Jet or Prop?

[CX880]

Do the majors still not care about your aircraft type experience or has there been a change lately? I know that a tprop pilot is superior with their flying skills compared to a RJ driver but I would imagine that doesn't cut it anymore since most aircraft now are highly automated. Personally I think it's BS, aircraft type shouldn't make a difference but you've got to keep the recruiters happy.

 

[ATRCA]

Do the majors still not care about your aircraft type experience or has there been a change lately? I know that a tprop pilot is superior with their flying skills compared to a RJ driver but I would imagine that doesn't cut it anymore since most aircraft now are highly automated. Personally I think it's BS, aircraft type shouldn't make a difference but you've got to keep the recruiters happy.

You know that a turbo-prop guy is a superior pilot to a jet guy??? Have you flown both? If not, than you don't know, you just know what the retards on the FBO couch say. I have flow both, have types in both and there are challenges on both sides. Statements like yours beg ugly retorts and tend to scare away serious responses.

I cannot answer your qestion as I am not an airline recruiter. Major airlines fly jets not props. It would seem to me that they would prefer guys with "some" jet experience. Turbo-prop pilots in my estimation would perform rather well in the average jet aircraft but it is nontheless and unkown until you put the guy in the sim. One would suspect that a guy with a few thousand hrs of jet time would perform a bit better initially however there are always variables.

Lets face it, when there are lots of applicants and few jobs, they can choose whatever they like and jet time usually trumps prop time. For that matter PIC jet time trumps SIC jet time and so forth. I would personally put turbo-prop PIC above jet SIC but not all operators share my feeling.

Adios.

 

[climbhappy]

quote, " ...i know that tprop guys are superior with their flying skills....."

this isn't an ugly retort but a dose of realism. in the tprop environment yes i hand flew approaches and had a relief pitcher next to me. but things happened alot slower. as i learned in ajet, things happened much faster and sometimes a big challenge came trying to configure a beoing for a slam dunk tigh approach out of ten in ATL for 9l on a sunny morning. it all translated into knowing the airplane. jets are meant to be flown by the panel.

your comparison is reallly an apples and oranges comparison. tprops basically give you a good scan which should translate into good jets skills since everthing is 100 kts faster.

 

[walkthasky]

heres a realistic response:

No jet pic, just t prop, and employed by southwest.

Have a friend who was hired at both Fedex and southwest with no jet time in any seat.

Another friend just went to airtran without any jet pic.

Take it for what its worth.

(i guess jetblue cares??? )

 

[Smoking Man]

When I interviewed with Jetblue I had ZERO jet time.

When I was in upgrade back in Aug, my F/O sim partner had Zero jet time.

:beer:

 

[Whataburger]

turbine left seat time.

 

[Quimby]

turbine left seat time.

what he said.:cartman:

 

[JDriver]

No Jet time here.

You said: I know that a tprop pilot is superior with their flying skills compared to a RJ driver but I would imagine that doesn't cut it anymore since most aircraft now are highly automated. Personally I think it's BS, aircraft type shouldn't make a difference but you've got to keep the recruiters happy.

CX880 - I do not agree that tp pilots are better, but I do think that pilots who have all of their time on a multi enigne (non-centerline thrust) tprop vs. a pilot who has all jet centerline thrust may be able to handle a engine out scenerio a little better. BUT....with a little sim time they can catch up quickly. Each pilot group has some skill sets that may be better than others, but one group is definately not better.

You asked: Do the majors still not care about your aircraft type experience or has there been a change lately?

The bottom line is in order to qualify for the Majors you need Mulit-Engine Turbine PIC time. Southwest may or may not prefer a type in the 737, and most others do not require type ratings.

for example:

Pilot 1 has 2,000 hrs of RJ SIC time, 500 hrs of RJ PIC, and 500 hrs of C-172

Pilot 2 has 1000 hrs of SIC C-130 time and 1000 hrs of C-130 PIC time

Pilot 2 is qualifed for the job and Pilot 1 is not. The multi engine turbine time is where it counts. Eventhough Pilot one has more total time, he/she needs to meet the multi engine turbine PIC requirement.

RJ/CIV time vs MIL - Lets save that for another thread.

 

[CX880]

I guess it doesn't make a big difference. I asked because the newer airlines such as JetBlue, Virgin etc are starting to add weight limitations and electronic instrument requirements. But I'm assuming it's because they fly the bus and that's as automated as they come.

 

[jimcav]

Anybody who disses a good pilot with no jet time is a f..ing idiot. Most tprop drivers I've met can fly their ass off.

 

[TheBaron]

I personally prefer a jet. They may not have as good a shot out of the hole to pull up a heavy slalom skier, but they are much easier to maintain. Jets also tend to have a shallower draft. You almost never see a prop out on the Colorado River. You were talking boats...right?

 

[Palomino]

i would argue that the best pilots to fly with on a 4 day trip are those that have flown a turboprop at some stage in their career. there seems to be a humility and appreciation for the seat they are in now...ie: air conditioning & automation.

turboprop flying was the most fun i've had at an airline, but jet experience was certainly helpful in training at a major carrier.

left seat turbine time is dead on...that's invaluable

 

[YourPilotFriend]

Well considering the majors will be hiring into regional jets anyway shortly, i would say that 172 instructor time is the most valuable.

 

[Fox-Tree]

.......... jets are meant to be flown by the panel.

BS. Biggest crock I've heard in a while. Sounds like something an unproficient, lazy slug would come up with in order to justify his choice not to hand fly a VFR approach for the umpteenth time in a row.

Jets hand-fly just fine and round dial or glass jets build skills just fine. The only guys I know who would make a statement like the one above have let their skills diminish to the point that they're afraid NOT to fly by the panel.

 

[instructordude]

Silly rabbit props are for kids.

 

[instructordude]

BS. Biggest crock I've heard in a while. Sounds like something an unproficient, lazy slug would come up with in order to justify his choice not to hand fly a VFR approach for the umpteenth time in a row.

Jets hand-fly just fine and round dial or glass jets build skills just fine. The only guys I know who would make a statement like the one above have let their skills diminish to the point that they're afraid NOT to fly by the panel.

No doubt about it. Jets fly great and build good skills. I think a jet is easier to fly than a prop.

 

[KeroseneSnorter]

Lots of time in both, by far every jet I have ever flown is much easier than a turbo prop.

Having said that there are however things with jet flying if flown improperly will kill you three times as fast as any turboprop.

The basics though? V1 cuts, etc. in any jet is cake compared to the same event in a turbo prop. Example would be the 747, heard all kinds of things about v1 failures on the outboards prior to getting to the sim....."It's a beast", "You will eats weeds" etc etc. When finally in the box training it, just a big 800,000 pound Kitty cat with a failed outboard compared to a 40,000 turbo-prop. In fact it was so big and heavy that an outboard V1 failure was like having it happen in slowmotion. Much easier than a 737 v1 which is that much again easier than a v1 in a TP.

You want something that will truly scare the crap out of you, have a Continental blow about 3 jugs off the left engine at about 80 feet just after the gear hit the uplocks in a Baron with a full load of cancelled checks in the back. After some fancy (and lucky) tree dodging and a return to field I had to discard my shorts!!!!!



EDIT to remove computer censored word for "Kitty cat"