Originally Posted by
Mink
I'll second the Bombardier SSD. Excellent event, top-notch program, great speakers, and it's free (other than your own hotel / travel / meals).
I checked it out and it was good info. I appreciate that level of help.
Originally Posted by
Mink
You sound like you want to go about this in the correct fashion, and although I admittedly only skimmed through some of the above posts, it seems like you're getting good advice.
Indeed, I want to get things done right for a whole host of good reasons. You sound like you understand.
Some of the posts have been very helpful, thought provoking and specifically on target. I appreciate those posts. That's why I came. On the other hand, some of the posts have been so obnoxiously dumb that there really wasn't much for me to reply to.
Originally Posted by
Mink
I flew the CJ3 and the CJ4 single pilot for the owner's family and friends, and I flew in the right seat for the owner once he got his type rating.
Then you are right smack in the wheelhouse of the kind/type of experienced pilot I need to be speaking with.
Originally Posted by
Mink
My single pilot operations were challenging at times - it's a lot to manage for one person, especially when things conspire against you (weather, passengers, etc.).
Intuitively, I've understood this from the word go. What I obviously lack due to simply not having real world experience is whether or not these "challenges" push a low time pilot beyond the limit of their abilities. I make that statement in the context of how long my Time Building Phase should be before going permanent single pilot. Also, what aircraft makes the best platform for such a Time Building Phase.
Originally Posted by
Mink
I came from a single-pilot military background (had a crew, but was the only pilot) and I can say some of the CJ flying filled up my task bucket pretty quickly. On the other hand, it was a lot of fun and satisfying to "run the show" all by myself.
Indeed and congrats on successfully doing it. Of course, you had 'milspec' flight training too and that never hurts.
Originally Posted by
Mink
All that said, I highly recommend you find a "professional" pilot to assist you in getting your CJ familiarity and experience (or whatever light jet you end up with).
You touch on some very interesting points that I have slowly discovered as being highly valid during my research into this. This is exactly what I am trying to simulate throughout the rest of my Private Flying Career.
"Private Flying Career," because I have every intention on flying for the next 20-25 years in a VLJ with the mindset of a 135 pilot/operator - in the sense of taking Aircraft Maintenance, Aircraft Squawks, Aircraft Handling & Security very seriously.
I estimate between 200-300 hours flown annually. As you mention, a Professional Pilot gets to be "professional" in large degree because of the hours he/she puts into honing their craft every single year. I won't be able to fly as much as the Professional Pilot (1,000 hrs per year) on an annual basis. So, I'll need
compensating safety factors built-in to my routine annual flying to mitigate risk and increase proficiency - once the time comes and I am single pilot in a VLJ. Right now, its about Training and Time Building.
No doubt, I will follow the NBAA Guidance on requirements for getting insured and for developing a "Mentor Pilot" relationship. That will include owning the jet and flying with a Mentor Pilot before going "full-time" Single Pilot. I have that as the final Phase of my Preparedness Program.
Originally Posted by
Mink
I also highly recommend, once the time comes, you do your type rating training with an established training provider IN A SIMULATOR. The owner I worked with got his initial type rating in the aircraft. Later on I insisted we do a recurrent together in a nearby sim facility. It was a wakeup call for the owner, as the sim exposed him to things he had not seen during his aircraft training. To his credit he stepped up to the plate and made it through just fine.
This is a very interesting question that I have been admittedly struggling with from day one:
Type Rating Training in Sim or Type Rating Training in Aircraft. Every single time I think I have justification for doing it one way, something or someone comes along with something I had not considered that shifts my opinion to the other way. I'm wondering if there is a truly right or wrong answer here - or setting up a Type Rating Training Program that includes both the optimal answer.
Thanks for causing me to think about it, yet again!
