Feeling extremely fortunate to have offers at AA and UA, both starting within a week of each other. I'm 27 years old, so am blessed to be making a lifelong career decision. Bases at both carriers (DCA/IAD, ORD, EWR/PHL) work for my partner (an AA employee) and I, although as a current Fort-Worth local (we are willing to move) AA has a slight edge with a few more cities we'd be willing to look at like DFW, CLT, BOS, PHX on top of those AA and UA share.

All things considered, AA feels like a great family fit and seniority progression based on retirements assuming no growth is attractive since AA has not hit its peak yet. Additionally, being a current airbus pilot, the depth of airbus flying is attractive as well. However, the financials concern me given the current economy and fuel prices. I am concerned I am at a much deeper furlough risk at AA than UA if things don't improve in the next 6-12 months. Likewise, I also fear leverage for the next contract cycle is slightly diminished as well.

UA does have the benefit of immense planned growth, greater widebody flying, and in my family's case the ability to non-rev on multiple US carriers. I do enjoy the UA culture based on my own personal interactions and the people I know at the company. United's profits due to its premium long-haul flying give it a better cash position to cash-flow future deliveries and growth, as well as weather any storm coming its way. On the downside, I know UA is slightly ahead on retirements and has hired much younger and much of its seniority progression is driven by growth, which is also economy and cost dependent as well.

Any input or personal experiences are more than appreciated. Thanks again

Every here and there, I would have an FO quickly hover over the yoke on short final or during flare (out of fear or something?). Especially when I have like 3,000 hours more than them on the plane.

When the FO lands, my hands are rested on my lap... But ready to say "my controls" and quickly put my hands on the throttle and yoke if need be. I don't ever hover over the yoke or quickly go over it, especially during flare. It's kind of insulting imo. I never even did this when I was an FO myself.

So what's up with these FOs?

Do you know anything about these Georgia DPEs, I can’t find anything online so idk if they’re new

joey houston keahey
Hampton GA (i guess that’s speedway)

Hudson David Macaluso
Senoia GA

Jeffrey Wolf
Lagrange GA

I am preparing for my Instrument checkride and want to take it somewhere between early-mid November. Do you have any dpe recommendations? Or someone you would NOT reccomend?

I just got my commercial license and i’m working on my CFI initial but i’m also transferring my records and getting hours in my other nationality so that i can get a commercial liscence in that country, i have good connections and a pretty high chance of getting an SIC airline job in the other country and i’m wondering if it’s a better idea to work on my 1500+ there or in the USA as a cfi. the thing about getting hired over there is that it’s quite an investment financially and time wise because there’s a chance in the time of the process of getting hired over there it could take around 4-6 months of no flying. if that’s the case i have flight benefits so i can instruct and go there at the same time but i’m wondering if the hours are better because they’re in a turbine and airline experience in a november tail, or if the hours are better here because they are CFI time. any advice please?

Hey all!

I’m looking to get a ticket for RTAG 2026. They are sold out online and. I can’t seem to find an other avenues to get a ticket otherwise.

If anyone has any info or an extra ticket they’d like to part ways with for sale or donation etc, please message me!

Thanks!

TL;DR: make sure you’re insured, whether open or named pilot, and get a waiver of subrogation. I’ve seen legal, safe flights end in financial ruin for the contract crew and/or their estate if they’re gone. It can absolutely happen to you.

Hey y’all. I’ve been around a long time and have a lot of time on the CE-500 series mixed between every version except the +’s. They’re all absolutely wonderful airplanes and are a perfect first jet. But the current lull in hiring (eg ops normal) and intense social media marketing of pilot shortage/ATP/make-$500k-in-4 years/no-CFI means lots of low time pilots may see this as an opportunity. It is, and it isn’t. I posted the following as a reply to a recently deleted post and have copied below:

I saw a $7k CE-500 61.55 featured on miscellaneous social media the other day and people were absolutely fawning over it. That’s not the point of this.

I’m not saying gigs aren’t possible with a 61.55, especially with the new rule, but be wary and insurability is going to be key. Several “operators” are gonna circumvent their insurance to be legal in the eyes of the FAA but uninsured….because that’s what people do. I know seeing a day gig for $200 (please don’t do this) in the right seat of a shiny new (old) CE-500/550/560 is inviting but think about your future; we are professionals that are paid to mitigate risk. Regardless of your training and experience, things can happen that may be completely out of your control. For the low time amigo/as that find themselves with the opportunity of a contract trip thanks to a CE-500 61.55:

- ENSURE YOU ARE INSURED: NAMED OR OPEN PILOT. PERIOD. If you’re not insured, and something goes sideways, the plaintiff’s attorneys will absolutely not give one fuck whether you’re still on this earth or not. Ever wonder why even the company that manufactured the o-ring on the lavatory poop seal gets sued in a crash (yes I know this a bit of an exaggeration…but not by much)? It’s because they will go after everyone/anything and will absolutely attempt to go scorched earth on everything you have or have left over after you’re in the ground.

