ExpertAviator.com

Today I answer the question: “Would my time be better spent simply buying a plane and flying?”

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Sponsor:

"Tailwind Waymakers is a non-profit founded to help fund aviation dreams. So whether you could use some help funding your aviation training or want to WIN a new airplane, check out TailwindWaymakers.org "

Use coupon code TailwindWaymakers and get a free scholarships guide while supplies last at:

http://www.aviationcareerspodcast.com/scholarships/

Want to be a guest on the show? please visit AviationCareersPodcast and click on the online course. If you have questions please email us at: feedback@aviationcareerspodcast.com.

Feedback:

Dean Showalter answers the question we pose in episode 350 Is starting a professional career in flying at 55 worth the effort?

https://airplaneownermaintenance.com/about/
Why should I be a CFI after my flight schooling? I am almost done getting my private pilot cert in an accelerated flight school.
I'm 36 with four kids and have taught before in education; not sure I'd have enough patience to teach again, and I want to get my 1500 hours as quickly and effectively as possible.

Would my time be better spent simply buying a plane and flying? I'm already going to be in debt. What is another 150k? I want this to be my last career and need to do something about retirement.

Something seems off about the cadet programs that usher people into the regionals requiring their cadets flight instruction until they get to their 1500 hours. Are they hiring these folks at a lower rate than those who apply outside of the cadet programs and flow through?

Every hour counts for me, as does every year of employment. I appreciate your content and advice. Thanks very much!

It depends on your budget. But let’s talk about the benefits and challenges of owning your own plane and building hours.

Benefits Of Owning A Plane And Building Hours:

You set your own hours and fly when you want.
You can fly on extended cross-country flights in the system and gain valuable IFR flying experience.
You can bring your family.
You can be home every night.
You can start your own flight instructing business and take on only the clients you choose.

Challenges Of Owning A Plane And Building Hours:

The cost of buying the aircraft.
Hourly costs.
Maintenance.
You may need to dispose of an aircraft while you are trying to concentrate on training at an airline.
You may not learn how to interact with another pilot in the cockpit which will get you ready for the airlines.
Carrying costs. Hangar, insurance, subscriptions such as for charts and GPS.

Sponsor:

"Tailwind Waymakers is a non-profit founded to help fund aviation dreams. So whether you could use some help funding your aviation training or want to WIN a new airplane, check out TailwindWaymakers.org "

Use coupon code TailwindWaymakers and get a free scholarships guide while supplies last at:

http://www.aviationcareerspodcast.com/scholarships/

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Today we answer the question: “ Can you have a side hustle as a musician and be a pilot?” answer your questions.

Sponsor:

"Tailwind Waymakers is a non-profit founded to help fund aviation dreams. So whether you could use some help funding your aviation training or if you would like to WIN a new airplane, check out TailwindWaymakers.org "

Use coupon code TailwindWaymakers and get a free scholarships guide while supplies last at:

http://www.aviationcareerspodcast.com/scholarships/

But before we begin, if you want to be a guest on the show please visit AviationCareersPodcast and click on the online course. If you have questions please email us at: feedback@aviationcareerspodcast.com.

Questions:

Question 1

Dear Sir

I am a US citizen with a Faa CPL license working with a foreign ATP for an Airline for a long time. I have about 15000 hrs total time with 9000 hrs + as P1 time on jet aircraft.

Please let me know the proper steps to get my US FAA ATP to start my new career as a corporate pilot Best regards

https://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/foreign_license_verification

Question 2

Hello,

Firstly, let me say how much I enjoy your podcast; I find your enthusiasm for aviation and encouragement for those perusing a career in aviation inspirational. As a 52-year-old male student pilot here in Brisbane Australia, I listen to various aviation podcasts, mostly US based, and can’t help but be jealous of those in my situation based in the US….the aviation ‘industry’ there is so big, with so many potential opportunities for student pilots chasing their dreams, albeit with a much bigger population of students/pilots competing for those opportunities.

With literally thousands of airfields in the US open to GA, not to mention commercial and military components, coupled with the infrastructure required to operate and maintain same, there is huge potential for aspiring pilots to pursue their dreams, and I think sometimes US-based aviation commentators forget just how lucky you have it over there. Contrasting this for example, here in Australia, which is a vast country with a relatively small population, we have less than a thousand airfields, with obviously far less of an aviation industry behind it.

Nevertheless, I’ll continue to listen to the suggestions/ideas/advice offered by you and others to maximize my own opportunities, and who knows where it will take me. Keep up the great work with your fantastic podcast.

