The next step

[XcalibeR]

Yes, I know you've read this type of thread a thousand times before, but it's my turn now!

I will be graduating from UND this May, and I've been thinking a lot about the next step I should take in my career. While most of my colleagues are graduating and heading straight for the regionals, that path has never really interested me. I've always thought that there is a lot more fun and rewarding types flying to be done out there, a lot of the time for better pay too. If I could, I would love to go out and be PIC in something like a Baron/Navajo/414/425 (or the like) while being an SIC in a King Air, eventually working my way up to a jet and possibly into a fractional. I've been looking around trying to figure out my options to get me to where I want to go and I'd like to hear what some of you have to say.

I currently have about 400 TT/ 30 ME with my CS/MEL, IA, CFI, CFII. I am currently working at the University as a flight instructor. Flight instructing is fun, but I'm kind of getting tired of the Warrior driver thing. I know that timing and who you know are the most important parts of getting a corporate job. In that sense, I've worked on the line at a couple of airports, where I've worked hard, met a lot of pilots, and I feel I made a good impression on most of them. However, I've never really gotten into long term communication with any of them. Also, I'm the first in my family to do anything with aviation, so I don't really "know" anybody.

Short of any spectacular jobs appearing me, one idea I have right now is to stick around here (UND), get my MEI, get a couple hundred hours of multi-PIC time as well as building my TT, and then move to Minneapolis or Chicago, strut my stuff down there and hope to find a job. Doing that would be tough, though, as I'm not sure I've got money to get the license. I could possibly skip the MEI, get myself financially secure (at least secure enough for a single male who's too frugal for his own good ), and then move down. Maybe I could just head down there straight after graduation, and do my best at getting a charter operation/flight school to hire me. Freelancing's also an option, but I really have no clue where to begin if I do that.

So to all you guys out there in the big wide world of aviation, what would you do? I'm not concerned about getting to the end goal as fast as possible, but I don't want to get stuck somewhere and have no way to move up either. I need to make enough money to keep my head up, but I'd rather work at a fun job for ok pay then work at a crappy job with lots of pay. So what should I do? Stick around, get my MEI, build the time, then move on? Or get to Part 135 minimums, head to a bigger center of aviation and see if I can work some magic and get a job? Or perhaps take my current flight instructing gig somewhere else where I have a better chance of meeting people? Or maybe you have some other suggestion that I've never thought about?

[ackeight]

If you are looking to fly a twin PIC then you have to get lucky with a part 91 gig. Otherwise build your time to 1200 or close to, and start asking around for some 135 gigs. Besides the regionals you need to have quite a bit of flight time to get a PIC job in a twin. I instructed until about 1000hrs and was hired at Airnet, did my timebuilding with them until 1200 and now I'm getting a bunch of time here.

[spilot]

Ackeight, how many hours do u average per month as PIC at Airnet?

Four/five day run? Do you feel it is hard to get a five-day run at Airnet?