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turbine airplanes and type ratings

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Archer

student pilot forever
Joined
Oct 9, 2002
Posts
220
What does it take to fly a turbine (turboprop or jet) airplane...

what requirements are needed for a "type ratings", and do type ratings apply to jet airplanes only?

can you fly a turboprop with a PPL and HP/Complex endorcement as long as it is under 12500 lbs?

thanx

Archer
 
Archer said:
what requirements are needed for a "type ratings", and do type ratings apply to jet airplanes only?

can you fly a turboprop with a PPL and HP/Complex endorcement as long as it is under 12500 lbs?

As with so many things in aviation, it depends. In general, yes, as long as the aircraft is 12,500 pounds or less and not turbojet-powered, you can command it without a type rating.


The appropriate reg is 61.31. It says, in part...

(a) Type ratings required. A person who acts as a pilot in command of any of the
following aircraft must hold a type rating for that aircraft:
(1) Large aircraft (except lighter-than-air).
(2) Turbojet-powered airplanes.
(3) Other aircraft specified by the Administrator through aircraft type certificate
procedures.


"Large" means more than 12,500 pounds, as you probably already guessed. It's not a coincidence that the King Air 200 has a max takeoff weight of exactly 12,500 pounds. :D
 
So what requriements and how long does it take to get "typed"?

A week? a month? half year? 5 hours? 10 hours? 70 hours?

Is it like multi rating...just over 12 or so hours? or like an instrument rating of 40+ hours?

thanx

archer
 
Archer,

The amount of time it takes depends on many items. Pilot experience, type of aircraft, avionics, school, etc. It is not an easy task. Type rating are the real PhD's of aviation. Generally a school like Flight Safety will take two to three weeks to type a pilot. Aircraft like Lears are teo weeks. G4' and 5's are three weeks. And these are experienced pilots doing these courses. I have also seen pilots do Lear types in three days. But there is a great deal of home study involved.

At FSI or Simuflite, plan on about 40 to 60 hours of ground school. Plus 4 to 10 hours of CPT. The sim portion will average 16 to 20 hours, half PF and half PNF. Then a type ride of approximately 2 hours. Before the type ride you can plan on an oral exam that will take up to 4 hours. You will be expected to know the aircraft, its systems, limitations, emergency and abnormal checklists and procedures. You will also be expected to know the appropriate regulations and how to plan a flight and performance charts.
 
Rick is right that it does vary with the aircraft type and experience. However, I'd contest the assertion that a type rating is the "Phd" of aviation, any more than the ATP certificate is. Neither one is any thing more than a brief bit of training and a checkride.

By comparison, the mechanic certificate is two years of intensive study, or nearly three years of full time intensive work experience and study, to obtain...and more closely represents the "Phd" of aviation.

Type ratings are what you make them. Generally speaking, turbine engines require far less skill or ability to operate than a piston engine. It's not the turbine engine that makes the difference for you, in getting typed. It's the performance capability of the airplane...thinking farther ahead, and dealing with an increase in the number and complexity of systems.

While the initial courses for something like the Learjet do take a couple of weeks, typically folks from charter operators get sent through the refresher (recurrent) course, and only spend a few days there. The longest I ever spent at flight safety was nearly two weeks, and that was a maintenance course for the Sabreliner.

A type rating is nothing more than a basic assertion that you have a general understanding of what the airplane is about, and that you've demonstrated that you can shoot an approach without killing yourself or your passengers. The fact is that for many firms, including airlines, a type rating is about retesting and retraining so that you can shoot an approach without killing anybody...even if it means that the last few times you did just that, in the simulator.

Then again, seniority means promotion because of longevity, not skill, experience, leadership ability, or humanity. Again, with respect to the type rating, it all depends on where you do it, who you are, what you do it in, who you know, and what you can do. Not necessarily in that order.

Very generaly speaking, plan on a week to two weeks to knock a type rating out, and about seven to fifteen grand, depending on the aircraft, and you.
 
Hey Avbug,

You state that the mechanic's certificate is more closely attuned to a PhD than a type rating because it takes 2 years or so to get the mechanics certificate......

Tell me, can the average guy off the street get a type rating in a couple of weeks? If I had known that I wouldn't have spent all that time and money getting my private, instrument, multi-engine, CFI, CFII, ME-I, instructed close to a thousand hours, flew charter for 500, flew scheduled 135 for another 1500, flew 121 for another........well, you get the idea.

It takes a whole lot more than two years to achieve the necessary experience and ratings to successfully qualify for a type-rating and be allowed to go fly the aircraft...........

