Need Help (Any Pilots On Here)

[Funtronics]

I know this has nothing to do with soda machines, but maybe someone here can help me and my son out. My son is a senior at Embry Riddle Aviation college in Daytona. Our lovely President just pasted a new law that requires pilots to have more flying hours. I'm not a pilot and know nothing about aircrafts. When my son tells me all these terms and things he needs it is all like Greek to me. The situation that he faces now is that with the extra hours required to get a job in the Airline field will be very hard and expensive to achieve. He tells me that it would be cheaper to buy a plane and build his hours and then sell the plane and then he would be able to get a job with an airline. He is going to stay and go a few extra years to get his Masters to be able to work on the planes. Are there any pilots on here that can help point me in the right direction. I know nothing about flying let alone about buying a two or four seater plane. Any help or advice would be appreciated.

[MoonDawg]

       Did you try and locate our Embry graduate.....Josh?   He may know more.

[SIGNGUY]

I tried replying with a cool photo of an airplaine done up in Coke , figured you could use it as a write off.. but the post wouldn't take the picture...  but trust me it was going to be funny!  

ammended, was able to add the photo...

[GreginNM]

Rod,

Glad to hear your son is doing well at ERAU!  I still remember talking with you and him before he went.  I guess I'm qualified to give some thoughts here since I am sitting with a bit over 4300 hours flying and 22.5 years and counting in the Air Force! 

He could buy a smaller, 2 seat plane and do his flying that way.  There are a few guys in my squadron that have planes and fly around pretty regularly.  It does get costly, since planes and insurance aren't cheap.  You also have to figure in hangar costs, annual maintenance, and fuel.  Renting a plane is also an option, but again it can get spendy as well.  Sometimes you can find a guy that has a plane and is willing to split fuel costs to go up and fly around together.  This is a good deal if you can find someone to do this with.

We chatted a bit about it here in my office, and the concensus is to find a Guard or Reserve Air Force unit to get hired on with that will give him a pilot slot in the unit.  They will send him to pilot training (good training and experience), and then he can fly with the unit and build hours there.  An added bonus is that most of the guys in the units are airline pilots, so he will be able to get advice and possibly a foot or two in the door at the airline of his choice once he gets the required hours.  As a part time guy, he can do other things while building hours.  If he goes full time, then he can build more hours and have a good, steady paycheck.  There are Guard and Reserve units all over the country, so he can pick a few areas he wants to live and then see what openings they have.  I had a girlfriend in Hagerstown during my pilot training days, and flew out to see her with the C-130 guys in Delaware...so there are even units close to home.  I see openings posted all the time on USAJobs and baseops.net for units looking to hire guys into flying slots.

Let me know if this helps, and shoot me a note if you have any other questions!

Greg

[MaineT]

Not a pilot here, but had a lot of contact working on airplanes for about 8 years back in the day.

He can look into Civil Air Patrol, they use to have lots of free flying opportunities for their sorties. They also rent dry and wet to dry to their members at cheaper rates then just hourly renting at the jetports.

I know someone that use to shuttle airplanes around just for the hours. basically you don't get paid squat, but you build the hours. you need look for those opportunities, but they are out there. Basically like working for Hertz rent a car shuttling cars around for maintenance and getting them where they need to go.

Also, If he is graduating, he should be close to CFII, I've known a couple of people that have done it and other things just to build the hours. It is a long hard and very expensive road. Watch out going into the guard or reserves, there are a lot of promises that may not come true.... Great if it works out, but get EVERYTHING in writing.

Airplanes are expensive, hangar/parking costs, insurance, inspections, maintenance.... and it all has to be done by the A&P, so think of bringing your BMW into the dealership and saying, "inspect it and fix everything you find and just send me a bill!!" Do the math and you will understand why they charge that much per hour for the rental costs and it may not work out as cheaply as you think.

Its a gamble, but if you don't have any problems, hard landings, damage and can get your money back out of it in the end he may be correct about the costs vs renting hourly.

Have you ever owned a boat? Talk to some airplane owners.. and FORMER owners before doing it. And GOOD LUCK.

[mznb1u]

Not a pilot although I was one in high school-that was our mascot because we were right across the street from Detroit City Airport. In any event, I have a good friend who is a pilot and he belongs to a club that owns several aircraft that are available to member pilots. As I understand it, it is like a country club where you buy in and there are dues but instead of playing golf, you fly the clubs planes that you are qualified to fly. Given the costs to acquire, store and maintain an airplane; I would think that this would be a better option than buying a plane outright. I will check with my buddy to see if there is some kind of directory to find similar clubs around the country.

Tim

[MoonDawg]

     I believe the yacht clubs operate in much the same way.

[SIGNGUY]

Maybe we should do the same with soda machines... next RC 81 that shows up... lets all go in on it and then share it.. 6 months at a time , we'll just let it travel around the country, swap it out at Trade shows and have to ship it occassionally... We'll all take pictures of it in our collections, everyone will think they aren't rare any more and we'll be buying them up for the price of regulary ol V81 Coke Machines in no time!

[Funtronics]

Maybe we should do the same with soda machines... next RC 81 that shows up... lets all go in on it and then share it.. 6 months at a time , we'll just let it travel around the country, swap it out at Trade shows and have to ship it occassionally... We'll all take pictures of it in our collections, everyone will think they aren't rare any more and we'll be buying them up for the price of regulary ol V81 Coke Machines in no time!

........

[ss540]

I wonder what else our "lovely" president has planned for us?