737 Rental?

[Cardinal]

I have lots of time on my hands, and interest rates are low, so I've been looking at doing a 737 type rating while I have the opportunity. I'm a bit short in the time department, however.

FAR 61.63(e)(4)(ii):ii) The applicant must meet at least one of the following:

(A) Hold a type rating for a turbojet airplane...

(B) Hold a type rating for a turbopropeller airplane...

(C) Have at least 2,000 hours of flight time, of which 500 hours is in turbine-powered airplanes..

(D) Have at least 500 hours of flight time in the same type...

(E) Have at least 1,000 hours of flight time in at least two different airplanes requiring a type rating.

I could swear that somebody somewhere mentioned that some in their type class had to do their checkride in the aircraft, because of the above issues. I understand this ins't a huge issue for an internal airline upgrade, but do any of the training centers like FTI, Higher Power, etc., have an arrangement to do checkrides in the airplane? And if so at what cost? For that matter, 61.63 specifically says that a preflight inspection cannot be completed in any level simulator, so how is that usually taken care of? And for my final question, would an average to poor, low-time Beech FO be able to hack a type rating in a Boeing? Thanks for any input.

 

[banned username 2]

Save your money... With your times at present, a 737 type isn't going to do you any good or give you any advantage.

 

[vclean]

Most 73 rating courses are ~ $7k, add ~ $2-3K for the 15% aircraft portion of you do not meet the sim only requirements.

 

[generaltso]

He can do the sim only, but I believe he will have a limitation on the rating (25 hours of IOE)

 

[Skyward]

Save your money!

 

[Av8trxx]

On the topic:

A bit short on the time??? This guy had 7,000 flight hours single engine with less than 50 hours of multiengine pilot-in-command time....& the heaviest twin (he'd) flown was the Piper Seneca.....Apparently if you do not meet certain requirements, the checkride must be in the actual airplane and not the sim.

"How difficult would it be for a GA pilot with no turbine experience and precious little multiengine time to earn a Boeing 737 type rating? How long would it take? What would it cost? Is it even possible? Well, AVweb's Wayne Phillips recently did exactly that, and now has the heavy-iron type rating to show for it! Wayne explains why, where, how long, how much, what was involved, what aspects he found toughest, and which were the most exciting....."


737 Typed!

 

[TurboS7]

Flying the real airplane is a piece of cake, it is all the bs that goes on just getting you there that is a real hassle. Unless you were the type that had a 4.9 in college and lived in the library. If you were a jock the flying will be easy and the sim and ground a pain in the butt.

 

[CoopDog]

Don't forget the ATP

Cardinal,

It wouldn't be a bad idea to wait until you get 1500 hours and the ATP written out of the way, so you can at least get both done at the same time. Check the school of your choice if they can do that for ya.

A 737 type with "commercial priviliges" is sort of an unusual and very uncommon rating, and you certainly don't want to have to take the type ride over again just to add it to your ATP.

You'd do better to save your money until you've got it set aside, rather than spend your hard earned cash on interest, even if it is at an all-time low now.

If you're furloughed, check with your state's unemployment office to apply for WIA funds for training. After I was furloughed, there were many of us that used the WIA funds for aircraft specific training. I got a Lear 31 recurrent at FSI, and many guys got their 737 types from it. I know that several of these schools you mentioned are well versed in handling applicants through WIA state funding.

Again, it would be great to have the 1500 hours, and do the ATP at the same time, but if you can get it for free, and you don't mind spending a month of your time studying for it, go for it.

As far as your experience level, I wouldn't sweat it. The flying won't be the difficult part. If this is going to be your first type rating, then the systems, limitations, and procedures are what you'll need to focus on the most. You won't have a problem motivating yourself to fly the SIM. The trouble is going to be dedicating yourself to a minimum of 4-5 weeks studying to obtain a type rating for an airplane that you might not ever get to fly again for another couple of years, assuming you're going to apply to SWA.

If you're not interested in SWA, then I'd certainly forget it completely.

