Work, trade, barter or ??? for flight time/lessons

Skydreamer2015

Skydreamer2015

Pre-Flight
Joined
Feb 10, 2015
Messages
59
Display Name
Display name:
Skydreamer2015
This might be a long shot, but you don't know if you don't ask, right?

Just a brief background real quick. I am 43 years old and started my training in the fall of 1989 at Rocky Mountain College in their aviation program in Billings, Montana. I attended for 4.5 years, but never did get my degree. I obtained my PPL and did all the course work for instrument, commercial, multi, CFI and CFII. I made it to my check ride for my instrument, but never obtained it. Ran out of money, pure and simple. I was on the NIFA team for 2 years and competed on a regional and national level. I current have approximately 200 hours and have 2 years of flight line experience as a flight tech. I also have HVAC experience and auto body repair and painting experience.

Now fast forward to today. My wife and I live in Wyoming and she has been promoted within Shell Oil and we are moving to Katy, Texas by July 2015. We now have an empty nest and this is a good time in my life to chase my dream of flying to make a living.

Is there any FBO, CFI/CFII, plane owners or business/business person willing to trade work for flight time/lessons? Or someone might need a vehicle repaired and/or painted. Some HVAC work done? I'm willing to do about any odd job in trade. Just ask and let's see if we can help each other out!

Like all pilots in training, I'm looking in keeping my training and time building costs down. My dad, back in the day, was lucky enough to trade work on the flight line for time in the plane. I know that this doesn't happen very often anymore, but have to roll the dice and see if it's a possibility. A dream come true would be to have a business/business person or FBO wanting to cover my training costs in trade for me to be their pilot for "free" till my "debt" was paid off.

Thanks everyone and thanks for reading!
Clark
 
Skydreamer2015 said:
This might be a long shot, but you don't know if you don't ask, right?

Just a brief background real quick. I am 43 years old and started my training in the fall of 1989 at Rocky Mountain College in their aviation program in Billings, Montana. I attended for 4.5 years, but never did get my degree. I obtained my PPL and did all the course work for instrument, commercial, multi, CFI and CFII. I made it to my check ride for my instrument, but never obtained it. Ran out of money, pure and simple. I was on the NIFA team for 2 years and competed on a regional and national level. I current have approximately 200 hours and have 2 years of flight line experience as a flight tech. I also have HVAC experience and auto body repair and painting experience.

Now fast forward to today. My wife and I live in Wyoming and she has been promoted within Shell Oil and we are moving to Katy, Texas by July 2015. We now have an empty nest and this is a good time in my life to chase my dream of flying to make a living.

Is there any FBO, CFI/CFII, plane owners or business/business person willing to trade work for flight time/lessons? Or someone might need a vehicle repaired and/or painted. Some HVAC work done? I'm willing to do about any odd job in trade. Just ask and let's see if we can help each other out!

Like all pilots in training, I'm looking in keeping my training and time building costs down. My dad, back in the day, was lucky enough to trade work on the flight line for time in the plane. I know that this doesn't happen very often anymore, but have to roll the dice and see if it's a possibility. A dream come true would be to have a business/business person or FBO wanting to cover my training costs in trade for me to be their pilot for "free" till my "debt" was paid off.

Thanks everyone and thanks for reading!
Clark
Click to expand...


When you get to Katy, just report in at the FBO, hang out on the couch, make yourself known, put up some fliers, it'll happen. If you are talented in a mechanical way see about working for the local maint shop and put in your time for an A&P as well.
 
Last edited:
You have your PPL so are you trying to get to your IR checkride and beyond?
 
This should get good now. Popcorn anyone?
 
We should applaud someone willing to work for what they want. I like his aproach and wish him the best of luck. Perhaps there are some plane owners in texas who need their aircraft painted !??. Good luck, go after it and make it happen.
 
I traded desk time for plane time when I was learning. This was 20some years ago, but there might be an FBO out there that needs someone to work behind the counter for a couple hours a day/week.

Managed to get all the way through my multi-comm-IFR that way, and the only planes I had to pay for were the schools lease backs.
 
Good luck! Dream can come true. See my thread over in Hangar Talk.
 
This was a great read. My father told me his story on a long drive one time. He was trained as a mechanic and would go to the local FBO and repair or rebuild engines for flying time. I believe he went from start to finish that way. This was of course in the 60's when it must have cost between 5-10 an hour. I hope it happens for you, Good Luck.
 
FlyBoyAndy said:
He was trained as a mechanic and would go to the local FBO and repair or rebuild engines for flying time. I believe he went from start to finish that way. This was of course in the 60's when it must have cost between 5-10 an hour.
Click to expand...

That's not a long story.
 
FlyBoyAndy said:
This was a great read. My father told me his story on a long drive one time. He was trained as a mechanic and would go to the local FBO and repair or rebuild engines for flying time. I believe he went from start to finish that way. This was of course in the 60's when it must have cost between 5-10 an hour. I hope it happens for you, Good Luck.
Click to expand...