Kind regards.

https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-workers/e-3-specialty-occupation-workers-from-australia
http://www.mckeown.com.au/cases/australians-flying-in-the-usa.htm

Question 3 

Hello, Carl! Let me start off by saying that I have been listening to your podcast for a few weeks now and am loving it. I listen every day on my morning drive to school and work. It has been interesting to hear all of the different topics you discuss in aviation.

To give you some background about me, I am a 21-year-old college student interested in getting into aviation. I’ve been trying to find my career path for about 2 years now ever since I graduated high school in 2020. Long story short, COVID pretty much ruined my initial college experience, as everything was far from normal after graduation for quite some time.

I started out as a music major on full scholarship at an out-of-state university, but because of my initial bad experience due to COVID and second thoughts about going into music full-time, I moved back home to finish a more generalized degree, while still trying to pursue music on the side. Since moving back home, I was able to successfully audition for a part-time professional symphony orchestra in my city—without having a music degree, which most of the musicians have—and have been loving life as an orchestral violinist. It has worked out perfectly with my school schedule and my other part-time job, as the rehearsals are only in the evenings, and concerts are on the weekends and allow for outside full-time employment.

Aviation has always been something that has been at the back of my mind. My closest relative in the aviation industry, my aunt, has been a flight attendant for over 35 years. She loves it and always tells me to consider looking into aviation. I recently decided to take her advice by booking a discovery flight, and I absolutely LOVED it. After having shadowed many different careers throughout my 2 years of college, this is the only one that I can say has really inspired me and is something I can see myself doing for the rest of my life.

My goal is to be a pilot and have music as my side hustle. You mention on your podcast that many pilots have other jobs or businesses outside of flying because of how much time off pilots get. It sounds like this may be a possibility for me, but I wanted to get your take on it. I have talked to a cargo pilot from a mutual connection—the same guy I did my discovery flight with—and he thinks I would be able to hold a music job and be a pilot at the same time.

To clarify what my music schedule looks like, this is what a typical symphony week looks like for me: rehearsals 7 pm-10 pm Tuesday-Friday and a concert on Saturday 7 pm-9 pm. Some weeks are short though, depending on the type of concert: sometimes only 1-2 rehearsals before the weekend concert. We generally only have 1 symphony week a month; sometimes two.

I realize that getting that many consecutive nights off in a row is probably difficult, but I’m hoping that as I build seniority, it would be easier to manipulate things around my schedule. I am definitely willing to sacrifice some of this at the beginning of my career. If I’m not able to do symphony at the beginning of my career, at least I could still do some of my other single-day music gigs, like weddings, teaching, and other events on my days off.

Sorry for the lengthy message. I totally understand if you don’t have time to read this all. I sincerely appreciate any advice you can give me if you have any time. I look forward to hearing more episodes from the podcast.

Thanks so much.

Links:

https://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/foreign_license_verification

http://www.mckeown.com.au/cases/australians-flying-in-the-usa.htm

https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-workers/e-3-specialty-occupation-workers-from-australia
Sponsor:

"Tailwind Waymakers is a non-profit founded to help fund aviation dreams. So whether you could use some help funding your aviation training or if you would like to WIN a new airplane, check out TailwindWaymakers.org "

Use coupon code TailwindWaymakers and get a free scholarships guide while supplies last at:

http://www.aviationcareerspodcast.com/scholarships/

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Welcome to episode 300. Some pilots only fly in and out of controlled fields. For others, it may have been years since they visited an airport without a tower. Maybe you are a professional pilot getting back into general aviation and want a refresher on operating at non-towered airports. For those who operate every day out of non-towered fields maybe we can give you some tips and tricks to help you operate more efficiently and safely. Whatever your flying background, we hope you will find this episode helpful and fun.

Joining me in this episode are your co-hosts Russ Roslewski and Bill English.

Preflight Checklist:

Sponsor:

"Tailwind Waymakers is a non-profit founded to help fund aviation dreams. So whether you could use some help funding your aviation training or if you would like to WIN a new airplane, check out TailwindWaymakers.org "

Use coupon code TailwindWaymakers and get a free scholarships guide while supplies last at:

http://www.aviationcareerspodcast.com/scholarships/

Cruise Flight: 

• Why Non-Towered operations can be a challenge.
• Common errors
• Best practices
• Some examples
• Flying IFR to a Non-Towered airport.
• Resources
• AIM 4?1?9. Traffic Advisory Practices at Airports Without Operating Control Towers.
• AIM 5?2?3. IFR Clearances Off Uncontrolled Airports

After Landing Checklist:

Pick Of The Week:

Carl - SMAC299 Paul Entrekin Author of “Mr. MiG - The Real Story of the First MiGs in America”

