Need guidance - bush pilot circus

Okay so I'll skip the long story about my life and just summarize it by saying - I've been working as a software developer for 15 years now. I'm single and I have one kid that is graduating high school soon. So now that she is ready to strike out on her own I really have no ties to any particular place and I want to get into aviation, my life dream. I've saved enough to complete my PPL locally at a small FBO to ensure it's for me, but I still have my day job and I'm stacking cash rapidly by living a no-frills life. So I'm ready to move along with it.

So my question is really about guiding my future - The idea of being a bush pilot and flying to remote locations intrigues me. It looks incredibly challenging but satisfying.

Now I know this sounds kind of whimsical; Oh look at me I'm gonna go join the circus! And that's where my question comes in - how does one set out to do this? Do I just build time as a commercial pilot/CFI/CFII and then start beating the streets? Or is there a "typical" route to get there. I know I'll need float experience. I know I'll need type experience in the standard back country aircraft. But what else? How can I groom myself into a spot? How can I show employers I mean business and I'm capable?

Would Pat please pick up the white courtesy phone.

Good luck my man, Alaska bush sounds like a lot of fun.

Thanks! Pat IM'd me by the way. I have to say my impression so far is pilots are very different from software developers. Friendly as can be!

Nope, they'll happily stab you in the back.

Present company excluded of course .

Heh, I'll keep that in mind. [backing out of the saloon with gun drawn]

Maybe RJ pilots.

But seriously, the community is much much smaller in other segments of the industry.

I've done some of the flying you are talking about up in Idaho Part 135. To keep it short I'll just say this. Get your private while being a software engineer and maybe even your instrument. Then I would seriously consider moving to Alaska and find a part 135 that also offers training. I would get your commercial license through that operation as well as time build through them by renting a 152 or whatever you can do. This will get you in with the right people. Part 135 mins for VFR are 500hrs so that can take you a while. However, some guys get in the right seat of a caravan with just their commercial cert and move up from there. The big thing is that the Alaska market is very transient so always a lot of people coming and going using it as a stepping stone. So it's very possible. Keep in mind you will probably make 1/3 of what you make now as a software engineer. Lots of guys think they can trade money for flying but it's actually pretty tough when you start trying to live off the wages. Right now I flight instruct and work another job just because I pretty much have to if I ever want to leave the house to do anything or eat anything other than mac and cheese.

I don't know what your flexibility is as a software engineer or if you can do that remotely but a lot of back country and bush flying is seasonal so you could always try it out for a season and see how you like it.

Thanks for the response. Yeah I'm actually going into the software business for myself; I'm crafting up a piece of aviation related software to assist and I will probably use that to bootstrap everything else. Right now I make a great living so I'm staying in it for as long as I can, until the inevitable decision-time comes along that is. On that day I hope to have a decent wad of cash to help over the doldrums, and of course my software side business. I don't plan on leaving that for good, I will probably always sell software.

Yeah I think this will be key. I have to really test the waters by flying in alaska to ensure I feel comfortable. It's one thing to wax philosophical sitting behind a desk, but it's another to actually experience it all. Chances are it won't be all roses and I want to experience that before diving in head first. So I'll need to go there for some float and bush training most likely, or some place with similar geography like the PACNW.

I'm a turbo prop guy. I've just been displaced to the RJ.

Respect. :rawk:

Lol, what's the ole' saying, I'd rather go screwing my way across the country then blowing my way?

Classic! :rotfl:

You aint a kidding about that!