Original Message

 The smaller companies can't afford to train, beware of the guys offering long line school. You could learn a few basics but nothing someone can't tell you in and hour.  Long lining is really an eye-hand skill with an ear for the machine and sense for the conditions but it's not magic or even hard. Thousands of us do it.

 Big companies consider us mostly another numberand don't train. Keep trying to get into anywhere that does powerline, fire, logging, whatever. You may need to look outside the US and be prepared for crap money, zero schedule and no family life. That will be normal for years. Some places will take on a patrol pilot and help you LL.

 Eventually if you can long line even a little look for a single pilot fire job, probably in a 407 so don't pass on 100 hours in one. Fire is crap too but any chance to get on an initial attack contract will get bucket time.

Myself, just another dumb redneck which helps since most every lineman, fire fighter, logger I've known are also dum rednecks.

OR... Hold out for a one-in-a-million corporate pilot job and fly the pretty people around.