TP PIC vs. TJ PIC ... yes, again..

[Snakum]

At about 4 total fixed wing hours I could take-off ... fly ... then land a C150 with minimal input from the instructor.

At almost 10 hours in an R22 I was still trying to hover by myself.

I never understood why the airlines halve, or otherwise discount, RW hours for applicants. Doesn't add up, in my humble opinion. Merely controlling the beast is coordination HELL, then you have to be aware constantly of symptoms of VRS or SWP, and the emergency drills are mind-bogglingly complicated when compared to Best Glide ... Choose Airfield ... sqwawk 7700 and Land. Choppers are a handful, and more fun that anything else I've done in aviation. When I win the lottery I'm going to buy an Enstrom.

 

[Oh-ryan]

Flying a heli is like trying to balance a basketball on the pointy end of a pool cue.. A good buddy of mine used to have a relatively easy heli to fly (Bell 47) and it wasn't easy..

Heli's are cool but if your lookin to get to a "major" I've heard it's better to have VD in your health record than heli time in your log book..

I may have read it on somewhere on Flightinfo, but I still get a chuckle when I think about the following statement:

Flying helos is a lot like masturbating. It sure is a lot of fun, but you're embarrassed to admit you do it.


standing by for the he!! I am going to catch from the rotoheads......

 

[avbug]

VD you say? Hmmm...

 

[Tram]

VD I say...

 

[FreightNazi]

Are there any airlines the implicitly / explicitly refuse or dislike hiring pilots without turbojet/fan time?

Say for instance, one possessed 2000+ hours PIC in a Saab or Beech, could this person easily be hired by Continental, AirTran, Alaska, NetJets, UPS, FedEx, FlexJet, et cetera without having some major strings pulled? (I know rec's are everything, regardless of experience.)

Anyone having gone through this process; I would greatly like to hear your story.

Thanks.

UPS is going to be, at least in the near term, giving preference to guys with heavy glass, international time. Preferably in the 747-400 and/or MD-11. That's not to say that they won't hire a regional pilot, but they are giving preference to guys with heavy time.

 

[Tram]

FedEx is already doing that.. It doesn't mean they won't hire a regional guy, it just dictates what equipment you find yourself in as a new hire..

FedEx was hiring into the right seat of the MD.. However, you had to have X amount of time in an aircraft of Y weight and have Z amount of glass.. So, X + Y + Z = MD FO..

 

[BRA]

I went from fours years on the 1900 (1700 of it PIC) to the CRJ. Any airline would be crazy to overlook a 1900 guy in favor of a CRJ. After flying the Beech, transitioning to the jet was cake. I have to wonder why people make a big deal about glass/FMS experience.

That being said, I didn't go from the Beech to a major. But as CA1900 said, there have been many guys go from CommutAir to majors.

I find the whole "jet" time thing to be overrated myself. It's all good experience.