Bill - How to Fly the Pattern Without Making an #@$ of Yourself

Russ - The Learjet Diaries by Greg Madonna https://a.co/d/2wnbAbv

Sponsor:

"Tailwind Waymakers is a non-profit founded to help fund aviation dreams. So whether you could use some help funding your aviation training or if you would like to WIN a new airplane, check out TailwindWaymakers.org "

Use coupon code TailwindWaymakers and get a free scholarships guide while supplies last at:

http://www.aviationcareerspodcast.com/scholarships/

Links:

AC 90-66B - Non-Towered Airport Flight Operations

https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/96969/pdf 

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Today we have a special guest Dustin Davis of Tailwind Waymakers. Their mission is to help those who want to pursue careers in aviation but struggle due to the high entry costs. They are a nonprofit organization focused on helping fund aviation dreams.

But before we begin, if you want to be a guest on the show please visit AviationCareersPodcast and click on the online course. If you have questions please email us at: feedback@aviationcareerspodcast.com. 

Talking Points:

Dustin’s story.

Why Tailwind Waymakers?

How the various experiences in life both in and outside aviation have allowed Dustin to achieve his goals.

How you can help others achieve their goal in aviation.

What is next for Dustin and Tailwind Waymakers?

Links: 

Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork 

Becoming Your Own Banker 

http://aerospacescholarships.com/

https://www.tailwindwaymakers.org 

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Click Here To Watch This Episode On YouTube

But before we begin, if you want to be a guest on the show please visit AviationCareersPodcast and click on the online course. If you have questions please email us at: feedback@aviationcareerspodcast.com.

Listener Comment on YouTube:

Question From Video:

Time Or Money. What Is More Important For My Pilot Career?

https://youtu.be/4WQaThLE0CU 

Question: Is an aviation-focused degree required for legacy airlines and/or corporate 135 companies, or is a BA or BS in another profession acceptable? 

I’m transitioning from the mortgage industry of 24 years to my true passion at the age of 47 and have my instrument check ride in the next 6 weeks. I’m roughly 424 TT so my goal is to have my commercial license before Christmas this year 2022, and already have my degree from when I was in college in my 20s. 

I have a part 91 job lined up to build time in a Navajo and then get type rated for their CJ3 which my instructor just made captain in. Just thought I would ask about the aviation degree. Thank you for your time and congratulations on your Captain & Instructor position. That's a great opportunity!

Listener Mail:

Thank you for all you do on the podcast. It has given me a lot of help while I plan my aviation journey.

My plan is to pursue a career with the airlines. But I am wondering if they require a covid vaccine.=

Thank you for your help! 

Links: 

http://aerospacescholarships.com/

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Welcome to episode 299. During my decades of volunteering with various organizations at Sun N Fun, I have been blessed with the ability to view in person Soviet Migs and have always wondered what it would be like to fly one let alone own a MIG. Today we answer that question.

Joining me in this episode is Paul Entrekin Author of Mr. Mig -The Real Story of the First MiGs in America. Paul’s life is a true example of how following your dream and pursuing your passion can lead to outcomes in your life beyond your dreams. 

Preflight Checklist:

Before we begin please visit our sponsor the Aviation Scholarships Guide at AviationCareersPodcast.com/Scholarships. You might find a scholarship to help you achieve your dream of flying or obtain other ratings.  http://aerospacescholarships.com 

Cruise Flight: 

• Most would never consider owning a warbird let alone a Soviet MIG. Why the MiG
• You don’t just look in the classifieds to purchase a MiG. So how did he become the first pilot in the free world to own a MiG?
• The story of his journey toward ownership and amazing crowds at numerous airshows are detailed in Mr. MiG -The Real Story of the First MiGs in America.
• How he turned a passion for flying into a writing passion
• Jasper and the Christmas Faeries.
• Since there seems to be much more runway available in Paul’s life, what is the next adventure?
• What advice would you have for someone who has always wanted to fly or own a historic airplane?
• Give it some prayer and think about what you want to do. Just go for it.

After Landing Checklist:

Pick Of The Week:

No pick of the week but please visit Paul’s website https://paulentrekin.com/ to learn more about his storied life and where you can find his books.

Sponsor:

 Please visit our sponsor the Aviation Scholarships Guide at AviationCareersPodcast.com/Scholarships. You might find a scholarship to help you achieve your dream of flying or obtain other ratings.  http://aerospacescholarships.com 

Links:

https://www.pilotsforkids.org/

https://paulentrekin.com/

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Welcome to the inspirational, informational, and transparent aviation careers podcast. Today we answer the question: What was it like to be a flight attendant during the Golden Age Of Flying?

