Does PIC turbo-prop mean anything anymore?

[Dave Siegel]

I'm going to be nice.

 

[IanSaw]

I know that Alaska has been very happy with the turboprop guys they have hired. You get more experience flying in a tougher uncontrolled environment through constant weather. You also fly about four times as many legs and approaches. If UPS thinks right seat time in an RJ is more valuable then left seat in any turboprop they are confused.

 

[blzr]

Hey Dave, I did get the job. And Roger interviewed me himself. No wonder you didn't make it at Airways.

 

[The Natural]

lets be nice

Whats all the hostility for???

When I was an intern at NWA I got to go to Indoc and A320 ground school. There were 3 Great lakes captains in that class. This was spring 2000 and they were flying 1900's.

I think I have the questionable situation.. I fly a brand new (2003) Pilatus making good pay, working 91 for great guys with outstanding trip destinations flying roughly 500hrs a year. I see the regionals as a step back, flying FO for a junk twin turbine as a side step, and a less than stellar jet FO opportunity as not a big enough leap to give up what I got; ie. PIC time/$/moving etc.

I do get my twin turbine here and there about 50hrs a year. Not much.

Its a pinch, not sure what to do, but love what I'm doing.

 

[FlyboyPhil]

In hopes of getting this thread back on topic.. or nearly so.. I pose the following scenario.

3600 hr pilot, 800 turboprop sic, 400 RJ sic, 1000 piston twin 135 pic.
Seat lock in RJ ending in near future.
Sights set on AS/FedEx
Option A) Turboprop upgrade with the intention of becoming a check airman, slightly better seniority 13k less per year.
Option B) RJ Upgrade, very slim to nil chance of becoming a check airman, bottom of the seniority list, 13k more per year.
Please no rants and raves.. just your honest opinion. Thanks in advance,
Phil

 

[Cardinal]

Phil, One vote for Prop captain. Of course, that's already been my decision, and I haven't yet reaped the long term effects. Just rollin the dice.

 

[English]

Hey Phil, another vote here for turboprop captain. You can move over to CRJ captain later. I know several SkyWest guys that did it that way successfully without any prior jet experience (assuming you are SkyWest here).

This is assuming your priorities are to get to Alaska or FedEx as soon as possible. If family, quality of life, paying off bills, etc. are higher in priority, then my vote might change.

 

[TIGV]

Sorry, short hijack but couldn't let this pass...

Yes..... I've heard of the word Flap. I call for them everytime I fly. I thought we were talking about perpetuating some silly myth.

As far as your theory..... I've never heard of the word "FLAP" used like that.... ever. Sounds like a inferiority driven self insulted rumour.

BTW - Those people whose voices you hear in you rhead... funny thing.... I don't hear them. Also... you know those people you think are always staring at you when you go out in public....... well they never stare at me.

"Paranoia will destoy ya"...... there's heavy metal for you.

My post about the ' MEMO ', was intended in Jest, there are a handful of Airline training Departments out there who use a training video on CRM where the word : ' FLAP ' is used by the Capt. when describing his newly minted F.O.
' FLAP ' Stands for: " F*cking Little Airplane Pilot ", and is actually funny as he!! in the CRM video, I myself saw this along with John Wayne slapping the sh!t out of his Capt. in some flying movie, during CRM training with Empire at the FedEx training facility in Memphis.
Your response, however, proves once more, that in order to be a pilot and post information in the Hangar, you apparently have to be a complete wanker.

On a lighter note, I agree completely, get the Turboprop left seat and get those PIC heating-oil hours under your belt, the CRJ will be there when you are done or perhaps something even bigger. Good Luck !

Cheers.

Marc.

 

[Clyde]

In hopes of getting this thread back on topic.. or nearly so.. I pose the following scenario.

3600 hr pilot, 800 turboprop sic, 400 RJ sic, 1000 piston twin 135 pic.
Seat lock in RJ ending in near future.
Sights set on AS/FedEx
Option A) Turboprop upgrade with the intention of becoming a check airman, slightly better seniority 13k less per year.
Option B) RJ Upgrade, very slim to nil chance of becoming a check airman, bottom of the seniority list, 13k more per year.
Please no rants and raves.. just your honest opinion. Thanks in advance,
Phil

Given the choice between jet or turbobprop PIC, I would go with the jet. However, if you are going to fly a lot more on the prop, go for the turboprop PIC, and build PIC time until your seniority allows you to hold the left seat of the jet with good quality of life and the ability to log a good amount of time.

