So, you're working now...

[just curious]

You've been ramping, swamping, dispatching, but now, finally, you are flying! What would you have wanted to hear back at the school, club or college about the biz, that never came up?
Just curious, I gotta speaking gig...

[Brantford Beech Boy]

Wounds heal, glory is eternal, Chicks dig scars.....

BBB

[just curious]

Ummm triple B, I meant the crews who were working for the first time domestically, not making the huge expat dollars. I will remember the helpful scar notes though...

[Tubthumper]

Ok Mods, you've got put a "Like" button somewhere on here for posts like BBBs. I would have clicked it twice.

[Northern Flyer]

#1 Be humble, realize you know very little. When a senior pilot gives you some advice or criticism, accept it and don't argue.

I have run into a few new pilots who have all the answers, and will argue their point relentlessly. Having been a training pilot I have had the pleasure of training allot of young people, and for the most part it was very pleasant and rewarding. However there have been a few trainees, that have caused allot of grief with their know it all attitude. As a side note from what I remember the the worst offenders were ex instructors.

[Jack In The Box]

When I started working, after the glory and excitement of the fact I was flying for a living (about a month later) the thought went through my head was: "Seriously...this is what i've been so dang excited about for the last 3 years?"

Don't get me wrong, I love my job and would prefer it over almost anything else-I just love it for different reasons now.

[thirdtimecharm]

You've been ramping, swamping, dispatching, but now, finally, you are flying! What would you have wanted to hear back at the school, club or college about the biz, that never came up?
Just curious, I gotta speaking gig...

Are you speaking at the University of Tuktuyaktuk?

Can the general public buy tickets to listen? I don't mean that sarcastically at all.

[Lost Lake]

JC, I only ever wanted to be a bush pilot. If I had known the poor wages and working conditions through most of my career, I am not sure I would have continued this career. I came from Toronto making large coin in sales. I think new CPL's should understand the uphill road they must ravel. If they start in the bush, they must decide early in their career if they want to move to bigger machinery, even on floats it will require them to start over in the wheeled world/ Get the MIFR, get 500 hr pic on a HO. Remember that sufficient night flying early is a must towards an ATPL, especially if you fly floats.

Hope this helps.

[just curious]

Are you speaking at the University of Tuktuyaktuk?
Can the general public buy tickets to listen? I don't mean that sarcastically at all.

Nope, not Tuk. They already know what I think about damn near everything.
I hadn't actually thought about a paid speaking gig. This ones a freebee. From what I hear from my copilots, they'd pay to hear me shut up. If I get down to the YOW area next month, all it takes to learn everything I know is a beer, and three minutes.
JC

[loopa]

Network, Network, Network! Get your arse out there and start talking to people and get yourself noticed. Way too many newbies come out of flight school learning this the hard way (myself included).

Most importantly, any job in aviation is better than no job, but be assertive from the get go and don't let people take advantage of you. Start building an assertive character because if you end up being passive, you will be pushed around this industry. Stand up for your right, but like mentioned realize that you know very little. Even when you hit the magic 1000 you know relatively little. You're always in learning mode, and outside of flight school is where the learning really ramps up.

Don't be ignorant, become knowledgeable in all facets of aviation, be it from ramp, to csa, to cleaning planes, to etc. You will appreciate your position so much more down the road.

And most important of all, Enjoy the Ride and make it about the experience rather than the next job, because the jobs will come but the experience of "oh I remember those days" will not. I can't believe that 7 years has passed since I did my first fam flight - crazy!

[PoE]

get 500 hr pic on a HO.

Without wanting to sound sarcastic, I'm curious as to why that 500hr PIC on the ho is so important?

[Lost Lake]

get 500 hr pic on a HO.

Without wanting to sound sarcastic, I'm curious as to why that 500hr PIC on the ho is so important?

Because it is probably the easiest way for a low time pilot to get the 500 MPIC. Most operators, in order to hire a captain on a twin, request or require 500 MPIC. It doesn't seem to matter how many thousands of hours you have as the sole decision maker in a single as long as you have those magic hours. It can be any other twin as well. It will help you fast track if you plan on moving to bigger planes, or even the Beech 18 on floats.

[just curious]

Thats the sort of thing I was hoping for...

[nortont]

Network, Network, Network! Get your arse out there and start talking to people and get yourself noticed. Way too many newbies come out of flight school learning this the hard way (myself included).

