After Commercial Pilot License

forseth11

forseth11

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Sep 30, 2016
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Forseth11
I'm not that close to a commercial pilot license yet, but I was wondering what jobs are available after getting CPL? I know that Ameriflight is one of the possibilities, but it requires 500TT for a first officer, and I have tried googling commercial pilot jobs, but they all come up with airline jobs which require ATP license. What other choices are out there, or should I just continue to CFI and instruct to pay for hours?
 
Giving air tours, skydive jump pilot or banner towing and even those typically require more than minimums.
 
Ag flying, pipeline, EMS. Lots of jobs that have nothing to do with airline flying.
 
I'm about to be in the same boat looking for those elusive low time jobs. Even drop zones I see advertising jobs seem to be 500 min. I glanced at FO jobs for king airs and such and pretty much everything wanted an ATP or turbine or 500 ME. So I fully expect to have to go the CFI route to build hours. Would love to find a DZ job flying 182s in the southeast though since that would be fun.
 
Aerial survey is a good way to build time if you want to bypass the CFI. There are some companies that will hire you as a wet commercial pilot.
 
Just a question to see if I am correct: a commercial allows pipeline patrol. If A person also provides the A/C does it then become a 135 op? I'm inclined to believe it's not but still wondering.
 
Velocity173 said:
Ag flying, pipeline, EMS. Lots of jobs that have nothing to do with airline flying.
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EMS?

Never seen a medevac job with mins below that of an ATPL, let alone a greenhorn CPL level job.
 
How many times has this question been posed and answered on POA? We might need a sticky that describes entry level CPL jobs, their typical requirements along with some helpful links. I'm sure there are many who would find this info helpful now and in the future. Do we have an experienced commercial pilot on here who has a diverse background with various types of ops?
 
James331 said:
EMS?

Never seen a medevac job with mins below that of an ATPL, let alone a greenhorn CPL level job.
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I agree. You could still have 1,500 hrs part 91 or military, then get a CPL late in life and qualify for a part 135 EMS job. I was really just giving options for a CPL vs the typical ATP airline route.
 
Thank you for all your ideas and advice guys. I will probably stick with working to CFI, but would like to do one of these before getting ATP. You guys posted a bunch of ideas, but how much do they pay and what kind of work do you do exactly and how many hours do you need for each?
 
forseth11 said:
Thank you for all your ideas and advice guys. I will probably stick with working to CFI, but would like to do one of these before getting ATP. You guys posted a bunch of ideas, but how much do they pay and what kind of work do you do exactly and how many hours do you need for each?
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We can't give you all the answers. Research and find out:)
 
DavidWhite said:
I've been kicking around the idea of going into medevac and it seems like most want 3-4,000 hours minimum
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Think some of the big names are around 2500tt, basically ATP mins, few hundred IMC, few hundred turbine, some other stuff too.

Good gig if you like helping folks, and being home every night.
 
Most commercial jobs need 500 hours for single engine VFR work.

I was in your spot once. I begged and borrowed all the flight time I could get. Even took a few really poor jobs just to get up to 500 hours. When you hit that magic number, start sending resumes to Alaska. You will fly 800 to 1200 hours the first year. Just don't expect much money or much sleep or great living arrangements. I survived it, plenty others have, too, and gone up to bigger and better jobs.
 
Some pretty sweet jobs in AK too, not for the loafer wearing crowd, but there is money and real flying to be had up there. If I wasn't comfy where I'm at (kinda like Alaska lol), I'd try my hand, as a higher time guy, over there for sure.

Never understood the chase of bigger planes, seems the bigger they get the more boring and less "flying" you're doing. After a while, might as well just have become a lawyer or CPA or something.
 
There's a jobs subforum over at Jetcareers that often has leads for low-time jobs, and a bunch of great people there to point you in the right direction as long as you don't expect spoon-feeding.
 
But getting that first job is a bioatch
 
jordane93 said:
Aerial photography and aerial survey. Get your CFI though. It will make you an even better pilot.
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Agreed. Get your flight instructor ratings, even if you don't use them much. I found that just possessing them got me a lot more non-instructor opportunities that weren't there just holding commercial certificates.

forseth11 said:
Thank you for all your ideas and advice guys. I will probably stick with working to CFI, but would like to do one of these before getting ATP. You guys posted a bunch of ideas, but how much do they pay and what kind of work do you do exactly and how many hours do you need for each?
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What I think you'll find is that many of the jobs are going to require closer to ATP minimums to obtain. There are a few lower time opportunities out there, but instructing or deep pockets is likely going to be the way you're going to get your time to reach the minimums that will get you the next opportunity.
 
mondtster said:
Agreed. Get your flight instructor ratings, even if you don't use them much. I found that just possessing them got me a lot more non-instructor opportunities that weren't there just holding commercial certificates.



What I think you'll find is that many of the jobs are going to require closer to ATP minimums to obtain. There are a few lower time opportunities out there, but instructing or deep pockets is likely going to be the way you're going to get your time to reach the minimums that will get you the next opportunity.
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Nonsense.

