If You're A New Pilot and Looking for a Job.......

You're a new pilot with a Private Pilot Certificate, Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot Certificate, and Multi-Engine Rating.......and now you want a job flying, of course.  You may have a total of 200-250 flight hours.  Your goal is to fly for an airline, but they may require more flight time.  How do you get those hours as quickly, easily and cheaply as possible?

You have a number of options: If you also have Certified Flight Instructor (CFI), Certified Flight Instructor Instrument (CFII) and Multi-Engine Instructor (MEI) ratings, you can work as an instructor pilot to build hours. If you graduated from Phoenix East Aviation, as an example, we know you are a well-trained pilot, and we will consider employing you as a flight instructor.  You will gain more hours quickly, because we're a large school with approximately 300 students -- all wanting to fly multiple times each week.

You have some other options also: You can fly for a Part 135 company -- that's freight and charter jobs. You can typically build your multi-engine time quickly. Many Part 135 companies hire flight instructors who want to build their multi-engine time.

The primary business of air freight companies is the transport of time-critical items. One example is US Check, which operates a fleet of Piper Seneca, Beech Baron and LearJets (small multi-engine piston and jet aircraft) to deliver checks to Federal Reserve banks quickly. Of course, there are large air freight companies also, though they may require more multi-engine time than you have as an inexperienced pilot. 

Or you could fly for a charter company. Charter companies provide individuals and corporations convenient air transportation. They operate out of airport's fixed based operator (FBO) facility and fly in accordance with their client's needs and time schedules. Most charter companies operate during the day. They also may operate Piper Senecas, Beech Barons and LearJets, as well as more advanced aircraft.

These are the primary ways a pilot with limited experience can built his or her flight time quickly. If you are thinking about pilot training or don't yet have all your certificates and ratings, call Phoenix East, and we'll help you achieve your goals fast -- in a high quality training environment.  Call 1-800-868-4359 (US) or 1-386-258-0703 or visit our web site www.pea.com for more information.

What's "General Aviation?"

Since you may just be learning the language of aviation, which, like many other disciplines, has its own "lingo," let's start at the beginning....with the definition of something you will hear all the time: General Aviation or "GA."

General Aviation encompasses all aviation other than scheduled airline flights and military operations. It includes privately-owned aircraft, business aircraft and charter operations. That means recreational flying falls in the GA category, as well as flight training, air taxi, passenger charter services, shipping, corporate flying and fire-fighting and police.    

Voted Best Airlines in Europe and Asia

Swiss International Air Lines was voted "Best Airline for Europe" by the readers of Germany's Business Traveller magazine. It won first in the categories of cabin crew, cabin comfort and ground services and lounges and was therefore once named Best Airline for Europe. It achieved this same award in 2006.

Dragonair was voted "Best Asian Airline" at the 2007 annual Huran Report Best of the Best Awards, presented in Shanghai in January.  The Hurun Report Best of the Best Awards are selected  based on preferences by China's multi-millionaires (Six-hundred and sixty Chinese entrepreneurs worth at least 10 million RMB voted). Also, Dragonair was named Best Airline (China) by TravelWeeklyChina magazine, as well as being named Best Airline - China in the worldwide Skytrax passenger survey for the sixth consecutive year. 

Dragonair, based in Hong Kong, operates a fleet of 31 passenger aircraft and eight freighters serving 34 regional destinations. It is part of the Cathay Pacific Group.

More Airlines Growing and Expanding Service

LOT Polish Airlines has purchased 12 additional Embraer 175 jets. The value of this order is USD$372 million, and could be as much as USD $744 million, if all options are confirmed. LOT Polish Airlines was the first operator of the E-jets family in Europe, flying out of its Warsaw hub. The new E-175 jets will complement the airline's existing Embraer fleet of six E-175s and 10 E-170s.

Emirates Airline recently signed contracts for 120 Airbus A350s, 11 A380s and 12 Boeing 777-300ERs, worth an estimated USD $34.9 billion.

Air Arabia recently opened a new hub in Kathmandu, Nepal. The airline is the largest low-cost carrier in the Middle East and North Africa.  The new Nepal hub will better serve markets across South and Central Asia, the Far East, the Middle East and the India. The agreement calls for Air Arabia and Nepal's Yeti Airlines to jointly establish a new low-cost carrier to provide service to a broad range of international destinations. 

What's a Multi-Engine Rating?

If you're just learning the language of aircraft and flying, one of the ratings you'll want to have as soon as possible is a Multi-Engine rating. 

What are the requirements? You need to have a private pilot certificate first. For the Multi-Engine rating, there is no minimum age requirement, no formal ground school, and no FAA regulated required flight time. However, most flight schools and insurance companies have a minimum flight time: Phoenix East requires at least 15 hours in the twin-engine DA-42 or PA-34, as well as at least 15 hours of oral instruction, to be competent enough to pass your checkride.

Why should you want this rating? It's simple: Most companies, charter coperations and airlines use multi-engine airplanes.

What does it cost? Phoenix East Aviation has an excellent Multi-Engine Course. The cost for 15 hours of dual time, plus 15 hours of oral instruction is $6,263.

How long does it take?  If you are focused, you should be able to pass your check ride and achieve this rating in about a month or less.

Call Phoenix East at 1-800-868-4359 (US) or 1-386-258-0703 (worldwide) and talk to an Admissions Officer for details.

Fying Cargo -- Another Good Job for a Pilot

If you wish to fly jets as a career, another good job is flying for a cargo company.  That segment of commercial aviation is growing strongly, as the demand for faster shipment of goods increases.  Here's what's going on in that segment of the industry:

DHL is establishing a $175 million USD Express North Asia Hub at Shanghai Pudong Airport. This is designed to reduce transit times and distances. DHL says this new hub will allow it to provide faster service to more major cities in North Asia. The facility's capacity will be up to 20,000 parcels and 20,000 documents per hour. DHL already operates or uses space on 500 weekly flights to or from Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, China.

FedEx is also building a new air hub in Guangzhou, China.

ABX Air has acquired Cargo Holdings Int. (CHI), a leading provider for air cargo transportation to domestic and foreign air carriers. Collectively, ABX Air and CHI have a fleet of more than 135 aircraft, as well as operating the largest fleet of 767 freighter aircraft in the world.

Air Bridge Cargo, which recently added Tel AViv to its growing network, now operates five 747 freighters, and expects three more new Boeing 747-400ERF to be delivered in the next few months. The company also recently set up a dedicated freighter team in their 24/7 operations center in Bangkok.

Airlines' Revenues and Profits Continue to Increase

The International Air Transport Assocation (IATA) expects the airline industry to report record profits in 2008. They estimate net profits to be approximately $9.6 billion USD, up substantially from 2007, which showed a strong increase over 2006.

Net profits in 2007 were approximately $5 billion, as compared to those of 2006, which were $3.8 billion.

The general director and chief executive of IATA said airlines in Asia and Europe have gotten a boost from stronger-than-expected growth. Fuel costs represent on average 26% of an airline's operating expenses, but greater efficiency across the airline industry have partly offset the rise in fuel prices.

What does this growth mean to you, as a pilot or someone who is interested in a career in aviation?  A healthy, strong industry quite simply means more jobs and more opportunities. To find out more about all the opportunities that await future airline pilots, call Phoenix East Aviation at 1-386-258-0703 (worldwide) or 1-800-868-4359 (toll-free in the US) and ask to speak to an Admissions Officer or check out www.pea.com.