So, I agree witht he post above, the foundation required for a type rating is a rough equivelant to a PHD........I have two masters degrees which more than equates to a PHD and from my experience, I don't think achieving the ATP and a type or two is any less of an accomplishment than any PHD.
 
avbug said:
Then again, seniority means promotion because of longevity, not skill, experience, leadership ability, or humanity. Again, with respect to the type rating, it all depends on where you do it, who you are, what you do it in, who you know, and what you can do. Not necessarily in that order.
Avbug - What a load of hoooie. At least 50% of the pilots who FAIL their type do so because of decision making. Almost every Captain candidate who does not get signed off for the ride finds themselves in that predicament due to unsatisfactory decision making. We have many Captains who were unable to transition from one type to another and had the humiliating experience of going back to the right seat.

I wish it were as easy as you make it out to be. How many type ratings do you hold, and what in? My suspicion is "none" and "nothing" given your opinion of the effort involved.

Archer - Flight Safety's training schedule is available on the web. This will provide you with a estimate of the time required for what ever aircraft you are interested in. Understand that instructor, sim availability and the chance that additional training might be required can stretch those schedules out.
 
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ppl, please, let's not turn the thread into a flame war.

I was just wondering at what point in time you can get a type rating and how long it would take. Now I know it takes a matter of "weeks"

For example, I know you can get your Instrument Rating after you PPL which you get usually around 40 to 70 hours. And it takes 15 with CFII and 40 total simulated or actual...

I dont' know about "type ratings" so that's why I started this thread so I could learn...

Archer
 
Type Rating

Archer,

I've been doing a little research on getting my first type rating, and it appears that only a Multi engine instrument rating is required at most places. Theoretically, you could get one with very little total time. I've found some initial Citation Type courses which run a little over $4,000.00. Good luck.
 
First of all an ATP can be gotten in a C150. There is very little aircraft knowledge required in that particular certificate. The knowledge required for a type is extensive. The applicant needs to have not only a good knowledge of the applicable regulations, but also performance and the use of performance charts. Also needs a very good working knowledge of aircraft systems, ATC system and instrument flying. Also needs reasonably good flying skills. Note the oral normally lasts 3 to 8 hours, depending on the examiner and the aircraft. You just can't go to a short ground school and a little sim and expect to past the checkride. There is a great deal of study involved. The less experience and background the pilot has, the more likely he will be to have problems. Your work really starts long before school starts.

If this is your first experience with 'large' aircraft you will need to study about systems. There are several good general systems books out there. You need to practice with performance charts. That is one thing I have noticed about many of the newer pilots, they do not really know how to really use the performance charts. They are comfortable with the 'Quick reference charts', but when it comes down to the unusual situation where you have to use the regular charts, they start having problems. It is nothing wrong with them, they just haven't used them enough to get comfortable with them. You can expect at least one TO performance problem during the oral. Usually someplace interesting like Aspen or Reno.

Flight Safety initial for the Lear is 2 weeks. The only way they will do soemone in a recurrent is if they are or were current in the aircraft, type in the aircraft or have a reasonable amount of experience in the aircraft. FSI has done initials in a shorter time, but it is always a special request by the operator and all they do is compress the time frame. They don't skip any of the training.

I have done my share of initials and recurrents. And have taught both for several different operators. They all require the pilot to do his part and study.
 
Abenaki,

You have a great set of credentials. Very impressive...for a beginner.

Any of those certificates or ratings is nothing more than a short course... much like getting certified as a ski instructor. I hold five different FAA certificates (not ratings, certificates), and it ammounts to just a little more than a hill of beans.

I've been through type programs for airplanes, and then turned around and gone to flight safety, et al, for their maintenance programs on the same aircraft. The maintenance is much more involved than the type.

A type rating is just not a big deal. Once you understand systems in general, you'll find that learning differences is all that really matters, from a pilot point of view. The same things are common among most airplanes, and learning the specifics is all there is to it.

The fact is that at most flight safety courses, and most simuflite courses, the instructors haven't ever set a foot in the actual airplane, except for perhaps a brief ride to get a type, and many of them don't have a type rating in the airplane they're teaching. I was offered an interview once for a corporate type turbine airplane teaching position with a well known type rating provider, and turned it down. I noted that I didn't have any significant experience in that airplane, and had no business teaching in it. I was assured that this was no problem; many of their instructors didn't have any experience...just learn the systems and the syllabus, and teach it. No thanks.

