Cool Time Building Flight Jobs?

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Muted-Rhubarb2143@reddit

All you will generally find online is bitterness and doom & gloom. And frankly, if the extent of your efforts is making low effort online posts then that's what you deserve. Nobody is going to be like "Oh yeah actually randomonlineperson I've heard about this awesome job doing super cool airplane shit for people who have minimal experience! Here's the hiring managers number!".

You gotta go out and get it. Do what nobody else is willing to do, which is usually expensive & time consuming (or else everyone else would be willing to do it). Worst of all it's a gamble. You can walk yourself into all these doors resume in hand and get 100% TBNT's setting you right back to square one, or worse if you quit a flying job to make that push (as is often necessary).

I would start with a tailwheel endorsement right now. From there a couple hundred hours of that will open doors, get an ASES or a helicopter ticket is even better. Show you can learn new things and put things on your resume that 99% of your fellow applicants do not have.

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Forsaken_Estimate_78@reddit (OP)

Hey, thanks for the advice! I have over 50 tailwheel hours and was already thinking about getting ASES since it's easily accessible to get at my airport. I would also need Multi. I understand that good things don't come easy, but was just looking for an outline so I can start planning/prepping for this change.

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Muted-Rhubarb2143@reddit

There is no outline. Everyone's path is different and you gotta chart it yourself.

Personally if I were you I would look into ag and get a loading job for this upcoming corn run. It'll mean quitting your CFI job but the reality is the people who get the cool jobs flying Air Tractors or whatever are the ones who burn the boats and don't look back. There are programs who can get you where you need to be from 50 tailwheel hours (though more is obviously always better).

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West-Organization450@reddit

From his original post he looks to be trying to build time for the airlines. Ag isn’t that…it’s much more of a longer term career choice. Operators have to spend too much time and take too much personal risk to put that into someone who ain’t gonna stick around for at least a fair bit of time.

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Muted-Rhubarb2143@reddit

Maybe he chooses that this airline thing isn't all it's cracked up to be and that other parts of aviation are way better. He's not honor bound to go to the corporate shitshow of boredom.

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West-Organization450@reddit

I agree 100% with that…I just read the title about ‘time building’ and saw his mention of airlines is all. That and he mentions being in Texas and hating ‘heat and boredom’. I’ve spent 30 plus years in ag and flown in many states over the years…heat and boredom (other than the actual flying) kinda go hand in hand with ag. Just a guess but I don’t think it s for the OP. Otherwise I agree with everything you said!

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KCPilot17@reddit

Your options are to stay where you are and count your blessings that you currently have a job and students.

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Forsaken_Estimate_78@reddit (OP)

I count my blessing every day, but I also work extremely hard every day. Why should I settle if I know I can work hard to achieve something greater? My dream has always been to fly small airplanes in such areas.

Everybody is telling me to just stop and that you have enough already, but with that mindset, I'm going to stay here forever. I feel like you CAN go out and do something about it. My question was what can I do to actually be able to do this?

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KCPilot17@reddit

If you know you can achieve something "greater", then start sending out applications. You'll note you won't get many calls back.

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ATrainDerailReturns@reddit

The answer is move to Alaska, network and pray

Assuming to have possibly 2-4 really hard years

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sirepicness666@reddit

I second this, I can’t even find a CFI job rn. Most places don’t get back to me and those that do are the automated “we aren’t hiring CFIs” emails

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minfremi@reddit

Well, what can you fly? You just listed you’re only an instrument instructor, which means jack shit for non-instructing jobs. We can only assume you fly single engine prop planes.

I did sightseeing in Guam and northern Arizona. Prepare for subpar internet (RIP online university), low pay, and company housing.

Your options available are what you apply for. My two jobs listed above were found on Facebook groups linked to Indeed. Good news is, 500TT (among other requirements) allows you to work at a Part 135 operator as PIC in VFR. There are plenty of companies that don’t advertise that well out there. You have a chance at something.

And no, the companies I was with cease to exist.

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Forsaken_Estimate_78@reddit (OP)

I can fly single engine propellor airplanes with a tailwheel/HP/complex endorsement. I understand that I may not be very competitive, but will be getting Multi and ASES soon. Anything I can do to increase my chances of finding a job like this?

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minfremi@reddit

Once you have those two ratings you plan on getting, that increases your companies available to choose from. Including schools.

Since you said you’d be willing to go Alaska, you can go to a school that has seaplanes and teach there (or any seaplane school everywhere else for the matter). Tropic Ocean Air and Fly the Whale will also be available for you to apply.

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Forsaken_Estimate_78@reddit (OP)

Okay, thank you!

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Gabriel_Owners@reddit

You and literally every other low time pilot.

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Wandrews123@reddit

Grand Canyon

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rFlyingTower@reddit

This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:

Hey, I am a 19 year old independent CFI in Texas. I am also going to college here, and have enough students to be doing well. I love to fly and teach, but living in the heat and a boring lifestyle is not for me. My plan is to get a degree (can switch to online), work on my online business, and keep time building until I get to the airlines.

I have always wanted to live somewhere beautiful, in nature, fly airplanes, and actually have fun doing what I love. It can even be instructing. Somewhere like flying in Alaska, Bahamas, Hawaii, Colorado, etc. I have had one friend find a really cool flying job in Colorado and want to do something similar. What would be my options in this scenario?

- 500 hr CFI-I

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