Ramp Job vs. Flying Job?

[taffer]

Hello everyone!

Nice to see the site up and running again! Anyway, I have a question and I'd like some feedback from everyone here.

Currently, I am a low-time pilot (just under 500 hours) that does aerial work. All flying is single-engine day-vfr. There's the potential for a lot of hours here (except during the winter), but I will never fly anything bigger than a Cessna. In an average year, I can get 600 hrs. If our company goes ahead with some planned changes, these hours will increase. There is also potential for me to get as much as 1000 hours. All time is PIC and it's single-pilot flying (in other words, it's very fun ).

Now, there is a potential that I can get a ramp job up North in YTH. The job obviously has not been offered, but I need to "plan ahead" so-to speak. The ramp wait from what I was told is 16-18 months. As always, a flying job is not guarenteed, but there is at least potential with this company to fly bigger a/c.

So, if you were in my shoes, what would you do? I am 23 years old and hope one day to fly either corporate jets or work for an airline. I don't mind putting time on the ramp, but I wonder if it's a good idea to leave a cozy flying job for a ramp job. Has anyone does this?

Please feel free to be brutally honest with me!

taffer.

[merlin]

When you have 1500 hrs PIC, and nothing else happening I might start thinking about leaving. Even then I probably wouldn't leave. So until then don't even think of leaving! You are only 23, you have some 40 years to work and fly, don't be in such a hurry to move to bigger planes.

[Giver eh!]

here is another spin.


would you wait minimum 18months for right seat turbine job or take an immeadiate single engine all pic job?

[groundtoflightdeck]

Once you pass 1000PIC or so the oppertunities start opening up (king air etc.). I'd be willing to say you may have a faster upgrade staying in your flying position.

Good Luck.

[Cat Driver]

Stay.

Cat

[Over the Horn]

Stay your still young, I Know alot of pilots that have 2000+ f/o time and unable to be promoted captain, wishing they had Pic. Most company's insurance requires the pic. time. at about 1000-1500 start looking for a new job.

[taffer]

Thanks for all the feedback! It is very much appreciated.

It's not so much that I'm trying to get to the airlines ASAP- I'm just looking for something with a little more stability. At the moment, I am very much dependent on my parents as I'm not making enough to cover rent and student loan payments. I'm considering getting another part-time job outside of aviation, but the problem with that is I may lose some flights, which I don't want (as I said, I fly very little throughout the winter- perhaps 4-5 times/month, and I usually find out about a flight the day before or the day of).

Maybe I'm underestimating PIC time? The way I looked at it, is that with my current job, there are no real opportunities to fly something different. I thought maybe taking a ramp job may open up some doors as there will at least be the potential for different a/c. The downside obviously is the long wait- I was told 16-18 months.

Again, I don't want to get ahead of myself here. The ramp job has not been offered yet, but I know that if I do have to make a decision, I will have to make it on the stop, so I want to be prepared.

If anyone has any more comments or was in a similar position as me, I'd love to hear some feedback.

Regards,

taffer.

[cyhu]

I work the ramp at CYHU... much rather be flying!!! I have less hours than you, and the outside work can get to you. I think you have a good thing going, maybe offer yourself to do paperwork with this company... at least you'll be in aviation, and they'll let you leave your post when flights come in!

Good luck.

[North Shore]

Stay where you are - it's a sure thing, and it is all PIC. You could go to YTH, work there for a few months (long enough that your current co. gets a new guy on-line) and then sewer yourself by crashing the company vehicle Besides, the girls at home probably have all of their teeth , and still think that being a pilot is a cool job...

[planett]

Go with the better pay, condition yourself to think this way. Seriously, I would stay while buliding PIC time and look for other opportunities where you might go straight into a slightly better flying job. For example, instead of ramp in YTH what about fire patrol in YHD? Now that you have some time, waiting on the ramp for a "maybe" seems to be a step back. If you stay on another year and build contacts somewhere else, it might get you into something bigger without giving up flying.

[Doc]

STAY WHERE YOU ARE!!!

[taffer]

Wow, this seems pretty unanimous!

Thanks again for all the insight. If anyone else wants to weigh in, feel free!

taffer.

[. .]

I couldn't think of a single reason to leave a job with 600hrs/yr for a ramp job. Yes skyward has a nice fleet. Yes if you play your cards right you'll get yourself into some nice planes. Getting into those planes is going to take you a year and a half as a realistic minimum figure. In that year and a half you've got yourself nearly 1000PIC. With 1000hrs PIC you have a lot more doors open for you. Even if after building your 1000hrs PIC you decide that you want to understand the true underbelly of hell and work the ramp. By all means go ahead and live the dream. You'll have more time then anyone else working the ramp and because of that may be upgradeable into planes the ramp guys aren't.

[Cat Driver]

" Besides, the girls at home probably have all of their teeth "

You have somethng against girls with no teeth?

Cat

[DEL]

Keep the flying job. What do employers want, hours and the more the better. They want you to be curent and flying. Remember that most employers will ask how many hours you have flown in the past six months and within the past year.

[Brint]

If you took the ramp job, you would certainly regret it. Every crappy day you have loading someone else's plane, you'll be reminded of how you could be flying instead.