Phd? Gimme a break. You may have spent a couple of years doing charter or flight instruction, but that wasn't in preparation for the type rating. You could just as easily have paid your bucks and taken the type without any of that. At best, it's a couple of weeks of study, and a checkride. Not exactly rocket science, or a deep, involved effort.

I worked for one firm in which not a soul went through the initial course. Every applicant was sent down for recurrent, and came home to take the practical test. None of those applicants had any previous learjet experience. Study the books, go take the short course, pass the test. Not a big deal.

For the origonal question, getting a type rating is not a tough thing; it's a matter of money, like all flying. The hardest part of flying is paying for it.

With respect to typing, it's not even about learning to really fly the airplane. It's about learning systems, proceedures, and how to operate the airplane in a very narrow operating range. That doesn't sit well with all the folks to whom epaulets mean the world, and who take oodles of pride in having a fist full of type ratings, but believe me...ratings, certificates, and time, don't mean squat. What one can do with the airplane means everything, and that has nothing to do with ratings, certificates, or time.

The rest of you go ahead and flame away, sorry to bust up that self image, but it's false pride. It really is. You can't attack the facts, so go ahead, and attack the poster. Have a ball.
 
Type rated instructors

The fact is that at most flight safety courses, and most simuflite courses, the instructors haven't ever set a foot in the actual airplane, except for perhaps a brief ride to get a type, and many of them don't have a type rating in the airplane they're teaching

Part of the statement is true, but at FSI (where I work) you have to have a type to be a sim instructor.

I also have studied for my A&P and yes being in MX is tougher. But as you said:
Once you understand systems in general, you'll find that learning differences is all that really matters, from a pilot point of view. The same things are common among most airplanes, and learning the specifics is all there is to it.
I feel the same way about MX.

I don’t have my A&P. But every MX person I've ever been around feels that they should make more money then pilots’ b/c they work harder; I've tried to point out that it's my certificate on the line and they counter with the fact theirs is also. Fair enough, but if stuff breaks at FL450 it's my life that's on the line and believe me the families of the victims go after pilots families first not MX.

Either way nothing beats a good MX department to make a pilots job easier.

I also have to take issue to what you said about Abenaki:
You have a great set of credentials. Very impressive...for a beginner.
Only to end your post with:
, but believe me...ratings, certificates, and time, don't mean squat. What one can do with the airplane means everything, and that has nothing to do with ratings, certificates, or time
A soft word turns away wrath, you know?
 
Just curious Avbug, why the personal insult? Three type ratings makes me a beginner?

The bottom line of my point was that you can't just walk in and get a type rating in two weeks off the street....as other posts have said, it takes a lot of background to achieve what is necessary to gt a type-rating and be released to captain an aircraft......and I stand by my statement that it takes more than two years to achieve that level.

By the way, do YOU have two master's degrees or the equivelant?
Just wondering if you have the academic experience to compare the two experiences or are you the "beginner" when it comes to academic study?
 
Type ratings

Archer said:
I was just wondering at what point in time you can get a type rating and how long it would take. Now I know it takes a matter of "weeks"

For example, I know you can get your Instrument Rating after you PPL which you get usually around 40 to 70 hours. And it takes 15 with CFII and 40 total simulated or actual...

I dont' know about "type ratings" so that's why I started this thread so I could learn...
. . . . which is one thing you never stop doing, or should never stop doing, in this business.

I want to jump into the fray because I hold a type. I am no great shakes, so I can vouch for the comment(s) that it requires good, but reasonable, flying abilities. A type also requires quite a bit of study and preparation as well.

You can be a Private pilot and hold a type rating(s). Two examples of such people are John Travolta and the late baseball player, Thurman Munson. Having flying experience makes a difference, because most airplanes that require type ratings demand well-developed, but, once again, reasonable, skills. Mr. Munson was typed in Citations, I believe. I recall that he didn't have much flight time. Having experience seems to make a difference in the overall operation of advanced aircraft. Insurance companies require certain experience minima before they will insure you to fly certain aircraft.

I know personally of at least one 250-hour pilot who earned a Citation type (Italian student, in fact, whom I met at FlightSafety). He did fine, apparently. But, I am sure, it was quite a leap for him, especially considering that the most complex airplanes he had flown to that point were Seminoles. Having a lot of experience learning about and flying advanced equipment makes earning a type rating less of a leap.

Good luck with your plans.
 
