Last week I passed my commercial pilot check ride and a couple days later I had my first job as a new commercial pilot! The task at hand was to ferry this 1970 Piper Arrow from Salem, Oregon to San Jose, California.
What made this trip even more special, besides the fact that this was my first paid gig as a commercial pilot, is I was joined by my brother who was ferrying a Baron down to San Jose from Salem as well.
Around noon we both hopped in our airplanes and headed south towards Willows, California, the halfway point of our journey where we planned to stop for fuel and food.
After punching through the overcast layer that lingered over Oregon most of the day, I cancelled IFR and climbed up to 9,500 feet to enjoy the views for the next 2 1/2 hours en route to Willows.
About halfway through the flight I snapped this photo of Mount Shasta off my left. At over 14,000 feet, Shasta is one of the tallest mountains in California.
Wow @cleipelt, you’ve come a long way thanks to dedication and hard work! Thanks for sharing this special event: even cooler, your brother was able to join you in an aircraft, amazing. Making significant strides and some spectacular memories, enjoy bro! 😎 🫡 👨✈️
What helped me the most was getting a job at the airport as a line tech. I had colleagues who shared a similar interest in aviation, some who were already pilots, so they were always down to go up flying together and split costs. Meeting pilots and building your network through the job is just as important too! Being a line tech opened so many doors for me and I can’t recommend it enough for anyone seeking to start a career in aviation.
Good luck! Feel free to reach out anytime if you have any questions
No challenges, we briefed the form on the ground before departing Willows
