Re: Jobs for pilots wtih CP + IR?

[Cal Vanize]

Mark Hansen wrote:

> I was wondering how difficult it is to find work as a pilot
> if you have a commercial certificate and instrument rating,
> but not a lot of hours.
>
> I'm assuming most companies require minimums in the neighborhood
> of 1,500 hours. Are there jobs available for CPs that have in the
> range of 200-500 hours?

What about aircraft delivery? New or used? Seems like there's a lot of
demand and few planes in places like Alaska.

[Jim Macklin]

When Cessna built 5,000 airplanes a year, a low time CP
could work for Flynn's Ferry Service, for about 5 cents a
mile, one way and you paid your expenses. A good week was if
you could deliver a C182 to Florida and bring a Piper Pawnee
back and get paid for whole trip. Today, a lot of the few
hundred airplanes are delivered by Cessna staff whose job
isn't professional flying, just looking for some free flying
time.
Over-seas delivery is now usually done by container on a
ship or less often now by a high time professional who will
fly a small aircraft over the oceans.

A really pretty young woman can get a job as a
co-pilot/hostess on a Lear or larger and may not even have
to put out.

You can become a pilot for a relief operation in places
where they shoot at you with fairly low time. But it always
helps if your family is very rich or you are a lottery
winner.

Flight instructor used to be the path into a "real" job in
aviation, those first 1,000 PIC hours needed to get 1,200
hours and a job that paid a living wage, so you could sell
you 20 year old car and buy a 8 year old car. But CFI jobs
are not as plentiful since student pilots may spend their
extra income on golf clubs and memberships.


--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

"Cal Vanize" > wrote in message
...
| Mark Hansen wrote:
|
| > I was wondering how difficult it is to find work as a
pilot
| > if you have a commercial certificate and instrument
rating,
| > but not a lot of hours.
| >
| > I'm assuming most companies require minimums in the
neighborhood
| > of 1,500 hours. Are there jobs available for CPs that
have in the
| > range of 200-500 hours?
|
| What about aircraft delivery? New or used? Seems like
there's a lot of
| demand and few planes in places like Alaska.
|
|
|
|

[Larry Dighera]

On Sat, 10 Dec 2005 09:51:30 -0600, Cal Vanize
> wrote in
>::

>What about aircraft delivery? New or used? Seems like there's a lot of
>demand and few planes in places like Alaska.

Are you implying that the current volume of aircraft sales should
create a demand for delivery pilots, or have you some other source of
information supporting that perceived demand?

[Cal Vanize]

Larry Dighera wrote:

> On Sat, 10 Dec 2005 09:51:30 -0600, Cal Vanize
> > wrote in
> >::
>
>
>>What about aircraft delivery? New or used? Seems like there's a lot of
>>demand and few planes in places like Alaska.
>
>
> Are you implying that the current volume of aircraft sales should
> create a demand for delivery pilots, or have you some other source of
> information supporting that perceived demand?

In personal travels to Alaska, there seems to be a constant demand for
planes that far exceeds supply. That would create a demand for delivery
since there don't seem to be many manufacturers there.

I would consider doing delivery to Alaska for expenses after I retire.
At least as long as there is baggage space for my fishing equipment. :)

[George Patterson]

Cal Vanize wrote:

> What about aircraft delivery? New or used? Seems like there's a lot of
> demand and few planes in places like Alaska.

Most insurance companies require a lot of hours, both total and in make and
model. Most manufacturers have several pilots on hand who do other jobs when
they are not delivering planes. I think it would be a rough field to break into.

For example, Maule Air built something like 60 planes last year. When I bought
mine in 1995, they charged $1/mile, plus return air fare and hotel expenses (if
necessary) for delivery of a plane. Most buyers pick the planes up themselves,
but Maule had at least 3 pilots available to deliver planes in 1995. All three
did other things most of the time. I would bet that they would call on any of
the instructors at Maule Flight if they needed more, but I doubt they have to
deliver more than 10 planes a year.

One of the delivery pilots at Maule in 1995 was their test pilot. His main job
was flight testing and demonstrating new aircraft. That's the position you would
actually be applying for.

George Patterson
Coffee is only a way of stealing time that should by rights belong to
your slightly older self.