Which type-rating would you get

[JT12345]

Depends where you want/willing to work. Asia tends to have 737s and RJs. Middle East and Japan then Airbus is the best bet. Europe is a mix, and you need the JAA.

If you don't want the 737 then Airbus because the A320 is common with 319/321, and with some extra training the 330. If you have the 737 and the Airbus I think you will find work for the next 20 years. Most companies want 300-500 time in type, but as things improve that could change. The Airbus type is 15k. Beyond most state reinbusment for WIA.

Of course if you want to go corporate/fractional the citation types may be valuable. Citations are everywhere.

Really I would have to say that buying a type just to have it probably isn't worth it without work attached to it. I have never bought a type. Networking is more important.

 

[scrub]

36-24-36 and a bottle of Patrone

 

[BeCareful!]

Bd5j!!!!

 

[freighthumper]

747 without even a thought. It would be cool to say you are Capt qualified on the most biggest passenger plane in the sky. Also cool to have it on your ticket as a Capt type rated pilot. It commands respect.

The 747 isnt the biggest passenger plane in the sky anymore. And yeah, what a dork.

 

[LearLove]

all depends on which direction you want to go. Also, as I'm sure you already know a type without PIC time in the aircraft is not very useful unless your looking for foreign jobs or maybe corp. day stuff.

Do you have to use the funds for a type? Maybe something education wise outside of aviation could be better (back-up wise). You can do part time school at tech colleges and get training as a draftsman or electronics tech or something in the medical field. I think in your situation (and lack of info about your situation) that this would be a better use of funds. From your profile I assume your several years into SWA with a mil background so you don't need anymore flying quals.

However in the spirit of the question, getting a type with the quals I assume you have (SWA pilot with at least 1000pic and a 737 type and say 4000+tt) you could go in one of 3 directions. Airline, corp, "fun" type.

Airline wise (to get another job) I'd suggest something along the lines of the Airbus. Seems many of the foreign airlines are hiring with it and you already have the boeing type. Other airline types would be maybe in the ERJ-170/190 also many jobs and seems like a platform that will be around along time also on the 190 theme there are several other manufacturers making or planning to make aircraft of this size so getting some education on this type of equipment would be a bad idea.

Then there is corp. I'd say your best bet aircraft wise would be a type in the citation series. Or maybe some training on the king air.

For fun - sh!t, DC3 or spend it on a faa letter to be qual'd in the P-51 at crazyhorse.

How much do you have to spend?

 

[CapnVegetto]

I've got a CE-500 rating, so I'd probably get an HS-125 rating. The Hawker is the Citation of the midsize jet fleet, and it's another one of those ratings where if you have it, you're pretty much always able to find a job.

Other good ones to have are LR-JET, CE-525S, CL-60, GIV, GV. Good job seeking types.

For fun I'd love to have a CE-650 rating just because I love the airplane. I've got about 100 hours in one and it's a ton of fun.

 

[CapnVegetto]

747 without even a thought. It would be cool to say you are Capt qualified on the most biggest passenger plane in the sky. Also cool to have it on your ticket as a Capt type rated pilot. It commands respect.

I know this guy is a flamebaiting jackoff, but NO type rating COMMANDS respect. Anybody can get a type in anything if they have enough money. Hell John Travolta has 1 or 2 airliner type ratings. I'd have ATP ratings in every airliner out there if I had enough money to blow on it.

 

[Tref]

I'd consider the CE-680 since it's a fairly new type and there aren't many pilots typed on it even though though they've been selling like crazy. Best bet if you're going to pay good money is to have a job lined up at the end of it. Better yet, find a job where you don't have to pay. Yeah, I know. That's the problem, right?!

 

[jafo20]

I heard guys mention B-17, Albatross and DC-3. You can still kinda get paid (paid well in a DC-3) doing that, although those planes would be fun.

I'd get a type in, like, an Armstrong Whitworth Argosy. I think the only one of those that's not in a museum is being used for firefighting practice in Sioux Falls or Sioux City.

A type in a Convair 880 would be totally useless, but entertaining too.

 

[cheyflyer]

G- 450/550