I'm a week late with this one, but I'm pretty stoked on it. Finally got around to knocking out the Commercial initial! Only took me about 8 years of procrastinating. ASEL for the time being, with a multi add on later in the summer.

Who's hiring?

Congrats!

You know, I'm sure, that to be hired for any Part 135 work, you'll need the necessary hours and cross country time covered by Part 135--more than just the commercial. But there may be other possibilities, such as ferrying, ag spraying, etc.

But it's a step--and all journeys take many steps.

Cary

Congratulations!

Congrats!

Thanks everyone! To Cary's point, I'm still in that limbo zone a little below 500TT for Part 135 VFR mins. I'll have to get creative.

IncipientSpin wrote:Thanks everyone! To Cary's point, I'm still in that limbo zone a little below 500TT for Part 135 VFR mins. I'll have to get creative.

Don't do what one of my friends wanted me to do, shortly after I got my commercial. "Cary, we'll rent the airplane, and we'll pay you to fly us to Dallas." Riiiiiight! Who's going to rent an airplane to non-pilots to be flown by a low time commercial pilot, in competition with their 135 charter service? I said "no".

But I did ferry a new airplane from Wichita, and I built a bunch of hours in other ways, often flying the deadhead legs on charter flights, although I couldn't fly the actual revenue legs (I guess that's creative). And the FBO was willing to rent airplanes to the Sheriff's office for me to do the S&R flying for them (I didn't charge the SO, but thinking back, that might have bent the regs a little anyway, so be careful about being too creative).

When you do go over 500 hours, if you can get onto a SE 135 operation, I have to say that was some of the most fun flying I've done. I got to go places I'd never have gone to, meet people I'd never have met, and mostly just enjoyed flying. The pay was awful, but it was a great diversion from my law office--tended to keep me semi-sane!

Cary

I don't know if dual is worth anything to you, but I gave many pilots 25 hours free dual on my pipeline weekly loop. Most pipeline guys are retired and instructor and working cheap enough the boss doesn't worry about passengers. And my students did most of the flying and learned a lot.

Cary wrote:

IncipientSpin wrote:Thanks everyone! To Cary's point, I'm still in that limbo zone a little below 500TT for Part 135 VFR mins. I'll have to get creative.

Don't do what one of my friends wanted me to do, shortly after I got my commercial. "Cary, we'll rent the airplane, and we'll pay you to fly us to Dallas." Riiiiiight! Who's going to rent an airplane to non-pilots to be flown by a low time commercial pilot, in competition with their 135 charter service? I said "no".

But I did ferry a new airplane from Wichita, and I built a bunch of hours in other ways, often flying the deadhead legs on charter flights, although I couldn't fly the actual revenue legs (I guess that's creative). And the FBO was willing to rent airplanes to the Sheriff's office for me to do the S&R flying for them (I didn't charge the SO, but thinking back, that might have bent the regs a little anyway, so be careful about being too creative).

When you do go over 500 hours, if you can get onto a SE 135 operation, I have to say that was some of the most fun flying I've done. I got to go places I'd never have gone to, meet people I'd never have met, and mostly just enjoyed flying. The pay was awful, but it was a great diversion from my law office--tended to keep me semi-sane!

Cary

Yea, I should've prefaced that by saying creative but legal haha. I'm not looking for any trouble, just hours! I've applied quite a few places, hoping I hear back from someone...

Good job!

I have three friends that built hours flying jumpers and or towing gliders.

Pete

pburns wrote:Good job!

I have three friends that built hours flying jumpers and or towing gliders.

Pete

Towing gliders is an absolute blast but the actual flying hours come slow. The landings however, come fast. A FULL day of towing is normally only 2-3 hours flying, 15-20 landings, and lots of work. There are also those days that you're there all day and have a whopping 0.6 hours and 3 landings because lets be honest, glider pilots are divas. I think it took my flying to a new level though in terms of aircraft control, mountain flying, and of course tailwheel landings. Would definitely recommend it. I plan to go back to it when my current gig wraps up in the Fall.

If you're towing "volunteer" for a club (no pay), you don't even need a commercial. Many a tailwheel pilots have gotten to 250 this way and you get thrown out the other side with mucho tailwheel time and experience flying for "work" which is a big difference from pleasure flying.