Sunday Deep Dive! ☕️

If Southern Airways Express is the most “popular” low time pilot job, American Patrols can’t be that far behind. Two very different kinds of flying, similar in “attractiveness” as both companies drown in applications.

Today, we’re bringing you the hot takes on this time-building gig.

They may not be hiring (per se) right now, but you can always submit your application today (link) if you’re considering flying in Midland, TX.

DISCLAIMER: This is a long read.

SOME WORDS FROM A CURRENT PILOT…

“I am not familiar with the details of hiring. I [personally] got a call back within about 30 days of applying. I spent a month doing operations in the mojave desert so they knew I can handle the environment (you’ll understand why that’s relevant at the end).

I started in February 2023, so been here about a year now. I had less than 300 hours, with multi-engine as my only advanced rating, a 2-year degree and military background. At American Patrols, almost everyone either has a degree, a military background, or CFI. Next goal is to become eligible for ATP and move to the mountain states.  

Flying low and being able to see the ground makes it a fun experience. The worst part is probably having 2 people in an underpowered aircraft on a 100°F day with no air conditioning, except the windows open. 

Schedule is usually work 2 days, be on call a day, work 2 more days, 2 days off. Pay varies from about $18/hr-25/hr. A good month is about 120 hours, a bad weather month is roughly half that. There are multiple sides of the operation that require different start times. Almost all shifts start before sunrise and end around 2-5 in the evening. I have worked missions where I was staying in hotel for 8 weeks before but those are usually on a volunteer basis. The incentive is better pay, more regular hours, and meals paid for.

The side of the operation I work is 20 hours guaranteed a paycheck, no per diem but you submit an expense report and you get expenses reimbursed up to a certain amount (calculated depending on your area). I don't remember the rules on training pay.

Company-ran housing helps with the initial set up. It has basic furnitures, a common area and 2 bedrooms in multiple locations, comes directly out of your paychecks and is more or less set up for you if you opt in. You can stay there as long as you are employed with API.

Here’s what a typical shift looks like: Prep the route onto the ipad the night before. Then 30-minute drive to work, pre-flight, morning meeting, and we’re up. Follow the route while visually looking for leaks. Any leaks found, stop and do turns-around-a-point while taking pictures with the company phone. This visual side of the operation is single pilot and usually about 6 hours of flight time and 8 hours of work.

There is also a sensor side of the operation where I’d wake up 30 minutes earlier than normal. Things are pretty much the same, just meet the sensor operator at the airport and we’re up. We fly over production fields, what’s different is our sensor can detect leaks by the composition of the air. This is always 7 hours of flight time and usually about 9-10 hours of work. All routes are handled by a operations team. It's usually the same routes every week but they change depending on weather and oil companies demand.

West Texas is a VERY hostile environment. Prove you can handle the heat, cold and sand with a good attitude. Be willing to study on your own time to be familiar with the C172 used at API. The people that have to return to their home states are the ones that don't. Training varies wildly depending on what part of the operation you are hired for but everyone must be familiar with C172M V-speeds, maneuvers, electrical & fuel systems, emergency procedures and FARs related to daytime Part 91 operations. So, study time will vary depending on your current level of piloting skills. 

If you don't have the hours to be a pilot, apply to be a sensor op and they will build you up to line pilot level. Sensor operator is kind of rough to be honest. If you have enough hours to be hired straight on as a pipeline pilot, you’d be better off. I just didn’t have that option due to personal constraights.

But if you can handle it, API is one of the quickest ways to build your hours. Roughly 18 months for a sensor op and 15 months for direct entry.”

So…

what say you?

If you want more, here’s the tea on API.

WHAT THE INTERNET HAS TO SAY…

let’s start with reddit, debating whether or not pipeline flying is a nice job…

“I built my time flying pipeline patrol. There are good, bad, and terrible companies. I started at a terrible company and moved on to a good company; good pay, good maintenance, and no fuss when it came to using the company card to get decent hotels and rental cars.

What I heard, anecdotally, from American Patrols pilots seemed to put it solidly as a terrible company to fly for. Things may have changed by now but bad maintenance, heavy pressure to fly in shitty weather, and predatory contracts seemed to be consistent complaints.

Outside of that, since the flying is all VFR, and most planes are barely equipped for legal VFR flight let alone IFR, I found my IFR skills to be significantly degraded by the time I was ready to move into 121.

Could I have done some flying on the side to keep them sharp? Absolutely, but after flying 7 hours a day 5-6 days a week getting beat up by the constant bumps I was happy to rest. My stick and rudder skills were above average though and I was more comfortable going to new airports.

