot you need something like 700 PIC hours, so that's off the cards, unless you want to spend more money for an FI and be on low pay as an instructor, weather permitting.
I would be interested to hear of the options one does have in the good times and the salaries that go along with it?
Thanks.
Cirrus
P.S. I don't want negative stuff on this thread or pointless *rap, I want this to be positive/informative and of use to people.
One thing that is constantly bugging me is what options do low hour pilots have in the "good times" for work, other than a self sponsored TR or a bond with an airline/jet company?
I'm concerned that if one has to pay £££££££ to get the licenses only to have a flying job that is very poorly paid (excluding airlines/jet jobs) i.e. less than £25k/yr, then it's going to be a struggle to live, pay off any loan and have any sort of life other than constantly working.
I was told that to become a charter pilot you need something like 700 PIC hours, so that's off the cards, unless you want to spend more money for an FI and be on low pay as an instructor, weather permitting.
I would be interested to hear of the options one does have in the good times and the salaries that go along with it?
Thanks.
Cirrus
P.S. I don't want negative stuff on this thread or pointless *rap, I want this to be positive/informative and of use to people.
PPRuNe Handmaiden
Hi Cirrus 
Firstly, never take as gospel any thing "you were told" unless it's by someone with the authority to say it. In other words, wrt the charter and 700 hours, read LASORS and the EASA docs to find the reference and to get it first hand.
I am not saying they are wrong, but it's a good practice to get into.
(An Australian FOI {ie CASA flying operations inspector} taught me that, and if it was good enough for her NOT to believe people on face value wrt to regs etc then it's good enough for me)
I am not overly familiar with the UK market other than night freight, biz jets and airlines however, I am familiar with GA in other parts of the world.
I usually advise folks to find out where the meat bombing (aka parachute drops) and glider towing outfits are and go and talk to them. You never know where it will lead. Contacts and word of mouth are definitely the go in the bizjet/turboprop world.
Find a flying school that has ties in with a charter company or two. Good source of contacts there. They are around and generally don't pump out robotic airline clones.
If you can, go OS. Caribbean, Africa etc. Sure, competition is tough and there's no guarantee. However, you'll learn more in one year than you will in 5 years of airline flying.
Many folks dismiss bush flying/scenics/piston charter as not airline relevant. Rubbish. A fuel decision is the same whether you're talking about kg or tonnes. Operational decisions like to continue or divert due weather, pax illness etc are the same. Just the scale is bigger in a 767.
Unfortunately, the airlines that are hiring at the moment in Britain favour inexperienced FOs who are desperate for a job and will pay for the privilege.
Therefore, they are now a revenue stream, in effect, the most expensive "Speedy Boarding" programme available.
After 6 months out you go or you're put on some contracting deal whereby they can play with you at will... 
Firstly, never take as gospel any thing "you were told" unless it's by someone with the authority to say it. In other words, wrt the charter and 700 hours, read LASORS and the EASA docs to find the reference and to get it first hand.
I am not saying they are wrong, but it's a good practice to get into.
(An Australian FOI {ie CASA flying operations inspector} taught me that, and if it was good enough for her NOT to believe people on face value wrt to regs etc then it's good enough for me)
I am not overly familiar with the UK market other than night freight, biz jets and airlines however, I am familiar with GA in other parts of the world.
I usually advise folks to find out where the meat bombing (aka parachute drops) and glider towing outfits are and go and talk to them. You never know where it will lead. Contacts and word of mouth are definitely the go in the bizjet/turboprop world.
Find a flying school that has ties in with a charter company or two. Good source of contacts there. They are around and generally don't pump out robotic airline clones.
If you can, go OS. Caribbean, Africa etc. Sure, competition is tough and there's no guarantee. However, you'll learn more in one year than you will in 5 years of airline flying.
Many folks dismiss bush flying/scenics/piston charter as not airline relevant. Rubbish. A fuel decision is the same whether you're talking about kg or tonnes. Operational decisions like to continue or divert due weather, pax illness etc are the same. Just the scale is bigger in a 767.
Unfortunately, the airlines that are hiring at the moment in Britain favour inexperienced FOs who are desperate for a job and will pay for the privilege.
Therefore, they are now a revenue stream, in effect, the most expensive "Speedy Boarding" programme available.
After 6 months out you go or you're put on some contracting deal whereby they can play with you at will...
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I'm afraid Cirrus, without trying to be negative it's a fact of life that for low houred pilots, low or no pay is the norm. Redsnail suggests parachute flying and glider towing. They often fall into the no-pay category as PPLs are allowed by the CAA to drop skydivers. Elsewhere CPLs are required but pay remains low or zero. On top of that, operators often fight shy of low timers for all the obvious reasons.
We all know Instructors are low paid unless I presume they work for one of the big schools.
It's the way things are, I'm afraid in good or bad times.
However if you look beyond the pay issue, which you must. The experience gained, the fun to be had will remain with you for the rest of your career. Sure it can mean long days, seven day weeks etc. But it's all part of the experience. Plus you make contacts, easily the most important thing in aviation. Who you know.
We all know Instructors are low paid unless I presume they work for one of the big schools.
It's the way things are, I'm afraid in good or bad times.
However if you look beyond the pay issue, which you must. The experience gained, the fun to be had will remain with you for the rest of your career. Sure it can mean long days, seven day weeks etc. But it's all part of the experience. Plus you make contacts, easily the most important thing in aviation. Who you know.
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I don't want negative stuff on this thread
There is an UK employer that is looking for pilots:they give you
That's the positive bit
The negative bit is that sadly you are too old.
Anne
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You're talking good times, and they are far, far away. Although the same thing is crucial, YOU HAVE TO STAY IN THE BUSINESS!
Whether it is as an instructor or washing/waxing Pipers. As long as you stay put and talk to people, let them know your situation. And be open to do some lowpaid/unpaid flying. Any flying is good flying. As the previous has stated, jumperdumping and glider towing as an example of staying in the business.
Sooner or later something will appear...
Whether it is as an instructor or washing/waxing Pipers. As long as you stay put and talk to people, let them know your situation. And be open to do some lowpaid/unpaid flying. Any flying is good flying. As the previous has stated, jumperdumping and glider towing as an example of staying in the business.
Sooner or later something will appear...
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- may well be operating in environments where people would very much like to kill you.
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Redsnail
But it doesn't help if LASORs is wrong! They might have corrected it now, but it used to be on the issue of single-crew IFR requirements under JAR-OPS. The truth is that 700 hours is not an EU-OPS minimum for all single-crew IFR. Often hours requirements are high, but I did know a light charter pilot with about 300 hours!
XX
On the plus side you are often allowed to shoot at such people.
But it doesn't help if LASORs is wrong! They might have corrected it now, but it used to be on the issue of single-crew IFR requirements under JAR-OPS. The truth is that 700 hours is not an EU-OPS minimum for all single-crew IFR. Often hours requirements are high, but I did know a light charter pilot with about 300 hours!
XX
On the plus side you are often allowed to shoot at such people.
