I need a personal opinion on jets/ratings

[UnAnswerd]

It's probably possible to move up into a commercial rating and CFI, with nothing more than experience with a single-engine, piston-powered aircraft. But most of the bigger aviation jobs involve jets.These are capable of flying into Class-A airspace, probably have max-airspeeds over 300mph, and quite frankly, look intimidating. I am wondering just how different operating a small jet is in comparison to the small piston-planes. I assume all the controls are pretty much the same, but a jet has to have tremendous power! My question then involves the ratings. There are so many aircraft out there, how do you know what type of rating to obtain? Also, what actually is done to get the rating? Are you actually trained to fly the jet just like you were when you first started flying piston-planes? Or is a rating more of a brief overview, a couple hours of flying, and then a check-ride? Lastly, hardly any normal person owns a jet. How do you go about building hours in them to look attractive to potential employers?

Thanks for any information

 

[Ryanb5005]

Well thats a good question. You train in a small plane for your private. instrument, and commercial, and a small twin engine for your multi. You log a few thousand hours in small aircraft either as a CFI, towing banners, or doing various other jobs. You then move on to larger planes, and eventually to jets. Technically, a commercially rated pilot could sit right seat in a jumbo jet. To be the captain you must have a type rating specific for the aircraft you're flying (if the aircraft is over 12,000 or so lbs) and usually an ATP. Its a little more complicated, but thats basically how it goes.

 

[LAXSaabdude]

Get the experience.

There were a lot of questions in your post, but I'll try to answer them as best I can.

The type ratings usually involve a couple weeks of ground school, a couple of weeks of sim training (about 30 hours worth, between you and your partner), and a 2 hour checkride.

Jets are a little different to operate. Controls are basically the same, but there are a lot more of them (engine controls, avionics, hydraulics, fuel), and intimate knowledge of each of them is mandatory.

You have to think very far ahead of a jet. If you want to descend and slow down, it takes a looooong time to get there. If you don't plan ahead, you may pi$$ off ATC. On the other hand, if you start down too early, you find yourself flying around in the lower altitudes burning a lot more gas.

As far as getting a job, experience is everything. A type rating with little total time and little time in type is worth about as much as the ink on the certificate. There is really no way to short-cut the system and jump right into a jet, so I don't really have an answer as to which jet to get a type rating in.

Just get your certificates, instruct, tow banners, do some multiengine Pt 135 charter, then try to get hired with a regional or corporate operation. It works the same way for everyone.

LAXSaabdude.