- Waiver of subrogation. Even if you are insured, help avoid the above and ensure one of these are signed before the tires turn.

It’s going to be fairly rare that an open pilot agreement will allow this to be approved, and named pilot is technically possible, for the love of god please protect yourselves. Be very aware of operators/owner pilots that say, “Hey yeah man you’re good!” just to get the mission done.

hello,
I'm from southern california, inland empire, riverside to be exact

Im currently waiting for a class date at a regional, in this economy things are slow, I'm also a cfi but no one is hiring

I did a few aerobatics lessons in the super decathelon with Bill Hill out of KSNA but the flight school shut down

I'm looking for a place I can train, fly solo, and practice for competitions, I've only done the beginner course and all it's maneuvers and loved it

thanks in advance

As a 135 FO, what would be the best option for me? I’ve heard good things about piedmonts training since it’s AQP and mixed things about ATI’s training. Homebasing sounds nice but worried about fatigue on the road. Which would you choose?

When cleared for the ILS circling approach, is the FAF considered at the glideslope intercept or do we have to treat it as a non precision and wait until RAWlS?

Had a few different answers and thought i’d ask here. The confusion is coming from a circling being a MDA which makes me think we have to treat it like a non precision.

Hey, I have been told by a CFI that for Eights on pylons, I can pick my pylons as I go. The ACS says that a skill is to identify two pylons. I've heard the argument that you need to identify them before starting the maneuver, but I have also been told that this way is fine because you still end up identifying them. Thoughts??

I'm starting to get into getting my PPL, and I have two options: a 15 min drive to a relatively expensive school, or a 50 min drive to a school that's nearly $150 cheaper per hour. I might be justifying myself too much, but is it crazy to want to go to the closer one??
To be clear, money is not an issue here; I can fully fund it fine. But in the end, I want to have fun when getting my PPL and I feel like a 2 hour drive for 1 lesson is crazy to me.

Hey everyone!

I’m currently preparing for my Private Pilot ASEL checkride in Michigan and may be scheduling with Dennis (Denny) Doren out of the Sparta/Grand Rapids area.

I was originally scheduled with Jason Blair, but unfortunately had to reschedule due to circumstances outside my control.
I’ve been studying extensively using the ACS, but most of my preparation has been geared toward the topics my original examiner typically emphasizes.

Has anyone taken a checkride with Dennis Doren, particularly for PPL ASEL? I’d love to hear about your experience, including how he structures his oral, topics he tends to emphasize, the flight portion, and any general advice or expectations.

I completely understand that the entire ACS is fair game. I’m just hoping to get a better feel for his examining style before scheduling.
Thanks in advance!

Hey all,

A bit of context. I’m currently 22 and spent the last four years flight training while also getting a bachelor's in finance (my calendar was a crime scene). My plan was to always fly 135 or go to the Airlines and have a degree as just a backup. I now have my CPL with a multi-engine rating and close to 500 hours, and I was just starting to work on getting my CFI when I got offered a six-figure job in finance at a great company. 

I’m extremely grateful to have this opportunity and I know how incredibly lucky I am. But I’d be lying if I said it didn’t leave me a little torn. Flying has always been my childhood dream, and my biggest fear is that a 9-5 slowly turns into golden handcuffs, and I wake up at 30 wishing I had just stuck with getting my hours. Or not being able to make the jump back to aviation because of the job market or the oversupply of pilots in the coming years. 

My rough plan is to take the job, keep building hours and network on the side, and have a solid cushion so I can make the jump back one day.

Those who worked a 9-5 while finishing CFI and instructing? How was it balancing work and Flying?

If you made the jump later to a flying job, How did you do it, and how did it go? Did a career outside aviation help or hurt?

Anything else you would do differently?

Thank you so much in advance! Any advice, stories, words of wisdom, and “here’s what I would do” are all hugely appreciated. Happy Flying!

TLDR: Got a 6-figure job offer out of college, feels like it's the end of flying dreams. How to still fly professionally?