Plenty of non pay to fly, or CFI gigs out there that will get your from greenhorn to thousands of hours, but they ain't going to fall in your lap, and you might have to move out of moms basement, you hustle and travel, you'll do just fine.
 
Pictometry is probably the most common low-hour stepping stone. You can get a lot of hours over the winter, and good experience as you're on your own with a plane and a credit card for months at a time. It will help you 'grow up' as a pilot. The season starts in the fall and runs until early spring. Some even fly twins, so you might score some multi time too.
 
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cheap weenie said:
Pictometry is probably the most common low-hour stepping stone. You can get a lot of hours over the winter, and good experience as you're on your own with a plane and a credit card for months at a time. It will help you 'grow up' as a pilot. The season starts in the fall and runs until early spring. Some even fly twins, so you might score some multi time too.
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Until someone shows up with a sUAS ;)

For straight photo work, man, playing with my ground station stuff, with the photo stitching, you can get some crazy resolution shots for the price of a cycle on a lipo and your time.
 
James331 said:
Until someone shows up with a sUAS ;)

For straight photo work, man, playing with my ground station stuff, with the photo stitching, you can get some crazy resolution shots for the price of a cycle on a lipo and your time.
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Someday that will definitely be the case, but at this point not so much. These guys are covering many thousands of square miles a season. That's a lot of LiPos, and remember for commercial work you can't use remote viewing. So for now, it's still almost all real airplane work.
 
cheap weenie said:
Someday that will definitely be the case, but at this point not so much. These guys are covering many thousands of square miles a season. That's a lot of LiPos, and remember for commercial work you can't use remote viewing. So for now, it's still almost all real airplane work.
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For some stuff sure, but for other things, close ups of gutters and what not, you're not going to be able to compete, that close in and tight surgical stuff, you just arnt going to be able to work the same spots, also for a high res photo, I can do multiple passes at altitudes hay would be a 91.13 for any manned aircraft, shooting multiple 12-20MP images, stich them together and yield detail most non fed funded cameras can't touch.

I'm a greenhorn to this UAS stuff, flying not so much, but I just have a good feeling about the prospects for my little sUAS, think she's going to be a good, and fun, ROI.
 
James331 said:
For some stuff sure, but for other things, close ups of gutters and what not, you're not going to be able to compete, that close in and tight surgical stuff, you just arnt going to be able to work the same spots, also for a high res photo, I can do multiple passes at altitudes hay would be a 91.13 for any manned aircraft, shooting multiple 12-20MP images, stich them together and yield detail most non fed funded cameras can't touch.

I'm a greenhorn to this UAS stuff, flying not so much, but I just have a good feeling about the prospects for my little sUAS, think she's going to be a good, and fun, ROI.
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Nobody is taking pictures of gutters with aircraft. That's a completely different product. Picto vendors do imaging that becomes products like the closer levels of zoom Google Maps. sUAS are cool and capable, and have their place, but for now it's just a different market. Read up on what companies like Landcare and AirAmerica do, and you'll understand.
 
James331 said:
Never understood the chase of bigger planes, seems the bigger they get the more boring and less "flying" you're doing. After a while, might as well just have become a lawyer or CPA or something.
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I hear what you're saying, but for those that have been doing this awhile, it's about the pay/QOL the bigger airplane (usually) provides, rather than the airframe itself. I'd happily fly a 172 if it gave me the pay and time off that I have now. Most of us have figured out by now that the novelty of any airframe wears off after just a couple hundred hours. :)
 
kayoh190 said:
I hear what you're saying, but for those that have been doing this awhile, it's about the pay/QOL the bigger airplane (usually) provides, rather than the airframe itself. I'd happily fly a 172 if it gave me the pay and time off that I have now. Most of us have figured out by now that the novelty of any airframe wears off after just a couple hundred hours. :)
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True, and you're preaching to the choir brother :)

I'm no white haired vet, but this ain't my first BBQ ether.

Many many folks foolishly believe this black and white bigger = better QOL, there are smaller aircraft which yield a good QOL too.

A few jet mechanics were shooting the chit with me a week ago in the city, one said when would I be moving up to flying a bigger plane, well when I can have the QOL and sched and same mission, frankly if I could pick my saddle, and it would somehow make sense for the mission, I'd happily choose a PA18 or DHC2T, but my "little plane" I fly for work works quite well, none of my big tin airline friends can say they really made a difference with the flights they make, or that have no idea what the day would bring them, they just fly the same bus route.

Sure after XX "you'll make more", but factor the time I'd have to "pay my dues" and presuming I don't somehow loose seniority, it's BS, because factoring the higher pay I make now and the investments, at best it's a wash, and speaking of washes, flying the unwashed masses to their time share, or some pencil pusher to his synergy meeting, I could care less.
 
James331 said:
True, and you're preaching to the choir brother :)

I'm no white haired vet, but this ain't my first BBQ ether.
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Oh I realize that - my post wasn't directed at you. I think we're pretty much in agreement about this - it's just that many of us out doing the airline thing aren't thinking about the size of the aircraft for its own sake. QOL is a personal thing, and your job fits your definition of QOL pretty well. My job does the same for me.
 
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