They may fly 600 to 800 nautical miles in a day.”Ĭargo pilot: Flying cargo can build valuable experience, provide opportunities to move up to larger aircraft, and help you transition later to an airline career if it is still your goal. Pipeline and power line patrol: According to Scanlon, the oil and gas markets don’t have a lot of demand to lay new pipes, but the existing ones still need to be patrolled, and this is a good time builder “if you can get it.” Flight Training magazinereported that “pilots fly as low as 80 feet agl in Cessna 172s, Piper Super Cubs, and other low-powered airplanes, keeping a sharp eye out for discrepancies in grids or pipelines while keeping clear of the high-voltage lines or other obstructions. A good banner tow pilot is more in tune with his airplane than the first violinist for the Boston Pops Orchestra is with a Stradivarius,” according to the June 2019 article, “Career Spotlight: Tow Truck.” Tow pilots’ “lives depend primarily upon having a good ‘feel’ for an aircraft and squeezing every last inch of lift out of a wing. Pilots must have excellent stick-and-rudder skills for this job.
Aerial banner towing is another traditional time-building job, even though many of them are seasonal. And so my weekends were spent at the local airport trying to network with people and fly as many different types of airplanes as I could,” Rovner said on the August 12, 2019, HangarTalk podcast.īanner towing: Vacationers are returning to beaches, and that means businesses are advertising.
#LOW TIME PILOT POSITIONS PROFESSIONAL#
Unlike a lot of people who’ve taken my career path, I never went into aviation with the intent to become a professional pilot. “I started out trying to get as much flying time as I possibly could. She has flown more than 140 general aviation aircraft in 20 countries.
#LOW TIME PILOT POSITIONS FULL#
Sarah Rovner, an airline pilot, is also chief pilot for Full Throttle Aviation, ferrying aircraft across the United States and overseas, even during the coronavirus pandemic. However, keep in mind that the aerial sightseeing/tour industry is “not back in full swing yet,” Scanlon said.įerry pilot: Build specialized skills and gain experience flying across the country, or even overseas to ferry airplanes to new owners. Think flying tourists around Denali, overflying the Grand Canyon, or soaring along a breathtaking beach. Sightseeing: As a tour or sightseeing pilot, you get to see the amazing views tourists are clamoring for every day. Getting job openings sent to you will help you “keep a good pulse on the industry.” He also encouraged pilots to use, an AOPA partner, and other job search sites to circulate their résumés and subscribe to alerts for flying jobs. “You’d be surprised what you might find,” said Managing Partner Sam Scanlon. Tried-and-true networking at your local airport could provide an in at local aviation companies, or a friend might connect you to another friend who knows of some openings. In a tight job market, pilots need to be proactive in searching for openings. “Instructing is going to make its way back,” said Scanlon, who has been talking to flight school operators and said that “capacities are filling up again at flight schools.” This means instructor positions will once again be opening after the downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic when some schools closed and others lost business because of stay-at-home orders across the country. It can also be a part-time job added to another career , or to retirement for some extra income. Here is a sampling of jobs that can serve as steppingstones to help you build hours and gain experience toward your professional pilot goal.įlight instructing: Teaching others to fly and helping them reach their dreams is fulfilling in and of itself, but flight instructing is a popular way to gain the flight time required for other professional pilot careers.
Even working for an FBO or other aviation company could open doors to help ferry airplanes or ride right seat on other missions. Pilots who have an interest in maintenance or already have an A&P certificate might apply for mechanic jobs, he suggested, which could open the possibility for performing test and post-maintenance flights. That said, the job market is “tough right now,” he added, recommending that pilots “get into the aviation industry, period” by seeking traditional time-building jobs and looking for nonflying careers in the aviation industry to keep their foot in the door and find creative ways to acquire flight time.
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