Low time pilot with 737 rating and 300/500 hours on type

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v_2gusid
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Low time pilot with 737 rating and 300/500 hours on type

Post by v_2gusid »

I am a low time commercial pilot with a kiwi (New Zealand) CPL/IR/ME, TT 280 as of now but I was thinking of doing my 737 type rating with some 300-500 hours on type through eagle jet .
I know the market scene these days for pilots is not very good and I have myself been sitting idle and only hour building to keep my recency for the past couple of years.

I wanted to know if that will help me get a first officer's job with any canadian carrier ??

I know this is not the best route to take but again I am tired of sitting on the ground.
Any and all suggestions are welcome
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Jastapilot
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Re: Low time pilot with 737 rating and 300/500 hours on type

Post by Jastapilot »

If you went through with the rating, you'd be extremely lucky to get a job on a 737 in Canada. Also, if you'd be content as a copilot the rest of your career in Canada, it might be ok, IF you could get hired. I can pretty much guarantee you won't be hired at Westjet with those hours.
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Big Pistons Forever
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Re: Low time pilot with 737 rating and 300/500 hours on type

Post by Big Pistons Forever »

V_2

Maybe your first clue should be there are no 500 hr 737 FO's at Air NewZealand. I am prety sure this is because that airline has no interest in graduates from pay to fly scams like Eaglejet. With this program you do not get a type rating and 100-500 hrs of line flying because you merited the job you got it because daddy paid your way.

I would say your resume would have very little appeal for canadian operators and I am sure it would get culled at the first gate if you sent it to West Jet. Why on earth would any operator want to hire a 500 hr wannabe dreamer when there are lots of 5000 hr pilots with real expereince available ? The reality is you cannot buy experience. You want to drive a 737, fine, at least in the North American context, and it seems the same way in your hemisphere, you will need to work your way up through a series of progressively larger and more demanding aircraft/operations over a significant number of years.
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looproll
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Re: Low time pilot with 737 rating and 300/500 hours on type

Post by looproll »

maybe you should read the eaglejet website:

"I do not have previous turbine experience and I am considering receiving heavy turbojet first officer experience in order to get hired directly by an airline flying heavy jets. Is your heavy turbojet program for me?


In order to get hired by an airline flying heavy jets based in the United States or Canada, in most cases it is required to have approximately 2,500 hours total time with 250 to 500 hours of turbine preferred. Receiving turbojet experience will indeed place you in an excellent position to get hired by such airlines since they strongly prefer past experience on aircraft of the same category. Nevertheless, if upon completion of one of our heavy turbojet programs, you fall short of these minimum flight time requirements, joining a heavy turbojet program might not be the best option for you at this stage of your pilot career. "
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goaroundthrust
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Re: Low time pilot with 737 rating and 300/500 hours on type

Post by goaroundthrust »

paying to get hours is not really looked upon as the right thing to do. Fly the bush , instruct and work to get your hours and it will feel so much better to accomplish.....I remember when i started a company offered me to log some hours if i would pay them. My answer was "if you can not even afford to pay your junior pilots, why would i work for you"

It really does not look good if you want to get a job in Canada and bought your hours. Even if you do get a job , your fellow pilots might have no respect for you doing so . But then that might not interest you at all as you sit in a million dollar aircraft with no skills, because you never learned them in the first few thousand hours , that you are now lacking.

Just my opinion, i know LH and other companies take guys with 250 hrs and put them in the bus or the 737, but remember that those companies have a VERY hard selection process and from day 1 you are trained towards that goal.

Do yourself a favor , get a right seat in a twin otter, instruct or fly the bush in a 206 , scare yourself a few times and when you look back at your life when you are 65 , you can actually feel good about a life long journey in aviation. The sentence " i got it all through hard work and determination" comes to mind. Trust me it is a great feeling . Every time i blast off in the 737 i have a smile on my face as i remember the days slugging it out on the beaver on floats or taking a low time pilot into cloud for the first time . So many great memories that you will not have because you took the easy way.