Just my two cents. I just hate to see guys waste their money. Good luck with your efforts.

 

[Cardinal]

Thank you all for the responses, that AvWeb article was nicely demonstrative.

Save your money... With your times at present, a 737 type isn't going to do you any good or give you any advantage.

I realize that at present the type would be useless as !its on a bull. But by the same token when I set the brake after my multi checkride it was more than a year before I next set foot in a piston twin. I'm making the wild assumption that a few years from now I'll have 1000 121 pic, Southwest will still be in business, and I'll still want to be an airline pilot. None of those seem to be too far off base. In the meantime, I'm a masochist - the school would be like an adventure vacation. And I happen to have the circumstances right now most conducive to academic success. Yet it is just a bit "early" in the scheme of things. I appreciate your feedback, I don't have checkbook in hand, I'll just give it some pondering.

CoopDog, regarding the need to add the type rating to the ATP, I hadn't read the regs that way, but I'll dig deeper into it. Thanks again.

 

[generaltso]

You can get the 737 type rating on a commercial ticket, I did. It transfers automatically when you get your ATP, you DO NOT need to go back to the 737.

The only advantage of waiting until you have the ATP minimums is that you will automatically get the ATP on the type ride if you meet the requirements. Saves you another checkride

 

[LearLove]

I know it easy to say this comming from the outside but, just sit tight, I bet you'll be back on line with Lakes by the end of the summer.

I think your best bet is to do some CFIing while you wait and save the cash for the type later.

However if the state offers free $$$ for training then maybe do like a Citation or King Air recurrent course as these are the most common corp/charter aircraft and may lead to a 135/corp job .

Get the ATP written done if you haven't already all that costs is the book and the test with a little time effort thrown in.

Good luck

 

[trainerjet]

I want to second the point that you would NOT need to take the type ride over again when you get your ATP.

 

[MetroSheriff]

Re: Don't forget the ATP

Cardinal,



A 737 type with "commercial priviliges" is sort of an unusual and very uncommon rating, and you certainly don't want to have to take the type ride over again just to add it to your ATP.

What????

 

[CoopDog]

I know that about 12 years ago, I got my first type rating in the BE-300 when I only had a commercial certificate. Had over 1500 hours, and was planning on doing the ATP when I went back to FSI for the Citation recurrent. Then I got laid off, and subsequently hired by a company with the BE-300 who sent me to FSI right away. I didn't have the written out of the way, so I didn't get the ATP at that time.

Then a year later the company offered me our other King Air, a BE-200 to do my ATP in. So I had an ATP and a type rating with commercial priviledges on the BE-300. Then later I got a Lear type on the ATP, and my certifcate still said I had commercial priviledges on the BE-300 again. Then I got my 737 type in 1999 and my certificate said I now had the BE-300 type on the ATP.

So what does all this nonsense mean? Either 2 FAA examiners screwed up my certificate twice, and the last guy (737) corrected it, or the first 2 were correct, and by 1999, the regs had been changed to allow what you guys are suggesting here. I don't have a clue, but for those who are anticipating it to happen, I'd ask the FAA first. (and get it from at least 2 sources, unless they can point you directly to the new reg.)

If anybody knows for sure, please let me know. I'm really curious now. I just don't want to waste my time sifting through mounds of FAR's.

 

[A Squared]

Coopdog

61.157(d) upgrading type ratings. Any type rating(s) on the pilot certificate of an applicant who sucessfully completes an airline transport pilot practical test shall be included on the airline transport certificate with the privileges and limitations of the airline transport pilot certificate.........

Doesn't get much clearer than that. This part was added in the re-write of part 61 (1997?) so didn't exist before that. that would explain the confusion with your 300 type rating.

regards

 

[CoopDog]

Thanks dude

Thanks A Squared. That pretty much answered it. This is why this board is so cool. I would probably have never seen the change, and I obviously didn't know about it.

So Cardinal, if you read this, go for it man. Good luck with your career!