CPL with MIFR - what next?

[BushPilotInTraining]

Hello Everyone,

I am sure this question has been asked before.

After spending a lot of money, time and effort to get a PPL, CPL, float rating, Multi rating and Multi IFR - what do I do next to find work? I have 300 TT with low time I do not get any response to applications.

Can anyone who has been through this phase in their career please guide me as to what I can do to find work. Where would I start looking for work in the aviation field? Would I have to do an instructor rating next? Not sure where to start looking.

Thanks to all.

[SuperchargedRS]

Road trip,

go where people don't want to work, supply and demand!

[Flybabe]

Search is your friend. You're not the first to ask, there's probably upwards of 100 threads on this. Good luck!

[GTODD]

Road trip,

go where people don't want to work, supply and demand!

My advice, do NOT do the road trip this year, save your money. I just got back from a road trip through northern Ontario, Manitoba and all the way to B.C. and then back again. I slept in my car half the time and still managed to rack up a debt of well over $2,000.00 on the credit card.
Despite having 1,000 hours and a few seasons of various types of flying experience the only job offers that I got were things like “well...I have a fence you can paint, but probably won’t be any flying time for you this summer”

[Stan Darsh]

Yeah, whatever bud . I know people with way less time than that getting jobs.

[Mihai]

Yeah, whatever bud . I know people with way less time than that getting jobs.

I agree, if the guy before you didnt get the job, it doesnt mean you wont a couple weeks or months later.

[Invertago]

It's not your lack of hours, it is the lack of jobs, some people are landing jobs, but its probably due more to their timing or connections then their log books.

[GTODD]

Stan Darsh, what do you mean by “whatever bud”? I was just trying to help the guy save some money. There is another thread “high time, can’t find a job” where there are some guys with 2,000 plus hours saying that even they are unable to find work for this summer. Perhaps you can tell us where these people with “way less time” are finding work?

I did a lot of research before I left and I went to every place that I thought I would have a legitimate chance of finding work. Now it is going to take a long time to pay off this debt I have accumulated, so I stand by what I said earlier. My advice to the 300 hour guy is still; don’t go on a road trip this season, save your money for next year.

I agree with you Invertago, timing is everything. It seems this year those opportunities are few and far between. Unfortunately I didn’t have enough money to finance driving across the country more than once until I one day did happen to be in the right place at the right time.
Anyways, good luck to everyone else who is still looking...

[loopa]

Stan Darsh, what do you mean by “whatever bud”? I was just trying to help the guy save some money. There is another thread “high time, can’t find a job” where there are some guys with 2,000 plus hours saying that even they are unable to find work for this summer. Perhaps you can tell us where these people with “way less time” are finding work?

I did a lot of research before I left and I went to every place that I thought I would have a legitimate chance of finding work. Now it is going to take a long time to pay off this debt I have accumulated, so I stand by what I said earlier. My advice to the 300 hour guy is still; don’t go on a road trip this season, save your money for next year.

I agree with you Invertago, timing is everything. It seems this year those opportunities are few and far between. Unfortunately I didn’t have enough money to finance driving across the country more than once until I one day did happen to be in the right place at the right time.
Anyways, good luck to everyone else who is still looking...

I'm going to jump on the bandwagon. You're correct, this year will be an absolute waste of money going on a road trip. I did the road trip and luckily scored with companies that want me, and I want to work for them - they just don't have an opening. They are kind in letting me know when to contact them after I call or e-mail them once every month. My next mass of e-mails are to be sent in June / July...

There are no jobs out there; your best bet is to do this. Go and find a job that has to do with aviation. Anything from cleaning planes to checking in to servicing planes to changing bed sheets on medevac planes. Do it, get some connections and aviation recognition on your resume, so that when a chief pilot looks at you, your resume proves the words of "i'm ambitious about this career." Being a barista or cashier, not so much. Unless you're working for Tim Horton's

In the case of an instructor rating, tutor, and have reference letters from the students you tutor. See if any flight school's are willing to take you in as a ground school instructor. This shows that you want to teach. That's what I'm doing and the schools I'm in touch with really admire the fact that I spend time tutoring/teaching while I'm finding that first flying job.

I wish you all the best, but do expect a slow year. If you ever cross paths here in Vancouver, I'll be happy to take you out for a low-timer's pint night !

All The Best !

[Captain Kangaroo]

Is there a DZ near you?

300 is low and it's hard to find a job with that even when times are good, but, small DZ's will usually give a low timer the benefit of the doubt. You'll work for peanuts, maybe even just for food, but you'll log good time and that's what you need right now to give you the leg up on all the other 200 hour wonders.

It worked for me years ago and I'm guessing not much has changed.

You could also probably pack chutes on the side when you aren't flying and the last time I checked, that was about 5-10 bucks a chute. (It takes about 5 min to pack one)

Just a thought...

Best of luck.

CK

[Carrier]

Quote: "You'll work for peanuts, maybe even just for food,"

Doing that will get you a very negative reputation and screw your future prospects. Read the threads on here about the Ontario drop zone that does not pay its pilots and about scabs who fly for free or buy their jobs/pay for job specific training such as type ratings, etc.