…comment to which an API pilot responded

“I’m currently at American Patrols and I have to disagree with everything you say except for the contracts.

Maintenance is good. Some of the A&Ps are pilots who fly the line as well. I have never had anyone question me for not flying in bad weather. The only pressure I’ve had is from fellow pilots who decide they want to push the envelope.

And the contract is at least understandable. They have a high turnover rate and have to be constantly hiring and training new pilots.”

same guy then goes on to say:

“If you are trying to get 1500 hours asap then go American patrols. I’m currently there and I’m doing about 120 hours a month. You might get paid better somewhere else, but you won’t build hours as fast and in the end you will lose money. Have you received an offer from them yet? They usually don’t like to hire people with more than 500 hours.”

testimonial from another redditor:

“I worked there, I got 100-130 hours a month. I know guys that came in at 300 hours and 8 months later left at 1500.

The contract is pro-rated. I also worked a side job on the 3 days off I had a week. API is what you make it.

They expect a high level of skill when flying in 35+ knots. We flew 361/365 days a year. Good luck and plan to buy out if you go there.

It’s a $10k contract and it goes down monthly until $3k for your last month. Save up or take out a loan and buy out when you have your 1500 hours. I didn’t buy out but plenty do.”

Why is this job controversial?

I’m pretty sure all low time pilot jobs are, at this point. There are obviously reasons for that, let’s take a look at discussions that happened on Facebook.

Main pro: you get to build hours, a lot of ‘em and it’s actually fun

“Great place to get tons of hours. Made some life long friends from there!”

“Can’t recommend it enough! One of the fastest time to build hours and become a great pilot. 🤙🏻”

“Great place to work! Really enjoyed it.”

“I flew for API for a year and I would do it again. I was able to leave with +1600 hours. Sure, the pay isn’t airline pay but you’re building 1500 hours in less than 15 months. It’s not the company’s fault you are in debt or have other financial needs to take care of. The experience is like no other and is an absolute blast.”

“Great place to work!!”

Two caveats though: lengthy contract and terrible pay

“Looks like a good time build opportunity… until…

30k a year and 15-month contract - I’d hardly say it’s worth it. Post tax that’s like what 22k a year - can’t qualify for even 3x the rent with that money. Plus car plus phone plus gas plus food plus potential loans for flight training. That’s poverty type of money for 15 months.

If the sell is that you’ll get 1500 hours in 15 months that means you anticipate people heading to the airlines or similar— and all that’s happening is low level single engine VFR —how ready will someone be to go fast high ifr in a multi jet flying SIDS and STARS?

400 is the requirement and the guarantee is 1500 in 15 months. So that math is 1500-400 = 1100hrs

1100hrs/15 months = 73hrs a month minimum. So at a min someone would clear $1679 in a month before tax ($2,500/month before tax if they do make 30k that year) for a skill like piloting. There’s better out there.

Pay more for pilots. Your hiring page for pilots say the applicant has to come in already trained and comfortable in a C172 - so you’re not paying for that - so why would a time obligation need to be in place - there shouldn’t be a contract for that - A 6 month contract is plenty for a c172 especially if they already have to come in comfortable and current in it and the company isn’t paying for the c172 training. 15 months is insane, that’s so much time off the back end of someone’s career.

No need for a contract if the pay is good - retention would perhaps not be an issue.

$50k/yr salary, 6 month contract (if any) + basic benefits option + “take the plane out once a month for date night with your SO on a weekend (or whatever - just a little perk ) = great low hour job. Offer higher pay for military helo guys needing fixed wing time - make them stay for 6 months and pay their C172 transition.”

i’m not one for comments, but this, all of the above is *unfortunately* a pipe dream. Many low time pilots seem to think this way (according to the comments’ section), advancing that we should know our worth and that nobody with an ounce of self-esteem would apply for such positions, which is why i wanted to include this next section. I’m not saying 💩 pay is okay or that we should just suck it up. But let’s read and try to understand why things are the way they are in the low time pilot world.

The law of supply and demand

“Your loans [or whatever issue you’re facing] are not the employers problem, and there’s another guy in line who doesn’t have loans.

There’s 100 others ready to take the job. While you’re still wandering around looking for a six figure time-building job, they’re starting at Delta. I see it every day.”

“Folks this is a job for 400 hour pilots flying a 172. Mostly because there aren’t many jobs for 400 hour pilots flying anything else. If you’re not willing/able to instruct, this is pretty much what you get, take it or leave it.