Just my 2 cents . Hope it works out ....
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stickontheice
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Re: Low time pilot with 737 rating and 300/500 hours on type

Post by stickontheice »

Pay your dues and enjoy the journey.
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loopa
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Re: Low time pilot with 737 rating and 300/500 hours on type

Post by loopa »

stickontheice wrote:Pay your dues and enjoy the journey.
You summed it up real nice :)

It seems like the system of North American aviation, or in New Zealand as well is that you have to go through a lot of hurdles to get to fly the big and fun stuff. In Europe however, they go based on the system where young cadets are trained by airlines (flight academy's for airlines), and are put beside high time captains that are basically their instructors/mentors. I think they sit in the right seat for a good 10 years while learning all the fun stuff about airline flying, and then they move on with getting their upgrade and all. I believe their mentality is that anybody can fly a jet, given that they have the correct situational awareness to work in such a high demanding environment, because anybody can press the APU switch, learn to press the RTE page on the FMC and request the route for the proposed flight, set up the weights and cost index in the INIT page, and yati yati yata. It's the other side of jet flying that disqualifies some people from being able to comfortably do the job, of which the selection process in academy's such as in Europe do a really good job of.

I think companies such as DLH, KLM, AFA, BAW, etc all have their own cadet program? I think they control their pilot supply in terms of inflow and outflow of pilots. As guys retire, young guys are selected, put through a 2 year training scheme (6 months ground school, 14 exams towards an FATPL, flight training in Arizona, back to Europe for Multi IFR training and PPC on their type rating). I don't think such companies even hire direct entry F/O's or Captains? I may be wrong but I think that's how they do it.

Like mentioned earlier, the selection process is very tough, and they're looking for ideal candidates. So if they find any reason to disqualify you, there are thousands of more applicants they can go through to replace you - kind - of - deal.

Honestly man, you want to look back at your career and say that "I've done that." Get out, get your hands dirty, enjoy all the little things in the industry, as I reckon when you get to the top, you will look back and be proud of your achievement.

Best of luck! 8)
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stratcat
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Re: Low time pilot with 737 rating and 300/500 hours on type

Post by stratcat »

How about leave Canadian flying jobs to Canadians
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Re: Low time pilot with 737 rating and 300/500 hours on type

Post by Jack Klumpus »

lol

Do you know that Canadian expat pilots have become the 'mexicans' of the pilot industry?

Do you know if all our expat pilots return to work at home, we'd all be lined up working the ramp in order to fly a big and shiny 172?
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stratcat
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Re: Low time pilot with 737 rating and 300/500 hours on type

Post by stratcat »

whats that have to do with leaving jobs here in Canada to Canadians?You chose to go work abroad and the reason you can is there must be a demand.There isnt a demand here for non Canadians.
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UKPilot
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Re: Low time pilot with 737 rating and 300/500 hours on type

Post by UKPilot »

I was born in South Africa but have lived in Canada for more than 20 years, however, I'm currently flying overseas with the hope of returning to fly in Canada one day. Am I allowed to have a Canadian flying job?
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rigpiggy
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Re: Low time pilot with 737 rating and 300/500 hours on type

Post by rigpiggy »

I don't know, do you have a Canadian passport? Do you still retain residency? Will someone spondor you?
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Re: Low time pilot with 737 rating and 300/500 hours on type

Post by UKPilot »

Sorry that was meant to be sarcastic but sarcasm can be lost in a forum but thanks for the kind answer. I'm a full Canadian citizen and consider myself Canadian above my other two nationalities because I'm proud to be a Canadian for many reasons, but mainly because of how friendly and accepting we are as a nation and as individuals. It bothers me when I see fellow Canadians shoot other people down like 'stratcat' has done to 'v_2gusid'. There are hundreds of aviation forums out there, but 'v_2gusid' took the time to post on a Canadian forum, possibly among others, but the point is he choose this Canadian forum to seek advice from Canadians. I know there are not a lot of jobs in Canada even for Canadian pilots, but we can still show some Canadian hospitality to the poster.
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Jack Klumpus
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Re: Low time pilot with 737 rating and 300/500 hours on type

Post by Jack Klumpus »

stratcat wrote:whats that have to do with leaving jobs here in Canada to Canadians?You chose to go work abroad and the reason you can is there must be a demand.There isnt a demand here for non Canadians.
I didn't chose to work abroad, I chose to work in Canada, and that's what I do.

