Aloha Pilots, sorry I ask so many questions! Yet here is another =/
Its been my childhood dream to fly for Hawaiian, especially the Inter-Island routes.
How long of a process (Years) and the chance of getting in with HAL.
Im currently 34, Private Pilot with an Instrument Rating, and 315HRS TT and NO intention of getting my CFI. Im currently a pilot for Civil Air Patrol here on Kauai. Guess you could say im at a MIDLIFE CRISIS.
With the Pandemic which caused a lot of pilots to be laid off, and regionals slowing down hiring.
What are the chance of getting in to Mokulele, or another 135 based in Hawaii, Getting into a regional, and landing a shot at Hawaiian? How many years realistically would it take to achieve those goals?
Not to be a downer, but with less than 500TT it will be extremely hard to find any 135 ops to hire you solely off insurance purposes. I have around 600TT, have applied to all light cargo, 135 jobs, pipeline patrol, etc. I have called places, pestered them, the whole nine yards and no luck. It is my opinion that unless you know someone you’ll have to pay some dues as a CFI. In regards to the path to HAL Adam is your guy to answer that. Not trying to be negative about getting hired with low time, just giving you my experience on it.
I am curious, what is your reasoning for not wanting to get your CFI rating? I strongly feel that it is the best way to learn and build hours. Once you can teach a concept to somebody, it means that you have truly mastered it. I felt like I learned way more being a CFI than I ever did as a student.
Not to mention the fact that you want to find a 135 on the islands, which is even more niche of a job market. I am fully prepared to move to Alaska or anywhere for a 135 gig. Again not trying to be negative, just saying there are lots of high time guys/girls who desire those scenic views you get in Hawaii flying 135…
You want to know realistically how long but so much of that depends on you. Moku’s minimums are 500hrs and it’s the “hot” low time flying job in the state. That means you’re still 200hrs away and if the only flying you’re doing is with the CAP that’ll probably take you a while just for that. Further you’ll be completing with pilots who have ME and CFI ratings which makes them more competitive than you. If you do get hired by Moku their pilots really don’t fly that much (many average only 50hrs a month), so you’re talking at least a year at Moku to get your 1500hrs.
Then you’ll need to go fly for a mainland Regional for at least 1.5-2yrs because that’s what Hawaiian wants to see. Probably the biggest question mark is just because you’re ready doesn’t mean Hawaiian will be hiring. Hawaiian has much fewer pilots than most Majors and we don’t have nearly the attrition from retirements they
I’d say you’ve easily got a minimum 3yrs plus from when (if) you get hired at Moku (using the pre-covid numbers). After that it’s a matter of if and when Hawaiian is hiring and what’s competitive at that time which could be much higher. Also keep in mind some have to interview 2 to 3 times to get the nod. In short it could take a while, particularly if you’re particular in how you build your time.
