Turboprop Vs RJ Commuter?

[ATPShane]

Hi,

I'm working my way to the coveted Major level, and am currently hunting for a job at the commuters.

I have heard various arguments between choosing a commuter that still flies turboprops vs a commuter that is only flying jets.

Please tell me the pros and cons so I can figure out my best move!

Thanks a bunch.

 

[popilot78]

If those are your real times, finding a commuter job now is going to be a little difficult. The way the market is, just getting an airline job will be helpful. You can build your time in a commuter flying turbo-props and switch over to a company w/ jets. I guess that depends on many different things like your age, moving your family around (or you may wish to commute) , and can you afford to switch companies and start from the bottom, etc. If not, then finding a local 135 job to build time and going to a regional airline (ACA, ASA, Comair,etc)is a good possibilty. I know some companies may want prior jet time but not all do. Do what you have to do to build your experience. Good luck in your search.

 

[NEDude]

You want 121 PIC time. Plain and simple. Go to an airline where you can get the PIC time as quickly as possible, turboprop or jet.

 

[Tri-holer]

Hey ATPShane

No offence. At your level, you blitz them all take the one that will hire you after the interview.

With the market saturated with well qualified pilots who aren't able to pick and choose (except channels on the tv while collecting unemployment) the specific aviation job they want, you would be extremely lucky to be able to choose between a couple of airlines wanting to hire you. That time will come but in the meantime, you need to pick up whatever you can - RJ, Turboprop, twin, or pipeline patrol.

Best of luck

 

[ATPShane]

Thanks so much for all the quick replies. I guess I will just land what I can...

Tri-Holer: I haven't updated my profile, so those times aren't up-to-date.

 

[WileE]

Just for reference.

At the airline I fly for, we have both jets and turboprops. Recently there have been a lot of folks bidding out of the jets into the props. One thing is that the upgrade time in the jets is outrageous and PIC time is very important. Another thing is that they are tired of sitting on reserve and want to build their time quickly. Since a lot of turboprop operations have a waiver that they can follow 135 flight time restrictions rather than the more stringent 121 time that the jets have to follow, you can get more time quicker than you can in the jets.

Personally I've been averaging between 80 and 95 hours a bid, but we have certain lines that we fly that start at over 100 hours for a 28 day bid. No way you'd get that in the jets.

 

[46Driver]

I thought it was Wile E. Coyote, SuperGenius..... You just gotta love that 10,000,000,000 volt magnet!

 

[Tri-holer]

ATPShane

You haven't updated your times? Shame, Shame, Shame.

You need to take a lesson from timebuilder - his time gets updated every time he builds another hour.

Some of us are just lax. I haven't updated my times for awhile but that is because I am still waiting for a class date. And I didn't really think another hour of 172 time on my profile would impress anyone.

 

[PilotOnTheRise]

If I were you, I'd forget about what type of aircraft they fly and instead look for an airline you want to fly for because of the company, the way it is run, etc. When airlines ask you why you want to fly for them they do not want the answer "because you offer me the best chance to get into a jet." In all honesty ... and I don't mean this to sound the way it does ... but, if you truly love flying, then you will fly whatever you are asked. Personally, I will pull a Cessna up to a gate for certain airlines, just to have the chance to fly for that airline and fly period. I am not concerned with getting into a jet. Of course, yes, I want to fly good equipment and get into a jet one day ... but that's not all I'm looking at right now. Personally, there are several airlines that are hiring pretty much all of their new hires into the jets, but I will not send my resume to them, because of what I hear about the company. Then, there are other airlines that are hiring just the same into props and I'll send my resume and fly with them in a heartbeat!

 

[WileE]

46Driver

You obviously aren't a true devotee of the toons. In one of them he is listed as "Genius" in a second one it is "SuperGenius". Since I am at heart a very modest and unassuming person, I figured I'd go with just the Genius title instead of the more appropriate SuperGenius so as not to intimidate as many folks.