Marco Leon mmleonyahoo.com wrote:

But pilots usually have more total time than they have PIC time, no?

I don't know, but typically a relaxation of requirements indicates that
supply is down. With the continued increase in aviation costs, I don't
doubt that the number of active mission pilots has decreased this past
year.

Peter, what was your experience with the orientation? How often are
they scheduled, how long are they and do they offer both weekdays and
weekends?

Hmmm... my orientation was back in July of 2003, so some of the details are
cloudy. I think there were perhaps two sessions per month and I had a
choice of a Tuesday PM orientation in Lawrence, MA, or a Saturday AM
orientation in White Plains, NY. Along with three other pilots, I attended
the Tuesday PM.

The orientation was a bit over an hour long. We saw a video, talked about
the required procedures for selecting and flying missions (including the
importance of the liability release form), and talked aviation in general.
It took me longer to fly there one way than the orientation lasted.



--
Peter