TurboProp PIC or CRJ SIC?

[mbw]

For all of you wiser more experienced fellow pilots out there...I'm stuck!! Do I go with a bigger regional and sit right seat in CRJ for 2-3 yrs or go to a smaller regional like Colgan and get PIC(340 or 1900) in a year or less? What is more important sic jet or pic turbo prop?

Also what is the basic duty time and schedule for a jr FO startting out?

Thanks

 

[AVI8V1]

I'm in the right seat of an ERJ and I think that PIC time is more important than SIC time- regarless of turboprop or jet. It all goes in the turbine time column in your logbook. If you want to someday go to a major airline, turbine pic is what counts.

The other side of the coin: Since the majors (the legacy ones at least) aren't going to be aggressively hiring for years and years, I believe a young pilot has time to go to the jet and wait ~5 years for his/her upgrade then accumulate 1000 turbine pic before the major majors think about new additions to the workforce.

The jet may offer you more diverse destinations but they all pretty much lose their luster after a while in the face of frequency and short overnights (no booze or hanging out late). The prop will be closer to the flying you may be doing now in a charter operation but you have to deal with the people being scared sh!tless at the thought of an aircraft with props. Just kidding, some actually think its cool.

Oh yeah, and chicks dig jet pilots but they dig prop pilots with prop scars more.

Your qol and schedule at a small jet regional will depend on who you work for and if you live in your base. I do not know what colgan's schedule is like.

 

[JJGMADDOG]

PIC,PIC,PIC!!!


Here is a classic example. I know a handful of guys that were hired at TWA back in 96,97 that did not have any turbine PIC time. They flew the 80, 757,767 etc...were typed on the 757/767 flew international. Eventually the majority of them were furloughed. They had alot of experience and total time, but no Turbine PIC. Southwest, Fedex and some of the other companies will not even look at them. Bottom line....get at least your 1000 hours turbine PIC, ya never know when its going to come in handy!

 

[halfmoon]

I'd go for the PIC time at colgan. By the looks of your TT, if you get a job there in the next couple months you should upgrade in a year or a little more since we still have plenty of 600-700 hr pilots who won't upgrade till they get there 2500TT(min for saab cap) or 2000tt for the beech. On the other side you have to look at Usairs state! if usair tanks and your at the bottom of the list you will get furloughed. Colgan only flys for Usairways so its a gamble ?? but isn't life!!

 

[NEDude]

The common school of thought is get the PIC time. And while major hiring at the majors is still a ways off, I'd still get it ASAP. At least then you can your stuff in at Southwest, Airtran and some of the others who require/desire it. That being said however, I think there is such thing as overkill on the 1900 PIC time. My guess is 4000 hours looks no different than 3000 hours to an interviewer. I do believe there is value in getting some glass/fms/autopilot systems experience as well.

The fact is most of the major airlines heavily use the advanced avionics that are available. A friend showed me the Continental 737 flight ops manual and near the front it says something to the effect of "the aircraft shall be operated in the most automated setting while still maintaining basic flying skills" (not an exact quote but you get the idea).

I would guess that the best approach is to get 2000 to 3000 PIC hours as quickly as possible, and then if there are still no opportunities out there at the major airlines, look at ways to get some experience in larger aircraft with more advanced avionics.

BTW I know of a guy who had over 6000 hours, with more than 3000 hours 121 turbine PIC in a Beech, who was told by AirTran to "get more experience". Now maybe they really wanted to see him with 4000 hours PIC in the Beech. But seeing that RJ guys with far less experience were getting hired, I would say they may have meant that they wanted to see him fly some bigger, more complex equipment.

 

[Propsync]

Crapshoot

Some places want 1000hrs. PIC, some want 1000hrs. PIC in something more than 30,000 lbs. Heck, some probably still want FE written even though they don't have any airplanes that need SO's. If you can upgrade fast, go with the RJ, best of both situations. Who knows what the hiring will be like years from now.

 

[English]

NEdude makes some very good points. I'd just add that you could go into the Saab at Colgan, and thereby skip over the problems NEdude mentioned about the downsides of too much 1900 time.

 

[350DRIVER]

Get the PIC time....

It does not matter if it is in a prop or in a jet, 121 PIC time is much more important than any SIC time.

You will have many more doors open for you regardless of where you obtain the 121 pic time at. 121 time is 121 time, no matter which way you look at it.

BTW I know of a guy who had over 6000 hours, with more than 3000 hours 121 turbine PIC in a Beech, who was told by AirTran to "get more experience". Now maybe they really wanted to see him with 4000 hours PIC in the Beech. But seeing that RJ guys with far less experience were getting hired, I would say they may have meant that they wanted to see him fly some bigger, more complex equipment.

That guy was probably not liked for whatever reason.. I can think of three people right off the top of my head that left Commutair (1900 captain) and went over to AirTran with much less time than the example that you have provided.... I promise you that this example is surely not the norm. I also find it hard to believe that you can have too much 1900 time, that makes about as much sense as saying that 1900 PIC time is much less valuable since it isn't a "jet".


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[NEDude]

I also find it hard to believe that you can have too much 1900 time, that makes about as much sense as saying that 1900 PIC time is much less valuable since it isn't a "jet".

Well, I am no expert. If I was, I would be in a far different place right now. But it is just a theory based on some stuff I am seeing. But the simple fact is right now, if you are flying a Beech 1900, the doors are closed at JetBlue and FedEx, two of the major/large airlines that are hiring right now. In the respect that you are leaving closed two of the the few doors available to you right now, then yes, there is such a thing as too much 1900 time. But get the PIC time first, then look at other options.