ATP & Type Rating Passed

[fsiflyer]

Well it is now official. After three weeks of fun at Flightsafety I am now an ATP pilot and LR60 type rated. One check ride for the ATP and the type rating. I now officially fly as captain. I can feel the weight of the fourth stripe!

[amorris311]

dude that is awesome!!!! way to go keep up the hard work.

[Stone Cold]

Congrats!!! Another 60 typed guy on here...woohoo. Imagine doing that coming from a Caravan!! Talk about an experience.

[SmoothLanderJ]

Great Job, thats what I'm going for. Keep up the good work. Question, how did you get into flying corporate? I'm really interested in flying corporate, whats the best way to get into that side of aviation, and what kind of hours do you need? Im currently working on CFI.

[fsiflyer]

The 60 is an F-16 in corporate jet clothing. The training was great and the plane is a joy to fly. I bet coming from the caravan it was a bit tough because of all that power. The 60 just wants to keep accelerating. Once you get ahead of the plane it is smooth as can be.

[FrankiegPilot]

Congrats dude , allll your hard work has finally paid off!!! Living the dream!!!

I'll be in your shoes one day.

[rausda27]

Next time you go through recurrent, go to ATL....the 60 here has the new hypoxia training.

[fsiflyer]

I actually asked to go to ATL but our GOM only states Tucson as an approved facility. Our DO would have to come to Atlanta to do an audit and such. I doubt they would do that as Tucson is about two hours from Phoenix and the overall cost is less for the company.

Looking back at training though, Tucson was a great facility and all of the instructors were VERY knowledgable and a big help. I was very well prepared for the checkride. It felt more like another sim session than anything else.

[Doug Taylor]

Originally Posted by fsiflyer

Well it is now official. After three weeks of fun at Flightsafety I am now an ATP pilot and LR60 type rated. One check ride for the ATP and the type rating. I now officially fly as captain. I can feel the weight of the fourth stripe!

Congrats!

[fsiflyer]

Originally Posted by SmoothLanderJ

Great Job, thats what I'm going for. Keep up the good work. Question, how did you get into flying corporate? I'm really interested in flying corporate, whats the best way to get into that side of aviation, and what kind of hours do you need? Im currently working on CFI.

My journey to my current position was a very long one. From private pilot to ATP was about 11 years. I jumped in and out of aviation more than once (finance related). So, I had to have a desk job. Thankfully I went to grad school and earned a masters degree so finding a desk job was not difficult. I earned what would be considered good money but I hated the job. Always keeping the eye on the prize I networked like crazy. Anyone I ever worked with in aviation got monthly calls from me or I took them to lunch.

Well about a year ago I took an old friend from my days at another 135 outfit where I was a dispatcher and every now and then SIC out to lunch. Back then he was an operations manager and a captain on one of the planes we flew. Now he is the current Director of Operations for my company. Well at lunch we were talking about things and how I want to get back into flying full time. Now all of this time I am flight instructing part time. My hours have been increasing and I was in the range that an insurance company would consider me. The next day he calls me and tells me to show up to initial ground school on Monday. That is how I got started in corporate aviation. I flew in the King Air for what seemed like forever and then first officer on the 60 and one day they asked if I want to become a captain on the Lear 60. After that I quit my other job (I was working as a contractor to them when not flying) Next thing I knew I was in Tucson earning my ATP and type rating. So 11 years from becoming a private pilot I am a captain on the Lear 60. I have never flown for a regional airline and I am sure I missed certain things there but I could not afford to do it. I never PFJ'ed as I think that is a detriment to our industry. It took alot of networking and pushing but it can be done. I am based in my home town and my commute to the airport is around 10 minutes. We are home most nights so I sleep in my bed with my wife. Best of all, I took little to no pay cut once I became a captain from my previous job. Somehow finally all of the stars aligned and things worked out. I think anyone can do it and I wish you the best of luck.

[fsiflyer]

Originally Posted by Doug Taylor

Congrats!

Thanks Doug, I learned alot from this website. Everytime one of us gets a new rating or moves up the professional ladder you should get a congrats as well.

[Doug Taylor]

Hey, you guys are going the work and the writing, I just keep up the chalkboard!

I had a "congratulations" written in Russian initially, but it didn't work on my character set!

[SmoothLanderJ]

Originally Posted by fsiflyer

My journey to my current position was a very long one. From private pilot to ATP was about 11 years. I jumped in and out of aviation more than once (finance related). So, I had to have a desk job. Thankfully I went to grad school and earned a masters degree so finding a desk job was not difficult. I earned what would be considered good money but I hated the job. Always keeping the eye on the prize I networked like crazy. Anyone I ever worked with in aviation got monthly calls from me or I took them to lunch.

Well about a year ago I took an old friend from my days at another 135 outfit where I was a dispatcher and every now and then SIC out to lunch. Back then he was an operations manager and a captain on one of the planes we flew. Now he is the current Director of Operations for my company. Well at lunch we were talking about things and how I want to get back into flying full time. Now all of this time I am flight instructing part time. My hours have been increasing and I was in the range that an insurance company would consider me. The next day he calls me and tells me to show up to initial ground school on Monday. That is how I got started in corporate aviation. I flew in the King Air for what seemed like forever and then first officer on the 60 and one day they asked if I want to become a captain on the Lear 60. After that I quit my other job (I was working as a contractor to them when not flying) Next thing I knew I was in Tucson earning my ATP and type rating. So 11 years from becoming a private pilot I am a captain on the Lear 60. I have never flown for a regional airline and I am sure I missed certain things there but I could not afford to do it. I never PFJ'ed as I think that is a detriment to our industry. It took alot of networking and pushing but it can be done. I am based in my home town and my commute to the airport is around 10 minutes. We are home most nights so I sleep in my bed with my wife. Best of all, I took little to no pay cut once I became a captain from my previous job. Somehow finally all of the stars aligned and things worked out. I think anyone can do it and I wish you the best of luck.

Thanks for the info. Congrats....

[Crockrocket94]

Congratulations sir.

I wish to be in your shoes some day!

[exleardriver]

congrats from a fella with the 'other' lear type.. enjoy that glass..never saw it in the old 20 and 30-series lears i've lived in. been about a decade since i got mine in miami at the old pan am.

[fsiflyer]

Thanks. I almost got the Lear 35/55 instead of the 60. The company made the decision pretty much last minute. They were more short staffed on the 60 and here I am. I am happy with it. Much newer avionics.