737 Type Ratings

[Flying Illini]

I have no issue with that kind of time. What I'm saying is that with a supposed shortage of qualified candidates, or MORE qualified candidates indicated by hiring with 500 TT, I would expect it to drag down the upgrade mins. I don't care what you've been doing, I don't honestly think you're ready for 121 PIC at 1500 TT and an ink-not-dry ATP.

If that's NOT the case, I'm cool with it.

I think I see what you're getting at. You're saying that they may lower the upgrade TT minimums? Somehow, I just don't see the mins going much below 2500TT.

I respect your opinion and I'm not offended by it but I am going to play devil's advocate here. How can you possibly know whether or not I'm ready to be PIC or not? You've never worked with me nor have you flown with me. (btw, I don't think anyone could be a 121 PIC with only 1500TT...I think upgrade mins are, at a minimum, 2500TT but I've been wrong before. Also, I don't have an ATP yet).

Could you also tell me what the difference between a 121 PIC and a 91 or 135 (assuming they are a reputable 135 operator) PIC is?


edit: re-reading this thread, I feel that I'm coming across as a bit of a pompous arse. That wasn't my intention. I apologize if that's how it reads. And to Sim Sweat, don't mis-read what I have written in this post, I don't feel that I am ready to be a Captain yet, I'm well on my way but I'm not there yet...as for when it's time, that's for me and my chief pilot to decide.

 

[taloft]

In reality, while I am low time (shy of 1500TT) I may have more experience dealing with turbine aircraft operating in the system than some older looking, higher time person has. Compare my time (1000 turbine, PIC type rating, operating IFR in most types of wx) with that of the higher time CFI. Who is more qualified?

Qualified for what? You're assuming that the only kind of experience that matters is turbine/IFR/weather. Let's say you take your 1000 hours of turbine, 500 hours of student time and add on top of that 1000 hours of instructing. In that case, you would have much more variety of experience and abilities to draw from. However, just as not all turbine/IFR experience is equal, neither is instructor experience or cargo experience or air ambulance or military or whatever...

Your point is well-taken that being qualified relates more to the quality of the flying than just the quantity of flying or somone's chronological age. There is quality flight time to be had as an instructor just as there is quality flight time to be had in other areas of the profession. It just depends on the individual and their attitude more than the actual type of flying they are doing at the moment. I believe this was the point of the original poster: that a variety of experience can be valuable, but even more important is the attitude of recognizing its value and learning from it.

And let's face it, at 1000 hours turbine (PIC type rating or no), both of us have a hell of a lot left to learn compared to some of the other guys on here.

 

[DX Rick]

So he is going to get thr type just to tell chicks he can fly a 737?
Or is he planning on being a hero one day and rescueing a hijacked 737?

 

[Flying Illini]

Qualified for what? You're assuming that the only kind of experience that matters is turbine/IFR/weather. Let's say you take your 1000 hours of turbine, 500 hours of student time and add on top of that 1000 hours of instructing. In that case, you would have much more variety of experience and abilities to draw from. However, just as not all turbine/IFR experience is equal, neither is instructor experience or cargo experience or air ambulance or military or whatever...

Your point is well-taken that being qualified relates more to the quality of the flying than just the quantity of flying or somone's chronological age. There is quality flight time to be had as an instructor just as there is quality flight time to be had in other areas of the profession. It just depends on the individual and their attitude more than the actual type of flying they are doing at the moment. I believe this was the point of the original poster: that a variety of experience can be valuable, but even more important is the attitude of recognizing its value and learning from it.

And let's face it, at 1000 hours turbine (PIC type rating or no), both of us have a hell of a lot left to learn compared to some of the other guys on here.

I completely agree with you here, as a matter of fact, we may be saying the same thing. If anything, I think I was speaking more about the comment about 500TT guys in the right seat at regionals.
I feel that the more varied the experience, the more you have to draw from, there is no way to argue that point.

And let's face it, at 1000 hours turbine (PIC type rating or no), both of us have a hell of a lot left to learn compared to some of the other guys on here.

In no way did I intend for what I said to come across as me saying that I've got it all figured out. I don't, not even close! The reason I frequent these boards is to continue my education. I'm sure that most people on here have more experience than I do and those that don't have as much TT may have recieved their time flying a mission completely different than anything I've ever experienced so I feel that I can learn from them too. The next "nugget o' knowledge" that you (I) decide to tuck away for later doesn't have to come from a 12,000 hr widebody guy, it may come from the 600hr guy flying jumpers around. Who knows. Always be open to it and you'll never have any problems. It's when you decide that you've "got it figured out" and that there is nothing anyone can tell/teach you that you can get yourself into trouble.

 

[Larryo]

Heck, if you get the rating, you should be able to jump in the plane and fly it safely, even with some problems. But probably not to the level of a good decision making Capt, and certainly no one would hire you to fly their plane.

But you'd probably be qualified for copilot. Build some time, and then check out as Capt. later.

Buying a rating just to hope to get a job....risky.

 

[ultrarunner]

I ran into a guy the other day who had recently completed the Flight training 737 type rating ...he was a relatively low time commercial pilot who wasnt working within the aviation field....

I'm curious..did he already have a type or meet the requirements for a 100% ride? Or did he have to finish the check in the plane.

If he didn't have a type and he did the check in the plane, he had a fair amount of experience.

 

[Sim Sweat]

edit: re-reading this thread, I feel that I'm coming across as a bit of a pompous arse. That wasn't my intention. I apologize if that's how it reads. And to Sim Sweat, don't mis-read what I have written in this post, I don't feel that I am ready to be a Captain yet, I'm well on my way but I'm not there yet...as for when it's time, that's for me and my chief pilot to decide.

I don't take things personally here, my friend. If I did, I wouldn't last long.

I'm far too lazy to really give a good answer to your questions, which are good ones. I don't disagree at all with the concept that I haven't flown with you and can't judge until I do. Hell, who says I'm qualified to judge then?

But I have my own sense of the type of experience necessary to command a transport-category aircraft and the wisdom that comes from that experience. This is really nothing more than "do I want my family in that airplane" when the fecal matter hits the fan and the crew, or part of it, has a grand total of 500 hours TT, no matter what it consists of.

There is nothing personal in it.