AboutDottie Norkus Expertise I can address questions concerning: airline pilot employment & entry level airline careers in the Unites States, women pilots, flight training, pilot certification, flight scholarships (mostly for women), aviation & airline safety topics, aviation accident investigation, air carrier accidents and airline operations.
***Please note, I cannot address flight training or career queries from outside the United States. If you are not in the USA, please direct your question to the message boards at www.PPRUNE.org as you can surely find an answer there. For those in India try http://www.indianpilots.com
Also, I cannot address questions about aero engineering degree programs/careers or aviation management careers.
Experience U.S. Regional Airline Pilot. I have also had 15 years previous experience in airline ground operations, as well as a part 91 commercial skydive pilot and ferry pilot.
Organizations I belong to I am a charter member of Women In Aviation International as well as the International Organization of Women Pilots: the Ninety Nines. I keep a database of flight scholarships for women (mostly SW USA) and mentor student pilots.
Education/Credentials Embry Riddle Aeronautical University certificate in Aviation Safety/Accident investigation.
Question Hello Dottie and thank you for you time in reading my question. I graduated from Embry-riddle Aeronautical, Prescott, May 2008, with my BSAS in Aeronautical Science and minor in meteorology. My flight licences and certificates include, private single and multi, instrument, commercial, CFI, and MEI. I have 300 hours and moved from Prescott, where I instructed for 3 months, to Vegas where I had a couple of job opportunities. Immediately when I moved to Vegas, it was like the industry crashed, and both job offers were taken away. I lived in Vegas for a year, serving at Outback Steakhouse, and now live in Portland, OR, again serving at Outback. I haven't flown in 15 months, since I left Prescott. I can't seem to find any job within the industry, including flight instructing. I'm really lost at this point and don't know what to do. I badly want to fly as a career, eventually flying cargo for FedEx or for Alaska since I want to remain in Portland. I'm just so afraid that as time goes by, the time since I last flew increases, and I'm afraid that will badly hurt me. Please let me know what you think I should do and if you have any advice. Thank you for you time and I look forward to hearing from you.
Lance Jackson
Answer Lance
Unfortunately, you have been put in the same position as hundreds of other aspiring career pilots. It is very true that the industry has seriously tanked in the last year and isn't getting better. Since the downturn has already taken a toll on your currency, you need to focus on trying to find something to stay in the aviation game. I was furloughed for just over 2 years after 9/11 and trying to find an opportunity to even fly as a safety pilot- much less a job- was a challenge. I didn't fly much at all during that time. As a mid life career changer, it was not what I had planned. Since you are very young, you have the luxury of time to get established in this career. Consider there are now a thousand turbine experienced Part 121 F/Os on furlough (and more furloughs are likely at several airlines) to compete against for even a traffic watch job. Although the times are tough, your dream isn't impossible- it's just going to take a lot longer than you anticipated.
I can't stress enough how important networking is for pilots, especially in a downturn. Get your name and face out there and become friendly with potential leads or future employers. Such seeding may not bear fruit soon, but down the road could be that contact that gets you a ferry flight, a student or a job. Get some cheap business cards at VistaPrint.com and use them to begin networking around the airport. Use the cards to advertise yourself as a safety pilot at FBOs (or flying clubs) since you don't have to be current to do that. It will get you back in the cockpit and shake the cobwebs off. Work on finding a way to get current, even if you have to rent a few hours a month. As you have found, letting that go just snowballs. Once you are current again, you may find an opportunity to use that CFI. Even one student is better than none, right?
I'd look into getting involved with the local FAAST Team and be an aviation safety counselor. It is a good resume filler and it would be a great way to get back into aviation and network with people try volunteering with the EAA or Civil Air Partol and see what other possibilities you might find. You can try to apply for any banner tow or skydive jobs in your area but by this time the jobs are rarely open as operators hire in late winter or early spring for the summer season. Check with your local radio stations and see who does their traffic watch and contact those operators as well. You may not meet some operators insurance minimums with 300TT but if you keep updating your resume you will become a familiar face for when they are hiring. Call all the flight schools and see what their hiring minimums are- http://www.flightschoollist.com/oregon.html I saw one want ad for a school in Newburg: "We are always looking for qualified professional flight instructors" and they want 500TT with 300 dual given.
Check out the message boards at Jetcareers.com & Flightinfo.com as they are a source of possible leads (and often a lot of flamebait too- beware). Several other jobs boards exist too like climbto350.com or findapilot.com but most are not free.
I am not sure what you may have tried so far but I started with these things when I was in between an aviation rock and a hard place too. Hopefully one will produce something for you.