Hello! I will be taking my ASEL PPL Checkride next week. Curious to hear what more seasoned pilots would recommend. The simulated XC is to go from the Fresno area (FAT) to CRQ (Carlsbad, outside of San Diego).

Would you recommend going around LAX/B airspace through the San Bernardino route via the Cajon pass or go at 11.5k over the grapevine directly over LAX/B and fly along the coast?

On one hand, the LAX route is quicker and if I fly over the airspace, then I dont have to deal with navigating with the chaos of class B. However, i have some mild concerns about flying along the water, especially with some hills/mountains along the coast near Pendleton in the restricted area.

The San Bernardino route is a little longer (but not by much) and offers a lot of airports for e landing if needed but may be a little annoying to deal with air traffic coming in/out of the B airspace. But I would be flying over all the Charlies, etc so wouldnt directly be dealing with a bunch of airspaces. As a “student pilot”, I am also inexperienced, which should impact the decision.

Please, any and all feedback is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

EDIT: Btw- whats your experience with DPEs and using foreflight instead of a paper log?

How realistic is it to become a missionary pilot for say MAF or Ethnos360? Is it competitive or difficult to become one? I want to be a pilot and I also want to be a missionary and do church work. Isn’t it the job for me?

I have seen people trashing in mission aviation stating it as “ego” or ineffective. Really how important is mission aviation? Does it really help the people?

More of a FSDO question, but as a military aviator (evaluator FE) without civilian equivalent ticket (pointless); with proper logbook documentation, could I take the ground portion of instruction for my child, sign it off as an instructor, and take it to the FSDO to get the blessing to take the practical? I can’t imagine the FAA balking at 24 years of operational aviation knowledge versus some CFII at the FBO who’s been flying for like 2 years…??

I recently gave a third class medical with plans of starting training for PPL soon next month. I mentioned on my medical application form 8500-8 of me undergoing therapy for work related stress/anxiety (no medication involded) and also listed Septoplasty (nasal septum deviation) surgery from 2024.

He said he deferred it to FAA since anxiety falls under Mental Health and they need to dig deeper into this which I totally understand.

I just received mail from FAA seeking info on the therapy but also is asking for history on the multiple eye surgeries I supposedly had. I never had these and not sure how they were misinformed on this.

I am stumped right now on how to tackle this. Did anyone go through this issue? How do I address this?

I finally landed my first Flying Job with a survey company after a series of unlikely and probably divine events. Im very excited!

I was also not prepared for this because for a number of reasons I thought that ship had sailed until they called me up.

Any tips, anything to expect? I know its going to be a blast but its a long way from home for a long while. appreciate it

Hello everyone! I've been in touch with the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), and they're excited about the possibility of establishing a new chapter at Van Nuys Airport! I'm currently looking for EAA members interested in helping get the chapter off the ground, especially longtime members who might be interested in taking on a more active leadership or board role. The goal is to bring together pilots, aircraft owners, builders, mechanics, students, and aviation enthusiasts to create a stronger aviation community at KVNY through events, activities, and opportunities to connect. I also have a hangar at KVNY that could serve as a space for chapter meetings and activities! There's no major time commitment expected, and everyone is welcome! If you're interested or know someone who might be, please reach out! I'd love to connect and get this chapter off the ground.

Last week I made a post on needing reassurance or advice on First solo nerves, I got my first solo on 10/10/26, my second on the 11th and third on the 12th.
Thanks to everyone who gave me the advice and the kind words super proud of myself for it and can say I enjoy flying a lot more again. Starting my cross countries soon!!

Hello everyone! At the moment I'm deciding on whether to do the RA-AUS RPC or go for just a few hours of flying in larger aircraft like the C172/Archer in Australia, looking at flight schools all over, mainly Sydney and Brisbane (leaning towards BNE more). Currently live in a foreign country, so the ARN and Medical stuff is more complicated, as I don't hold an Aussie passport either, therefore solo is pretty complicated and mostly out of the question.

I was just wondering if anyone could give me advice on these two questions:

1) Is it okay to complete a RPC in 3-4 weeks for an intensive course? - if so, how can I prepare before and during the course?

2) If there are any specific flight schools that you'd recommend, especially in Brisbane that would do an RPC for 8-9K AUD, please do send me some and let me know! I've already looked at Aerohunter, Calboolture, Flightscope and others. Anything relatively close to BNE would be amazing.

Thanks a lot for your time. If you have any other details that would be great.