Your comment is ignorant, and leaves no option for me but to refrain from saying any more.
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AMM
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Re: Low time pilot with 737 rating and 300/500 hours on type

Post by AMM »

starcat, you have pretty good grammer and spelling for someone typing out of their ass.

Congrats.
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stratcat
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Re: Low time pilot with 737 rating and 300/500 hours on type

Post by stratcat »

I guess I fired a few people up.My point is if you are not a Canadian citizen,cant work in Canada dont think you can walk in and get a job.If you are a Canadian citizen or have the right to work in Canada then come here and work your way up like everyone else.I dont know if this poster can work in Canada or not.I still dont see how Canadian expats are the Mexicans of the world.Are they working for next to nothing? There is obviously a demand out there(floats,jets ect) or they wouldnt be there.Calling them Mexicans are an insult to them and to Mexicans.
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Seriously?
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Re: Low time pilot with 737 rating and 300/500 hours on type

Post by Seriously? »

Generally speaking, if you add a couple spaces after a period (.) then its easier to read.

Carry on......


:smt040
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Re: Low time pilot with 737 rating and 300/500 hours on type

Post by North Shore »

...And the AvCanada firing circle begins.. :roll:
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lot lizard
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Re: Low time pilot with 737 rating and 300/500 hours on type

Post by lot lizard »

Jack Klumpus,

No pienso que me gusta tu sugerencia de que todos los pilotos canadienses son los mexicanos. entender? Gano más dinero de mi subsidio de vivienda de su salario anual!

Chao!
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Jack Klumpus
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Re: Low time pilot with 737 rating and 300/500 hours on type

Post by Jack Klumpus »

Lizard,

I'm sure Mexican pilots get paid mucho dineros, however, Canadian pilots don't. Look at what we've done to our industry in Canada.

Ningún cuate duro de sentimientos.

Aclamaciones
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lot lizard
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Re: Low time pilot with 737 rating and 300/500 hours on type

Post by lot lizard »

no tomar
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yycflyguy
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Re: Low time pilot with 737 rating and 300/500 hours on type

Post by yycflyguy »

Ay cabrones! No manchas guay! Los pinche Mexicanos son famosos para hacer el trabajo para menos plata que tu! The funny thing about Mexicans are that they only allow Mexican born nationals to fly their airliners... meaning, even that chiquitita that you knocked up on your CUN layover and your subsequent shotgun wedding will allow you to fly for their airlines. Seems like they protect their jobs pretty well.

As far as the analogy that Canadian pilots are industry whores, well, maybe there is some basis to that reputation in the ex-pat world. It has been said before... maybe not in comparison to Mexicans but it has been said.
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rigpiggy
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Re: Low time pilot with 737 rating and 300/500 hours on type

Post by rigpiggy »

thats alright guys, the latest i heard was that Sunwing wasn't going to Hire back, and they are going to bring in TUI to do there flying
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Re: Low time pilot with 737 rating and 300/500 hours on type

Post by Joe Blow Schmo »

AMM wrote:starcat, you have pretty good grammer and spelling for someone typing out of their ass.

Congrats.
Hello Mr. Pot!
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TommyJet
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Re: Low time pilot with 737 rating and 300/500 hours on type

Post by TommyJet »

You'll probably need the right to work (passport) and a TC ATPL, it's unlikely you'll find someone in the airlines to sponsor you unless you have some kind of unique skill. Maybe at a lower level until you can get the right to stay.
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