I grew up as a mechanic, when I started flying I would hang out in the maintenance shop looking at things and the way airplanes were built. I'd ask the shop owner questions as he worked on something, stick my finger here, hold that there, where it was obvious and one day he said, "You want a job?" Sure, worked for him a couple of years, and during that time he basically sponsored my ownership costs on my BE-95TN.
 
I don't understand the sneers in this thread.

When we ran a flight school, we put about a dozen kids through their ratings on the strength of their plane washing arm, and processed about 5 dozen wannabes who found hard work not to their taste -- 2 we put all the way through CFI from zero, both at the airlines now. Actually I think we have 4 or 5 of our alumni at airlines altogether.

If you were in the LA area, I'd make a barter with ya. :) I suspect the FBOs in TX will accomodate rather quickly.

$0.02
 
To the OP: why don't you work a real job, get paid, and use that money to get flight time? That seems a lot easier than hopping around between multiple flight instructors and planes and possibly learning bad techniques.

Also, your flight time doesn't expire. You already have 50 hours of cross country, you have your PPL, you have a lot of things that would still carry over. You need 3 hours of flight time with an authorized instructor within the last 2 calendar months, a new written test, and an endorsement for your instrument ride. Done. Build another 40-80 hours, get your commercial, done. Train for your CFI/MEI when you are building that 40-80 and do the written tests. Done. Be smart about it, but don't try to haggle your way through if you can make money doing something else. Flying should be where money goes out, not trying to figure where your sweat equity can turn into gas to feed airplanes. That sounds like the "hard way".
 
nimdabew said:
To the OP: why don't you work a real job, get paid, and use that money to get flight time? That seems a lot easier than hopping around between multiple flight instructors and planes and possibly learning bad techniques.
Click to expand...
Because bartering cuts out the Gubment and their sticky fingers...
 
When I was a kid, that's exactly how I got my lessons. Hang out at the airport, make a nuisance of myself until someone gave me errands\chores\work to keep me out of trouble and trade that for a lesson on Saturday. I doubt many kids get that opportunity any longer.
 
Kiddo's Driver said:
Because bartering cuts out the Gubment and their sticky fingers...
Click to expand...

And, the added benefit of spending a lot of time at the airport. I got to meet a bunch of folks who I would never have met had I just shown up for lessons. A lot of those folks owned airplanes that I got to fly, and eventually, those contacts led to 100+ paid hours flying a B200 King Air.
 
Kiddo's Driver said:
Because bartering cuts out the Gubment and their sticky fingers...
Click to expand...

Beware, only if you violate the law on your taxes. You are supposed to report the value of bartered services. There was a big movement during the late '70s and early '80s (at least that's when it hit central Florida) to set up barter exchanges as a way to avoid taxes. It didn't have to get very big before somebody in the government noticed. Like violating cost sharing rules with the FAA, casual amounts, nobody gets hurt, nobody's likely to find out. But if they do, well, it's the IRS.

As Ron says: "Choose wisely."

John
 
Thank you everyone for the replies and the advice so far! I knew when I posted this that I would have some negative comments along with positive ones. I know this is an unorthodox approach, but I thought, "heck, why not ask?!" I know this isn't motorsports racing, but I was able to obtain many sponsors(and many that never sponsored anyone before) for my son when he was racing by simply asking and not being afraid of rejection. A guy just never knows if he doesn't try or doesn't ask! :)
 
Skydreamer2015 said:
A guy just never knows if he doesn't try or doesn't ask! :)
Click to expand...

Concepts like this are the ones that I try to pass on to my kids. I put it to them another way, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."
(Of course to go with that there is also, "Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast. You can't miss fast enough to win.")
 
Years ago i could see this happening, in fact I believe it did. Nowadays I dont think this happens much. Times have changed, cost of flying has gone north. But there is a chance you could work for an FBO and get somewhat of a discount on your lessons.
 
(early) welcome to Texas. Houston is a huge city with lots of opportunities.
 
Contact Woody Lesiker at West Houston Airport. Or try further out at Houston Executive
 
schmookeeg said:
I don't understand the sneers in this thread.

When we ran a flight school, we put about a dozen kids through their ratings on the strength of their plane washing arm, and processed about 5 dozen wannabes who found hard work not to their taste -- 2 we put all the way through CFI from zero, both at the airlines now. Actually I think we have 4 or 5 of our alumni at airlines altogether.

If you were in the LA area, I'd make a barter with ya. :) I suspect the FBOs in TX will accomodate rather quickly.

$0.02
Click to expand...

What you did for many of your students is exactly what I have envisioned! Thank you for the kind words! I now wish I was going to be in the LA area:)
Are you able to point me toward anyone in the Houston area?

Thanks!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top