Most importantly, any job in aviation is better than no job, but be assertive from the get go and don't let people take advantage of you. Start building an assertive character because if you end up being passive, you will be pushed around this industry. Stand up for your right, but like mentioned realize that you know very little. Even when you hit the magic 1000 you know relatively little. You're always in learning mode, and outside of flight school is where the learning really ramps up.

Don't be ignorant, become knowledgeable in all facets of aviation, be it from ramp, to csa, to cleaning planes, to etc. You will appreciate your position so much more down the road.

And most important of all, Enjoy the Ride and make it about the experience rather than the next job, because the jobs will come but the experience of "oh I remember those days" will not. I can't believe that 7 years has passed since I did my first fam flight - crazy!

That about sums it all up for me.

[esp803]

JC, You are the kind of person I wish had talked when I was at college.

Stress that for the first several years (barring a fluke) are very unglamorous, low paying and can make you a little bitter.

at 200hrs, despite wearing a shirt and tie, you know very little about flying. Listen to the senior pilots

Unless you have a job on a 1900 lined up, there if very little difference between having 200 and 250 hours in the logbook.

Encourage everybody to get a float rating, probably the most fun you can have with pants on... well that or motorcycles.

I think the two most important points to drill into new pilots heads however are the following: Firstly, chase the lifestyle you want not the metal you want to fly, and aircraft is an aircraft once you get it in the air and not everybody is cut out for 8 hours in cruise with the autopilot on. Secondly: DON"T WORK FOR FREE TO GET HOURS

E

PS: I stumbled across some of your shots from the ice this year, fantastic stuff, the offer still stands from several of us at my company that if you make it down to YXY there will be feasting and beer!

[just curious]

Bump, I'd still like your thoughts
JC

[AllClutch]

Keep your eyes open, your head down, and your mouth shut and maybe they will forget you work here.

[BE20 Driver]

Do your time building/cross country flights at night. You'll thank yourself for that one when you apply for your ATPL.

Don't expect the airline industry of the 70's/80's. Cathay Pacific isn't the be all, end all. They have a B and C scale salary that would be difficult for anyone other than a single person to live on. Don't expect Air Canada to be there for you down the road either. What I am saying is that you shouldn't be doing this because you think you can make big bucks at it. Do it because you love it.

Companies that have bonds, need bonds.

Study. Don't stop learning. Ask the captain lots of questions. As a training captain, the FO's that stand out are the ones that make use of their time. Don't rely simply on seniority to get the upgrade.

Enjoy the ride. Take lots of pictures. Don't be in a rush to get to an airline. I actually feel sorry for the guys that went right from college to Jazz. They're missing out on so much of the most enjoyable part of their career - the journey.

[rapid602]

I remember one cold winter day in Northern Ontario at one of the many Native Communities we used to service. We were there with the Hyro guys changing a transformer, and it was so cold the tires on the C46 delivering groceries, were sticking to the cold snow.

I looked at my Captain with his fury beaver hat, winter boots up to his knees, and all of these pilots bobbing up and down to keep our knees from freezing.

As I started laughing, my Captain was curious as I said " I didn't see any pictures that looked like this in my Cessna Pilot Kit, with the two young guys in white shirts smiling bu a c172. Lets take a picture and send it to Cessna .... for the ....So you want to become a pilot brochure"

His comments was "yeah no shit but its so cold the camera probably won't work" we had fun laughing about it on the ride home.

[just curious]

Hah! I know just what you mean... I'm dressed like a Hudsin's Bay Fur trader today. Friday I go talk to Cessna people. Gonna make a point of not wearing a white shirt!

[trey kule]

all it takes to learn everything I know is a beer, and three minutes.
JC

What is the extra two minutes for?.........bazinga!

[just curious]

One minute for the introduction, and one for the closing remarks. If I can think of a printable story to use, I might go a minute overtime.

[seafeye]

I think all students should find a cheap hotel in some industrial park and stay there for at least a month. Without a car. Eating only what you can carry or walking distance to the hotel. THen make a schedule that has you up late for 4 days then early for 4 days. Up late then early. Find some gay/getto or granny to have the occasional dinner with.
If at the end of the month you think that you can do that for the next 30 years....i say go for it. Otherwise.....look into something else.

[loopa]

Wow, 30 years? Something obviously didn't go right for you my friend.

[Lost Lake]

Ditto!