Employers of jump pilots are required to pay them the minimum wage. This minimum applies whether the pilots are paid by the hour or by load. This means that drop zones that do not pay their pilots (or even worse require pilots to pay them to fly jumpers) are breaking the law. By extension they are probably also invalidating their insurance. If they are breaking the law in one area - paying their pilots the legally required minimum wage - then it is a fair and reasonable assumption that they are also breaking the law in other areas such as maintenance, records, overloading, training, ignoring SOPs, etc. Pilots who fly for free for such leeches and maggots demonstrate that they are willing to be accomplices in breaking the law and will readily back stab their fellow pilots and engage in any unethical behaviour to get ahead. That kind of reputation is the last thing a low time pilot needs to acquire.

Avoid the sleazy drop zones. There are numerous good, safe and ethical drop zones out there. Get on with one of those and it will be a good way to build hours and experience. Minimum wage, plus perhaps free food, a free jump (if you are mad enough) and a free beer at the end of the day will more than cover your costs of getting to the drop zone.

[Big Pistons Forever]

For new guys chasing that first job.....IMO a road trip is never a waste of time. Yes it is expensive but it is almost the only way you will ever get that first break as a low hour wannabe. Nobody I know has ever hired a 300 hr guy off a resume. All the new guys got hired because they walked in the front door when the outfit needed people.

When you do the road trip three things will happen.

1) You get hired,.... if your are really lucky as a pilot...but more probably as a dock/ramp guy. It doesn't matter because you have your foot in the door. Work hard and show a good attitude and you should move into a flying job by the end of the season or be set for the next season.

2) You can't find a job but get a lot of face time with chief pilots and ops managers. You will have (hopefully) made a good impression and so you can now call the outfits you especially want to work for on a regular basis.... so when "joe" breaks his leg, gets fired, quits in mid season, etc etc you are the guy the cheif pilot remembers.

3) You don't get any work. But you now know who and where you want to work and can do a second smaller and more focused road trip next year.

In the meantime take any work that is associated with aviation. Flying is a small industry and most people get jobs through word of mouth.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Quote: "You'll work for peanuts, maybe even just for food,"

Doing that will get you a very negative reputation and screw your future prospects. Read the threads on here about the Ontario drop zone that does not pay its pilots and about scabs who fly for free or buy their jobs/pay for job specific training such as type ratings, etc.

Employers of jump pilots are required to pay them the minimum wage. This minimum applies whether the pilots are paid by the hour or by load. This means that drop zones that do not pay their pilots (or even worse require pilots to pay them to fly jumpers) are breaking the law. By extension they are probably also invalidating their insurance. If they are breaking the law in one area - paying their pilots the legally required minimum wage - then it is a fair and reasonable assumption that they are also breaking the law in other areas such as maintenance, records, overloading, training, ignoring SOPs, etc. Pilots who fly for free for such leeches and maggots demonstrate that they are willing to be accomplices in breaking the law and will readily back stab their fellow pilots and engage in any unethical behaviour to get ahead. That kind of reputation is the last thing a low time pilot needs to acquire.

Avoid the sleazy drop zones. There are numerous good, safe and ethical drop zones out there. Get on with one of those and it will be a good way to build hours and experience. Minimum wage, plus perhaps free food, a free jump (if you are mad enough) and a free beer at the end of the day will more than cover your costs of getting to the drop zone.

There is always one...


CK

[loopa]

For new guys chasing that first job.....IMO a road trip is never a waste of time. Yes it is expensive but it is almost the only way you will ever get that first break as a low hour wannabe. Nobody I know has ever hired a 300 hr guy off a resume. All the new guys got hired because they walked in the front door when the outfit needed people.

When you do the road trip three things will happen.

1) You get hired,.... if your are really lucky as a pilot...but more probably as a dock/ramp guy. It doesn't matter because you have your foot in the door. Work hard and show a good attitude and you should move into a flying job by the end of the season or be set for the next season.

2) You can't find a job but get a lot of face time with chief pilots and ops managers. You will have (hopefully) made a good impression and so you can now call the outfits you especially want to work for on a regular basis.... so when "joe" breaks his leg, gets fired, quits in mid season, etc etc you are the guy the cheif pilot remembers.

3) You don't get any work. But you now know who and where you want to work and can do a second smaller and more focused road trip next year.

In the meantime take any work that is associated with aviation. Flying is a small industry and most people get jobs through word of mouth.

That's right. I went across canada and there are 8 flight schools I want to work for. I am constantly in touch.

[donttakeshi*]

Going on a roadtrip doesn't just mean knocking on a few doors. It means sitting on that dock and bugging the shi* out of them till they find work to give you. That's how I got my first job.

[Invertago]

Going on a roadtrip doesn't just mean knocking on a few doors. It means sitting on that dock and bugging the shi* out of them till they find work to give you. That's how I got my first job.

Either that or they pay you to leave and stop bugging them Thats how I paid for my road trip