Logging Turbine Time in a Turboprop

[paulgray]

While I was hanging out at the airport a few days ago, I met this woman who happened to be a F/O with Skywest. Naturally I was curious, since she was in a position that I someday hope to be in. Interestingly enough, SkyWest wasn't where she origionally started. After building hours as a CFI, her first part 121 job was with Great Lakes, flying Beech 1900s. Now if I understand correctly, time logged in a turboprop airplane AND a pure jet both count as turbine time, right?

I certainly don't question her motive for going to SkyWest, but is it possible to log all the turbine time you need to qualify for a major airline position in a tuboprop aircraft such as a Beech 1900 or EMB-120? With the growing number of RJ fleets out there, is it possible that majors will begin to require applicants to have pure jet time to be considered?

And one last question. Is there any future for turboprop aircraft? From what I understand, the EMB-120 is out of production and the Beech 1900 just went out of production last year. Makes me wonder how much longer carriers like Great Lakes will be around.

Thanks for any info!

 

[Q200_FO]

Sure...

Turboprop or pure jet, it all counts as turbine time. The key is you have to have the magical 1000+ hours of part 121 PIC in that turbine aircraft. Whenever the majors hire again. I doubt they will require strict jet time. When I upgrade in the dash and put my time in, I can apply to virtually any major, (assuming they're hiring of course.) The fact that I would have never touched a jet prior to moving on to that major isn't a factor. They only care about TURBINE time. And contrary to popular belief, people keep saying that turboprops are on their way out. That's not the case here at QX. We plan on keeping our dash's for the foreseeable future. Especially the additional Q400's that are supposed to be coming on property in the next few years.

 

[wingnutt]

Re: Sure...

The fact that I would have never touched a jet prior to moving on to that major isn't a factor. They only care about TURBINE time.

...not necessarily so

there are operators that will ask specifically for your jet time...some even want "X" number of hours in a jet with a gross weight over "X" number of pounds.

...otherwise we could all go fly a caravan for 1,000 hours and get into whatever major we want

 

[SkyWestCRJPilot]

I agree that turboprops aren't on their way out. Bombardier believes that to be true with their Q series turboprops like Q200_FO said. I understand that whoever makes the ATR (Airbus or whoever) also believes that to be true and they want to keep producing the ATR 42 and/or 72. There are too many markets that don't make sense to fly an RJ. Turboprops are so much cheaper especially on short haul/high load/low yield routes. Some regionals are cutting out their turboprops and going to one fleet type or RJs because it's cheaper to maintain and there is more money to be made flying RJs. But it doesn't mean there still isn't money to be made flying turboprops. The market is still there.

I'm not so sure about the samller 19 passenger turboprops like the B1900 and J31/32. Some operators love them like Commutair. Others have found that Part 121 regs are too cost prohibitive for so few a number of passengers.

I agree that jet time is better than turboprop time when it comes to hiring at some Majors. And the size of turboprop also can make a difference. But PIC turboprop time in an EMB-120 is better than SIC CRJ time when it comes to getting hired. I have 1500 CRJ SIC time and ZERO turbine PIC time (2200 hours piston PIC but no one cares). But maybe I'll be upgrading soon on the EMB-120 and be getting some of that turboprop PIC time to add to my jet time.

About turbine time. . . There are turbojets, turbofans (also called fanjets) and turboprops (sometimes called propjets). All are logged as turbine time and use a gas turbine engine. A hydroelectric dam has a water turbine to produce electricity. On an aircraft a gas turbine (as in hot gases, not gasoline) turns a turbine to produce thrust and/or engery to turn a propeller, fan, or compressor. As far as I know turbine time is also only a description used for hiring and job descriptions, not an FAA defined time per se. Many helicopters are turbine powered too (sometimes refered to as a turboshaft) but most (not all) airlines don't count this the same as fixed wing turbine time. Incidentally some smaller electric powerplants use a large gas turbine engine to create electricity. Also some new ocean liners have huge gas turbine engines that turn a shaft to drive the propeller. Also there was a car back in the fifties that was powered by a small gas turbine engine but it never caught on. (The gas mileage must have been bad and the noise must have been amazing). I guess that boat captain and car driver in these two cases could technically be logging "turbine time".

 

[Q200_FO]

Who?

there are operators that will ask specifically for your jet time...some even want "X" number of hours in a jet with a gross weight over "X" number of pounds.

Who just out of curiosity? Pre or post 9/11 doesn't matter. (Besides Jetblue, becasue they don't really count a major. The only reason they do is becasue everybody else is in the toilet right now) Nobody gave Jetblue the time of day before 9/11 and that's a fact.

...otherwise we could all go fly a caravan for 1,000 hours and get into whatever major we want

And I've never heard of anybody getting 1000 in a caravan and getting on with a major. Have you? If you have, he must have had a he!! of a connection!

 

[BRA]

everything else being equal.....(same dude brought in both your resumes for example).....i say jet PIC will always be far superior to turbine PIC at any major. Everything else being equal.

 

[BRA]

JETBLUE

 

[WrightAvia]

And I've never heard of anybody getting 1000 in a single engine airplane and getting on with a major. Have you? If you have, he must have had a he!! of a connection!

Yea. I have.

You said "NEVER" heard. And I have. Argue all you want, you will lose.

 

[ALASKAN AVIATOR]

So...

How's that unemployment line smart a$$?

 

[I.P. Freley]

Well, an F-16 is a single-engine airplane, ya know.

 

[bobbysamd]

Turbine time

Originally posted by paulgray
s it possible to log all the turbine time you need to qualify for a major airline position in a tuboprop aircraft such as a Beech 1900 or EMB-120?

Absolutely. Turbine time is turbine time, whether you obtain it in a C-130, a P-3, an Electra, or an RJ. As mentioned above, you really need the 1000 hours of PIC turbine to be competitive, with that figure being a requirement at some companies, but you are not without hope if you don't have it.

In good hiring times, the majors hire plenty of regional pilots with nothing but turboprop time. Pure jet time might give some people an edge over others, but as long as the engines on the airplane you're flying burn kerosene, you're set.

Hope that helps some more.

 

[WrightAvia]

How's that unemployment line smart a$$?

Honestly, we had a guy move on to FedEx mainline from caravan feeder operations...but common sense would tell you that he probably had some other significant time in his logbook prior to coming on to feeders.

I'll have to ask around at work tomorrow and find out what that guy had for jobs before he came to the feeders.