Type Ratings

You can find the requirements for a type rating in the ATP PTS (practical test standards). A type rating is the same test used for an ATP but is specific to that airplane. Go buy an ATP PTS and you can find what the requirements and standards are. As I recall you have to do various appraoches(precision and nonprecision), emergencies, single-engine ILS, missed approaches, V1 cut (engine cut on takeoff right after takeoff decision speed), immenent stalls, steep turns, and a big oral on aircraft systems and operation. I'm sure there's more that I missed. It's an instrument checkride with tighter standards and specific to that airplane.
At the airlines you have 1-3 weeks of ground school. Then 1-2 weeks of simulator instruction. The simulators are often so good that you can even take your checkride in the sim, never having flown the actual airplane till IOE (Initial Operating Experience) with passengers. The FOs (first officers) are trained to the same standards as captains who are the only ones who get tested for the type rating, though the FOs are tested for first officer qualification. Otherwise you'd have a bunch of FOs with nice shinny type ratings for their resumes who would then leave for a better airline (when they're hiring). At many corporate flight departments both copilots and captains are type rated so that it's easier for scheduling purposes. Some type ratings allow you to fly more than one aircraft. For example the 757 is the same type rating as the 767 except for a short course in differences training. I believe many of the Learjets have a common type rating as well. The CRJ200 (the 50 seater) and the CRJ700 (70 seater) have a common type rating. That applies for the ERJ135 and ERJ145. There are others too.
 
abenaki said:
The bottom line of my point was that you can't just walk in and get a type rating in two weeks off the street...

It turns out that you can. A while back Riddle in cooperation with Delta sent some of its instructors to get types, they were mixed in the with a Delta upgrade class (something like that I don't have the exact details, if anyone does correct me). They found that our CFI's, which most were less than 1,000hrs, had the same pass fail rate as the rest of the upgrade class.
 
Look, I'm not arguing about the time it takes to get a type.....everyone knows that it's a 10 day to 4 or more week process depending upon the aircraft......

BUT, the bottom line is that no company is going to let you lose as a captain just because you have a type rating. Those Riddle guys may have had the piece of paper in their pockets but there was no way they'd see the left seat of whatever aircraft that they were typed in before they had experience commensurate with the position. That takes years to achieve and it certainly amounts to more than just hours in a logbook. There is a tremendous amount of learning needed before being cut lose as a captain.

It's a building process, just like any other profession.
 
Most reputable training facilities like FSI and Simuflite will ask for a miminum amout of experience before you take their type rating course. Especially nowadays, a pilot with 40 hours tries to sign up for a type is going to get asked alot of questions on why. No insurance company in the world would insure you. But then again, money has been known to talk.
 
As much as I hate to say it Avbug's right! A type rating is only worth as much as you put into it. Anybody can go out and buy a type. $4000 gets you a Citation type, a 747 type for $9900. FS and SF "train to proficiency" meaning pay them $11,000 for a Citation type and they will train you till you get it right!

The real value of a type is not the rating itself. The Delta pilot that just earned his 777 type or the corporate pilot that just earned his GV type is now "worth" considerably more than s/he was before the type. This is not because s/he is any better pilot; it's more of a reward for the professionalism and time it took to get them to this point.

In short we sometimes wrongly measure our professionalism by number of type ratings. I earned my five type ratings, but it is not the measure of my professionalism. Case and point look at some of the idiots out there with your types. For me it is much more pronounced since I have Citation and Lear types.
 
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Wow...got to watch out for those sparks flying about ;)


It seems there are mixed opinions on how difficult it is to get typed. There is an agreement on the time it takes days to a couple of weeks though.

Not knowing anything about type ratings and what is involved...as a student pilot, I can immediately say type ratings are not something that a 150 hour SEL Instrument Pilot can get (or make use of if he/she does get it).

When I go out to the airport and watch the active, sometimes I see a Beech Jet 400A at the end of the runway ready for take-off. I hear this loud noise associated with turbojets, see the little jet accelerate and take-off in no time, with a steep climb, a huge roar, and it is gone in a matter of 15 seconds or so. Then afterwards, I see a Piper Warrior taxi into position and take-off...fighting to get the positive rate of climb...making the disctinc noise of a single piston...and staying in my view for a good minute or so...

Now...it is hard to believe that flying those two planes has anything in common...and that the Beech Jet pilot simply had 2 extra weeks of training than that Warrior (student pilot most probably)...

I was just wondering if I would ever one day fly anything that had a turbojet engine on it...that's why I was curious to know about type ratings...

Especially since by the time the Eclipse 500 will reach full production...and perhaps drop in price from it's current 856,000 or so bucks...I was hoping to one day buy one of them...and fly it myself in the distant future...

Archer
 

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