Nobody cares about your loans, or your rent, or your car payments, or your child support, etc etc etc. Those things are your responsibilities and yours alone. If this job doesn’t pay enough to meet those responsibilities, then don’t apply and move on with your day.

But don’t you dare try to belittle someone who finds this job to be the perfect link between where they are and where they want to be, just because this job doesn’t fit your needs.

If you think it can/should be done better, I challenge you to go out and build your own company and pay your 400 hour 172 pilots as much as you think this job should pay and then let the rest of us know how that works for you.

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” – Thomas A. Edison

If this employer is unable to fill their seats with what they’re offering, then something will have to change until they can.

If they are able to fill their seats with what they’ve offered, then that’s what the market will bear. Why on Earth should they pay more than that? That makes no sense from a business perspective.

I’m not “promoting” anything. I’m just not willing to hop up on my soapbox and try to dictate to someone else what they should or should not be willing to pay or accept. That’s not up to me to determine for anyone else but me. You don’t tell me what I should pay or accept, and I don’t tell you or anyone else what they should pay or accept. Just that simple.

This is a job opportunity. Nothing more, nothing less. Nobody is forcing anyone to apply if the terms of the offer are not to their liking. Nobody is a victim here. We are all blessed with the ability to decide for ourselves whether or not a job like this would be of benefit to our careers.

No, this job will not afford anyone a large home in a gated community, or a luxury automobile, or anything of the sort. It’s also probably less than ideal for someone who is supporting a family or deeply in debt. Anyone who expects otherwise isn’t paying attention.

This is simply an entry-level job and it pays entry-level wages, as most similar jobs do. Again, take it, or leave it. 🤷🏻‍♂️

This is no affront to anyone but those who are looking for reasons to be upset.”

But yeah, I’m not trying to convince anyone here, I’m just reporting discussions around today’s subject. I 100% get how these kind of jobs seem to be predatory, and that maybe, if we collectively worked on improving them, we might be able to.

Wait,

that’s not all…

Still interested in applying? Better hang on because people have had trouble even getting their application through.

American Patrol’s weird application process

Some easily make the cut…

“I leave for training on the 6th of October and was a simple process. I got a recorded interview then a phone and then a couple days later i got an offer. Simple as it can be and a quick way to build time.

“Honestly man be as honest and quick to the point as possible. Make sure your resume to start with is immaculate. That’s their first impression of you might as well make yourself look as good as possible.”

… while others don’t get that lucky

“I’ve applied many of times for both the sensor operator and pipeline patrol pilot. (Each position about 6 times.) I first got my CPL in March and started making phone calls to them, they told me "Just apply and I’ll hear back in a few days." Well after a few days, I hear nothing. So I call back and they tell me, "Sorry but we’re drowning with applications just wait a bit, try to send another application." So I send an application again, and I get told I wasn’t accepted and it took 3 weeks to hear this. So I call and ask them why since it didn’t say in the email why I wasn’t accepted and they say "I don’t know, it’s our hiring team, try to apply in the summer. So I wait a few months and try again, and again, and again. And even when I first got my instructor rating and still the same thing. So I tell them, “Can I speak to the hiring team, and they tell me No." So I gave up on them and started looking for a cfi job instead. Every once in a while I’ll check their reviews to see if anyone else had the same problems as I did. And someone who recently got their CPL, applied and was told to come for an interview. They drove all the way from Charlotte, NC, and because they asked about the pipeline job, their application got terminated. So I highly recommend applying here or you will be very disappointed and pay is also low from what I heard. So don’t waste your time and think you don’t deserve to be a pilot and try to get a cfi rating and get a job that way, rather than messing with API.”

“I've applied 2 times now and both times rejected even tho I have over 600hrs. I got an immediate response and did a pre-recorded video interview within 2 weeks from applying... but in like 30 mins of the video I was rejected! I doubt anyone actually watched it.”

Well, there you have it folks. The lengthiest community report on American Patrols you can find. I hope it opened the eyes of some on how things work out there.

You may apply for sensor operator (link) or pipeline patrol pilot (link) today and see for yourself.

Until next time!

SOURCES…

🥷 — Reddit discussion on pipeline patrol or SIC gig (link)

🎤 — Huge debate on industry practices and why this job pays what it pays while still getting applicants (link)

💰 — Why getting this job is a terrible idea financially, yet a good idea if you want hours quick (link)

📌 — Some pro’s and con’s of flying for API (link)

🤔 — Why it could be a decent job worth the struggle (link)

🔖 — The online application issues… (link)