My debate

[1973Arrow]

Here's my issue. I have the option of going to fly an ERJ for an airline (SIC) or flyfreight in a Cessna 400 series. Keep in mind, my career desire is to fly corporate and/or air ambulance. This is one of those "all other factors equal" things, because oddly enough they really are.

 

[Shamus]

Because of your career desire, I would say go for the Cessna 400 series for sure. I flew Freight and charter to the Bahamas in a C-402, and currently sit right seat in a Lear 35 flying Air Ambulance. You have a much better opertunity to network into a corperate/Air ambulance job flying a C-402 then an ERJ. I earned my Lear job with 1300 TT and 800 Multi. Plus you'll probably be making more money in the Cessna then the ERJ. I was making just under $35 a year in the 402 (16 cents a mile).I would only go the regional route if you wanted to fly for the airlines. And even then I would start corperate and advance that way first.
Hope this helps.

 

[Flechas]

Good advice, go with the cessna.

 

[1973Arrow]

The money side really is a wash. I think the difference would come up to less than $1K. It looks like for now I'm in the 402. I guess I can always change my mind in a few months and take another ERJ/CRJ job if I feel like I need to. Looks like they'll be hiring for a while anyway. It's just hard not to have SJS (Shiney Jet Syndrom)

 

[AA717driver]

That "Shiney Jet" loses its lustre very quickly these days. You'll get farther, faster (toward corporate) taking the 402/PIC route.

Just be on the lookout for people charter jobs along the way. Don't pass up the opportunity to go in that direction if corporate is where you want to be ultimately. Good luck.TC

 

[pilotviolin]

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.

 

[LXJ31]

Not necessarily. There are more things at work here than just "good time." This person is far more likely to make the right contacts for 91 flying if he is using the same airports and FBOs. Believe it or don't, many corporate operators value 135 PIC time over RJ SIC time in terms of experience. There also seems to be a bit of a bias against the RJ SIC; he will sometimes be viewed as someone with Shiny Jet Syndrome who, after getting a bellyful of throwing ERJ gear, realizes that getting paid more than McDonald's wages is important after all. The 135 PIC guy will be viewed as someone paying his/her dues. Its not really a fair bias against RJ pilots trying to go corporate, but it is out there in some places.

Oh yeah, be sure to tell the CP interviewing you that he's a pinhead if he doesn't like all the RJ SIC time; that's the kind of winning attitude that will take you far.

 

[pilotviolin]

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.

 

[Shamus]

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.

True, but if you have very little PIC time you'll take forever to make captain. Example, the company I work for (flyign Lear 35's) hired a guy three days after he finished his multi comm (he knew the D.O.O.). He took the job obviousley, but he knows will take him about 4 years to make captian as oppossed to the norm of 2 years because he has almost no PIC. Either way, one of the boxes to be filled out is going to be on the low side.

 

[1973Arrow]

Thanks for your thoughts. So I'm now ridding arround in a 402. Oddly enough in the past 2 days there have been 2 other charter offers for bigger and better with more of the green stuff.

 

[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.