A few things I would like to post about....

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There are a few things that have come up in my training and from reading these posts that I would like to tell you about and comment on.

First off, a HUGE thanks to Doug and Kristie for hosting the Network JC last month in Vegas. I had the absolute TIME OF MY LIFE and it was a pleasure to be around such an enthusiastic group of pilots, their friends/spouses/significant others, and those interested in aviation. We have some great people on here and I hope that the relationship continues to grow as we move up the ranks and as we meet our ultimate goals.

Secondly, even though the aviation industry is suffering, there are a lot of stories on here of people making it in the industry and that is keeping me motivated. People on here moving up the ranks and it is keeping me focused on what lies ahead of me. I am really encouraged by those hired at XJT. Its not just those that are on here that have been hired at XJT, but at my flight school we also have had 1 instructor hired and 1 will be applying after a few more multi-hours. I was thinking of applying for a ground position there, like kellwolf did (I am sure he will be hired there very shortly as an FO!) to get my name out there, but I think I am going to wait for that. In Vegas I hung out with someone there and from talking to him and seeing what has been said on here it is a company I am aiming for.

Its a busy time for myself right know. My two areas of emphasis are finishing up my degree and the football season. After that it is the flying. I am flying about one or two days a week working on my instrument rating. What a blast I am having! I have done cross countries to FOK, BDL, and MVY. The ones to FOK and BDL were in actual conditions were I logged 2.2 and 3.0 actual time respectively. The one to BDL was also in the Seneca so I got 3.7 of multi time under my belt

I am in such a great environment to do these flights. Once we depart McGuire immediately hands us off to New York and we usually go direct JFK so we are talking A LOT. Flying in a 172SP in the New York Bravo Airspace has been an excellent training tool, a tool that has given me a great deal of confidence in myself. On the other hand, I can VERY clearly see how IFR flying is NO JOKE and I probably won't be comfortable in myself doing ANY single pilot IFR flight for a while, even when I get my ticket in hand.

I have some great pictures from my IFR flights and would love to post them. How would I go about doing so?

Finally, I am deciding my future. I will be graduating in May and plan on going to Grad. School at night after that. My goal is to also have my CFII done by next April. I am currently at 98.3 Hours, so getting those 250 hours by next April shouldn't be a problem, especially in January, February, and March once the season is over. The flight school were I am training at would hopefully hire me as an instructor there, even though that is not guaranteed. It has been my dream to be a commercial airline pilot ever since I can remember and I will pursue that dream and make it work. However, I do have a VERY lucrative full time job offer from a very well respected company though I will need to take a look at and keep that as an option open for as long as I can. Even though they are offering me a fulltime position, I am hoping that I will be able to turn this job offer into a part time gig. One that will allow the flexibility to allow me to continue training and learning to become a commercial airline pilot.

[Kristie]

depending on the size of your photos, you can email them to me kristie@jetcareers.com and we can host them for you...or you could use ofoto.com or the company tonyw used for hte NJC photos...

one thing you could do is, if you want to take that full-time gig, is run with it and fly on your weekends/offtime (use it for dates too!).. maybe work out a flex schedule with them like I have with my firm...and once you've built up your hours along with longevity with the firm, you can go CFI and keep working part time (to help pay for the crap CFI salary by telecommuting/using flex hours) till you get into the regionals...

just an idea since it seems like you have a shot at a good full time job!

What's your grad degree going to be in? How's the football season going so far?

[Seggy]

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depending on the size of your photos, you can email them to me kristie@jetcareers.com and we can host them for you...or you could use ofoto.com or the company tonyw used for hte NJC photos...

one thing you could do is, if you want to take that full-time gig, is run with it and fly on your weekends/offtime (use it for dates too!).. maybe work out a flex schedule with them like I have with my firm...and once you've built up your hours along with longevity with the firm, you can go CFI and keep working part time (to help pay for the crap CFI salary by telecommuting/using flex hours) till you get into the regionals...

just an idea since it seems like you have a shot at a good full time job!

What's your grad degree going to be in? How's the football season going so far?

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Football is going well we are 3-2 (we should be 5-0 but thats another story) and we have our homecoming game this weekend. My Grad. Degree will most likely be in Public Policy or Labor and Management.

The full time job offer is from Marriott. A close family friend of ours is a big wig with them and he has sort of taken me under his wing and has told me that if I want to be were he is, he will direct me and show me the way. The way he would show me would be the track in the company to become a Hotel General Manager. I would be making close to $40,000 if I took the job he has offered me out of college! Not to bad for a 22 year old.

The BIG downside to that is I would be working 6 days a week for 10-12 hours a day. There is no way I would be able to fit in any sort of flying or CFIing with the hours involved (Might not even be able to do Grad. School) I just have a gut feeling that if I take the job I will not be able to pursue my career in aviation. What I am hoping to do is to be offered a part-time management job. There are a few out there in Marriott and I plan to go after one of those. I have worked there the past two years during the off season as a Banquet Bartender and LOVE IT!

There would be a HUGE up side though to the Marriott. They are a company that thinks right when it comes to hiring. It is a company that is becoming dominated with women . A LOT of young women my age. I stopped by the hotel last week to pop my face in and I met a new manager, that just graduate college. I couldn't pick my jaw up the floor she was so attractice. That would be a big plus over the sausage, I mean men filled industry of aviation.