My debate

[CorpLearDriver]

it is not about what the CP wants, it is the insurance pencil pushers that have the problem. You could have all the pic time in the world, but there comes a time when they ask you to fill in the blank for jet time, and if you have to leave it blank, just forget it. Our insurance requires 2000 hrs turbine to even fly sic.

Insurance is a changing market. It depends on a lot of factors. A little over a year ago I qualified a pilot to fly SIC in our Learjet with only 1600 hours total time. He had about 20 hours of jet experience in his logbook but had been through two factory schools. The limitation was he could only fly with me, no relief captains. On the other hand, I have had the insurance company say no-go to a few I was considering.

While I do look seriously at flight experience, I look more at the attitude, sincerity and maturity of the person I am interviewing. If they are not accepted by my insurance company now, I keep them in mind for later when I may need a pilot and they will have aquired what the insurance company requires.

 

[Bandit60]

I would fly the ERJ for this reason. Insurance. Your future in GA all depends on what the pinheads think is good time. They like jet time over anything else. Get it while you can, because when the time comes to fly one the first question they ask is how much turbine time you have.

If i was in charge of hiring, I would take a pilot with lots of 402 pic experince over a guy that was sitting in the right seat of a shinny jet. I like the fact that a 402 pic pilot has to make critical decisions everytime he flies, but if he flies as an sic he is not the one making the decisions.