Have the field in sight...

[spartandbx]

Just dropping in to say hi. Currently hold a PPL with 200hrs - looking at upping to CPL soon.

 

 

[Kununurra]

Welcome aboard

 

 

[facthunter]

Yeah why stop at PPL.? You might get someone to pay you for what you pay to do. Nev

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Nah,. . .wait until you've got 400 - 500 hrs. . . .doing all sorts of flying in numerous types. . . .( if you've got the finance LLOL ) then you'll have a better handle on things ! ! ! A good tip on getting away with this is to take plenty of Victim,. . .er. . .FRIENDS with you and share the acft hire costs ! ! !

 

Actually you're quite lucky in OZ, when I was living there the min hrs for a CPL were 165. In the UK, since they dropped the BCPL, ( Basic CPL ) it's 750. . . . PLUS an IR if you want anyone to give you any kind of flying work. . .Ouch.

 

Good fortune with whatever you decide anyway.

 

Phil

 

 

[planedriver]

750hrs! That's another ouch!

 

That's like saying "i'll buy you a push-bike son, when you can handle an R1"

 

 

[recflyer]

Just dropping in to say hi. Currently hold a PPL with 200hrs - looking at upping to CPL soon.

Welcome! Sounds like a great idea to me. Any additional license or rating can't hurt anything except the bank balance!

 

 

[Phil Perry]

750hrs! That's another ouch!That's like saying "i'll buy you a push-bike son, when you can handle an R1"

Or perhaps, . . . ."I'll buy you an R1 Son, . . .when you've proved you can carry a few hundred pillion passengers ( one at a time ? ) on your 125 Bantam without killing or hurting any of 'em. . . .?

 

 

[facthunter]

750 hours should relate to a structure or it's got little meaning. Doing the same thing over and over could be counterproductive . Nev

 

 

[Guest SrPilot]

In the UK, since they dropped the BCPL, ( Basic CPL ) it's 750. . . . PLUS an IR if you want anyone to give you any kind of flying work. . .Ouch.

Maybe that's why they could find the British pilots flying in the Worst Place in the World. An interesting series which I presume came from British TV about pilots trying to build time in order to qualify for entry level flying jobs with corporate or airline employers. (Everyone except me probably has seen the series, but I'm still chasing the segments using Google. The series has not been on U.S. TV to my knowledge.) In the U.S., most pilots build time flying power or gas line patrol or hauling stuff at night . . . wait, now that bank checks are almost a thing of the past, I guess I am dating myself. It is unlikely that they're still building time that way. A fair number build time by getting a CFI rating and teaching for nominal wages, or by getting a commercial/instrument and flying co-pilot in any seat they can find. But good luck with getting on the airlines with little experience. Some do get on with the commuter airlines and build time. Of course, lots of airline seats have been filled by ex-military pilots. Failing that, there's always Suzi Air.

 

 

[Phil Perry]

750 hours should relate to a structure or it's got little meaning. Doing the same thing over and over could be counterproductive . Nev

Oh I agree profoundly Nev,. . .but that kind of commonsensethink wouldn't get either of us a job with a British quasi - autonomous non - governmental authority ( quango ) like the Civil Aviation Authority, there used to be a really good "Stepping Stone" rating called the BCPL ( basic commercial ) which required 250 hours. armed with one of these, a pilot could instruct, or engage in basic single pilot ferrying and also some low end cargo / parcel flying to further thicken up the logbook whilst being paid a pittance, but better than nothing. Needless to say, some bright spark decided that this was making things too easy, so they scrapped the BCPL. years ago.

 

A friend of mine ( whom I've mentioned in other posts ) bought a single seat permit aircraft ( Jurca Tempete ) and built up his hours to 750 plus, using that. He then passed his commercial exams, paid for his own I'R training and then did some single pilot freight work to and from Frankfurt at night for a while, whilst working by day cleaning kitchens and teaching Biology to pay his rent and buy food . . . then got a job with Thomas Cook airlines. He got to Captain ( A320 ) after a mere 15 years with the airline. He did it the other way around, ie, he got an instructor rating AFTER his ATPL, and did the grassybumpy flying then, still doing it now.

 

You can guarantee that if there is a useful way to gain a qualification, then someone will regulate it out of existence, this seems to be the nature of the beast, and is why it is so terrifyingly expensive to pay your own way to a career in commercial flying in the UK

 

Phil

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Maybe that's why they could find the British pilots flying in the Worst Place in the World. An interesting series which I presume came from British TV about pilots trying to build time in order to qualify for entry level flying jobs with corporate or airline employers. (Everyone except me probably has seen the series, but I'm still chasing the segments using Google. The series has not been on U.S. TV to my knowledge.) In the U.S., most pilots build time flying power or gas line patrol or hauling stuff at night . . . wait, now that bank checks are almost a thing of the past, I guess I am dating myself. It is unlikely that they're still building time that way. A fair number build time by getting a CFI rating and teaching for nominal wages, or by getting a commercial/instrument and flying co-pilot in any seat they can find. But good luck with getting on the airlines with little experience. Some do get on with the commuter airlines and build time. Of course, lots of airline seats have been filled by ex-military pilots. Failing that, there's always Suzi Air.

Hi SR,. . . . if someone wants to instruct G.A. pilots, he / she must have a CPL = 750 hrs plus the rating, It is possible to get an assistant instructor rating on Microlight . Light Sport aircraft though, with 200 hours P1. The AFI then has to work for 12 months in a school enviorinment, supervised by a QFI and then can apply for a QFI test. The pay is abysmal, unless the person owns the aircraft and the flight school, and the strip !

 

Can't do any of that commercial stuff you mentioned above in the UK without a full CPL. They gotcha by the short 'N' curlies with the regulations.

 

I suppose it could be said that if a pilot is keen enough, then flying in desolate places to build hours is one way of doing it, but it makes me wonder how many potential pilots are dissuaded by this.

 

Phil