Don't worry about pay right now. Get qualified and move on.

 

[Angus]

My post about the ' MEMO ', was intended in Jest, there are a handful of Airline training Departments out there who use a training video on CRM where the word : ' FLAP ' is used by the Capt. when describing his newly minted F.O.
' FLAP ' Stands for: " F*cking Little Airplane Pilot ", and is actually funny as he!! in the CRM video, I myself saw this along with John Wayne slapping the sh!t out of his Capt. in some flying movie, during CRM training with Empire at the FedEx training facility in Memphis.
Your response, however, proves once more, that in order to be a pilot and post information in the Hangar, you apparently have to be a complete wanker.
Marc.

Well.... we're all certainly PROUD of you. They make educational films about discrimination (both sexual and racial)...... but then again I don't need a "movie" to show me words that are wrong to use.... and would never use. Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule and coming here teaching us the "wrong' words out of a CRM movie about what NOT to say to others........ and sharing it with us. Thats so... wonderful...

As a follow-up will you be posting here some more and pointing out and using the wrong words used in the race and sexual discrimination movies from work and sharing those with us as well??

Read my signature below....... I'm seeing alot of them today... thats for sure...

 

[TIGV]

Angus can you say Zoloft?

Deleted....Wasn't worth the effort

 

[Angus]

Deleted....Wasn't worth the effort

That does not surprise me.

I hear from some people that having a conversation with a superior intellectual person can be exhausting. Take some time... chill... collect your thoughts and get back to me when you have the energy to put forth some intellectual "effort".

 

[BRA]

Colgan is losing some prop captains to airtran and i think a few other places. I believe they have nothing but prop time....not positive though. Is it possible that prop captains don't seem to be getting the call as much because there are less of them out there? I think as much as 70% of regional airline jobs are in jets now. So you wouldn't hear about prop dudes getting the call as often as jet dudes. 70% jets= 70% jets captains getting called, 30 % prop captains. Makes sence to me.Look at how many of the flight info people now have jets in their profiles.

 

[inline]

With all the regionals expanding their RJ fleets, and only two companies even making turbo-props anymore (Bombardier and ATR), I was just wondering what people's opinions are on the marketable future of turbo-prop captains? I know none of the airlines that are hiring right now are exactly beating a path to my door! Does being a turbo-prop captain mean anything anymore? Or do we ALL need PIC jet time to be marketable in the industry?

All the airlines think military C-130 time is ok.

 

[FurloughedAgain]

In 1998 AirTran was hiring CCAir Jetstream pilots so fast that it was causing significant cancellations at CCAir!

 

[canyonblue737]

JetBlue is the only airline flying big iron that I know shows a strong preference for jet PIC. Most others are only looking for turbine PIC, turboprop, turbojet it's all the same. Certainly at SWA they don't mind, I never flew a jet till I came here.

 

[TBF]

JetBlue is the only airline flying big iron that I know shows a strong preference for jet PIC. Most others are only looking for turbine PIC, turboprop, turbojet it's all the same. Certainly at SWA they don't mind, I never flew a jet till I came here.

Not so!

I have been flying jets for 12 years (turbo shakers before that) and I have never heard anyone call a turboprop pilot FLAP.............what does it mean?

 

[Smoking Man]

Out of all of my PIC time when I got the call for the jetBlue interview I had a total of 24 hrs PIC in the CL-65, so I would guess the other 1750 hrs PIC in the Dornier 328 Turbo-Prop counted for something. Enough to get a March 30th class anyway.

So to answer the question at the start of the thread, I would say YES it does.

 

[fokkers&beer]

I feel ATR Capt's pain. Everyday seems like it is worse than yesterday, and I am pretty certain yesterday was the worst day of my life. I need a new job. Over 3000 turboprop PIC, and nobodys knocking my door down. It ain't for lack of trying either brother.

 

[English]

Hey smoking man, congrats!