Or should that be 'handprop'?

My goal is to fly for a living in Alaska. I would love to fly 207s out of Kotz or Bethel. I've certainly flown in them enough. Or maybe aerial mapping/surveying (I'm currently a land surveyor). Anyway, its been a year and a half since I started working on my ppl at Aerotech and then with Heidi Ruess and I'm all but ready to try for the practical. After that, I'll start working on an instrument rating and (of course) a commercial ticket, but I was wondering if it might make sense to buy a 'cheap' plane like a t-craft (I have a couple of hours in Heidi's already) to build hours on my own and take the parts of the lessons that don't require ifr equipment. Thing is, I've got enough capital squirreled away to pay cash for a t-crate, but then I'd have to stay at my current 20-days-on/10-days-off job to pay for lessons. Or I could quit my current job and work part time doing anything to cover living expenses and take instruction as fast as possible and have a cpl but maybe not enough hours to actually get a job. My question to you guys is: what's the faster, better*, (but not necessarily) cheaper path to driving sleds?

Thanks


*please consider both the quality and frequency of instruction by going at it full time vs. learning fundamental skills in a basic low-powered taildragger and taking lessons as time allows.

Buy cheap, and fly lots. Because of insurance requirements you're going to need 1,500 hours PIC regardless of ratings to get hired. And, most outfits will want 500 hours of Alaska time.

Have fun, good luck!

Gump

I would stick to your curent plan. Get your tickets, keep your job for now. Once you have your tickets things will fall in to place. Flying jobs here in Alaska are not that easey to get. A lot of pilots here and now hunting season is winding down so a lot will be out of work unless you work for your self. Good luck and fly safe.

Ken in Alaska

That's what I've been leaning towards, Gump; Buy something cheap and fly the wings off of it and take lessons as time allows.

I also figure that a t-crate is a good metaphor for my first car, a beat up '73 Beetle. Knowing how to drive something that ran on three cylinders (on a good day), wandered all over the road, needed constant mechanical attention, and had manual everything has made me a better driver. For example, I got to where I could up and down shift with no clutch and knew exactly how fast I needed to be going before shutting the engine off and coasting the last mile to my parent's house late at night. I've even had to replace oil cooler seals (read: disassemble the engine to the long-block) in a parking lot. I can envision every last moving part on that car and how it operates and how to fix it if it breaks. That's where I want to be with an airplane. Besides, when I get ready to start knocking on doors, I'm sure it won't hurt to say that I flew out there myself.

Friend of mine just got hired by Grant with 1,000 hours. FWIW.

Also...buy the plane. You'll fly more. I guarantee it.

I would say to hold off on the plane until after you get your instrument ticket at least. It will be the most challenging rating and it's best to fly as often as possible while doing the instrument training... $$$. having your own plane during that time sucking your wallet dry, will probably get in the way of your progress.

The commercial cert will be a breeze after all this flight training, maybe another 20 hours or so of training, and the rest of the flight requirements you can build in your own plane. The instrument and commercial checkrides should be your first priority, without those...well, you know.

Another option would be to buy an IFR 172 that you could train in, maybe even lease it back to the flight school to help pay for MX and other fixed costs. Sell it when your done for close to what you paid for it, then go find a cheap taildragger and fly the wings off it...just another option.

Also don't forget to network as much as possible...it's all about "who you know". Hang out at the airport frequently and let the local operators see your smiling face and get to know you. Be humble and friendly, these traits will get you far in aviation...operators want to know that you are a competent pilot that can get along well with the customer

Good luck!!

Ryan Air will put you in the right seat of a CASA with ~450 hours and your commercial. Flying out of Bethel, Kotz, Nome, or ANC. After a year or two you'll move into the sled. Alaska Central Express (ACE Air Cargo) will put you in the right seat of a Beech 1900 with similar hours. You'll fly over a very large portion of the state. And Era will put you in the right seat of a Caravan. After something like 1250 hours you'll move into a sled.

You will get good experience at all three companies. The hours may not be viewed as super valuable in some quarters, but if you want to fly sleds in Western Alaska any of those companies would be good places to start.

Surveying is a great occupation in Alaska. I'd keep doing that to pay the bills and fly for fun.

If you do buy something make sure you can do all your training in it. Otherwise it's just a toy, the hours won't mean much.
You would be better off renting complex and hi-performance planes, maybe some aerobatic training. I'd use the money to get your CFI then you can start getting time in other peoples planes.
An Airline (regional) I used to work at hired a gal who had her ATP. She never made it out of sim training. Turned out her dad bought her a 172 and that's all she ever flew.

Surveying in Alaska is indeed an amazing experience. There are the one skid toe-ins up the Brooks Range or clinging to the side of a cliff above the water in Akutan or getting paid to snowmachine or live out of a winnebago on the side of the Haul Rd for two weeks. Of course, you have to not mind sleeping on the floor in village offices, classrooms, or washeterias and occasionally using honeybuckets and outhouses and not showering for three weeks. Or the really terrible jobs like running a level loop around the waste treatment ponds in Bethel. My philosophy is that the bad makes the good that much better and that if the job was easy and comfortable, anybody could do it.

Unfortunately, I am currently working in the Canada oil sands. Working out of a pickup and dealing with the culture of uber-safety is a far cry from jumping out of helicopters with a 44 on my hip cause we're in bear country. Heck, now I can get kicked off the project for having a pocket knife. So you see, my need to fly is being strongly reinforced by my withdrawals from the Alaska bush.

Right seat as a stepping stone to the left sounds pretty good in my book. I might even be able to pull that off by breakup.

A commercial-instrument ticket can get you right seat in a C208, or commercial-multi-instrument right seat in a Casa 212. But bottom line is, left seat in a lowly Sled is gonna take hours in a logbook.

All companies I worked for up there, and the insurance, couldn't care less if those hours were working as a CFI or flogging along in a T crate wasting avgas. In fact we favored guys who owned their own planes and actually flew places. They knew how to treat airplanes better, and were used to thinking as they flew and not so dependant on flight planning for hours while sitting in an office.

Get your ratings, AND fly the crap out of something. Then, get your face known with the outfits. It will happen if you want it to.

Gump

[quote="GumpAir
All companies I worked for up there, and the insurance, couldn't care less if those hours were working as a CFI or flogging along in a T crate wasting avgas. In fact we favored guys who owned their own planes and actually flew places. They knew how to treat airplanes better, Gump[/quote]


What Gump said!!!!!!!!!!!

Gump is totally right. Get flight experience. Live aviation. Talk to the old guys that have experience whenever you can. Learn everything you can.

Buy an airplane you can afford to fly and maintain and get in it every chance you can.

The rest will come if you "keep your eye on the prize".

Merrial field has a A&P school and you'll become much more marketable get this and your
Commercial ,instrument , CFI, float rating etc. Buying airplane that you can hire out is ??? Unless you have job for it. keep at it work in shop -wash airplanes drive delivery truck or whatever .
Fly freight surveys or whatever to get your time up fish spotting etc.