I have flown with many former TWA flight attendants and found them to be very professional and passionate about their jobs. I have always wondered why and today I hope to gain insight into the golden age of flying and possibly inspire you to consider a career as a flight attendant.

The authors of “True Tales of TWA Flight attendants: Memoirs and Memories from the Golden Age of Flying'' are joining me today. Kathy Kompare and Stephanie Johnson. I am excited to listen to their perspective on the world of flying today compared to the Golden Age of Flight. 

Talking Points:

What was it like that day?

What inspired you to write the book “True Tales of TWA Flight Attendants”?

How has the job changed?

How has the industry changed from a flight attendant’s perspective?

What has changed in the industry that you like?

What has changed you don’t like?

Would you still recommend this as a career?

Fun stories?

Where can we find out more about the book?

https://truetalestwa.com/ 

Links: 

https://truetalestwa.com/ 

The golden age of air travel promised a life of glamour and adventure for beautiful, single, young women interested in exploring the world—and no airline offered more glamour or excitement than Trans World Airlines.

TWA provided an enviable jet-set lifestyle for flight attendants—and the opportunity to travel to exotic destinations like London, Paris, Rome, Hong Kong, and Bombay. Flight attendants appeared on TV and in movies, and rubbed elbows with the rich and famous, from Elizabeth Taylor and John F. Kennedy Jr., to presidents and Popes, all while decked out in designer uniforms from clothing designers like Oleg Cassini and Ralph Lauren.

In the 1960s and 1970s, TWA accepted fewer than 1% of applicants to be flight attendants—making it tougher to get into than Harvard. Plus, a flying career offered the best education money could ever buy.

TWA flight attendants could cook chateaubriand medium rare, deliver a baby at 35,000 feet, and survive a plane crash—all the while immaculately dressed from their never-a-strand-out-of-place hairstyles, all the way down to their mandatory high heeled shoes. But the glamorous lifestyle of a TWA flight attendant sometimes came at a cost.

True Tales of TWA Flight Attendants is a diary-style fly-girl memoir with stories from hundreds of TWA flight attendants, and filled with a fascinating behind-the-scenes, never-before-seen look at the glamour, excitement, and struggles faced by young women as they traveled the world with TWA during this exciting time in airline history—from the golden age of air travel through the great stewardess rebellion and beyond.

Welcome to episode 298. We all have had to take a break from flying for various reasons. One of the most difficult things to do is keep up with all the changes and our skills while we have stepped away. Additionally, we want to keep the passion alive but how do we do that? Today we discuss how to keep the aviation passion alive through flight simulation.

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Joining me today is guest host Even Reiter co-founder of the Flight Sim Association https://flightsimassociation.com/

Preflight Checklist:

Before we begin please visit our sponsor the Aviation Scholarships Guide at AviationCareersPodcast.com/Scholarships. You might find a scholarship to help you achieve your dream of flying or obtain other ratings.  http://aerospacescholarships.com 

Cruise Flight: 

• Welcome to the show Evan.
• Keeping the aviation passion alive even if you can’t make it to the airport.
• Keeping up with the technical aspects of aviation.
• Keeping our skills from degrading.
• Think Flight Simming is too expensive and complex….think again.
• Fighter pilot for a day

After Landing Checklist:

Pick Of The Week:

Carl - https://flightsimassociation.com/ 

Even - https://flightsimcoach.com/

Sponsor:

Please visit our sponsor the Aviation Scholarships Guide at AviationCareersPodcast.com/Scholarships. You might find a scholarship to help you achieve your dream of flying or obtain other ratings.  http://aerospacescholarships.com 

Links:

https://www.vatsim.net/

https://www.pilotedge.net/

https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/

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Welcome to the inspirational, informational, and transparent aviation careers podcast. Today we focus on how to successfully bid on your airline schedule.

But before we begin, if you want to be a guest on the show please visit AviationCareersPodcast and click on the online course. If you have questions please email us at: feedback@aviationcareerspodcast.com.

http://www.aviationcareerspodcast.com/recommended-reading/

Talking Points:

Numerous listeners asked me to discuss how to successfully bid on their schedule at the airlines. You might be surprised by my answer.

Bidding Successfully:

Bid for what you want.
Define what is more important: pay or quality of life.
Learn Your Contract.
Learn how to bid and your bidding rules
Understand how to get paid more for less flying.
Understanding of soft time.
How to get paid a premium for your time.
Why if you have patience flying into congested airspace can increase your revenue.
Look at yourself as a revenue-generating business.

Links:

http://aerospacescholarships.com/