duvie

First off, I'm new to these forums so I wanted to say hi and thanks to everybody for all the knowledge that is being passed around.

I realize this may not be the place for this question, but I figured alot of guys get their ATPs while the are building time at regionals so you guys might know.

I got a job as a SIC in a King Air 100 flying scheduled 135 operations at 300TT. I recently upgraded (transitioned?) to a 1900 (same company). I've got around 850 TT, 480 ME, 450 Turbine, 425 SIC and only 275 PIC. I would like to stay with my current company, get my ATP and get some turbine PIC time. Here's the catch:

The FARs specify basic TT, night, instrument XC and PIC requirements which I will have. However there is a subsection that I don't fully understand:


61.159

(d) An applicant may be issued an airline transport pilot certificate with the endorsement, “Holder does not meet the pilot in command aeronautical experience requirements of ICAO,” as prescribed by Article 39 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, if the applicant:

(1) Credits second-in-command or flight-engineer time under paragraph (c) of this section toward the 1,500 hours total flight time requirement of paragraph (a) of this section;

(2) Does not have at least 1,200 hours of flight time as a pilot, including no more than 50 percent of his or her second-in-command time and none of his or her flight-engineer time; and

(3) Otherwise meets the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section.

(e) When the applicant specified in paragraph (d) of this section presents satisfactory evidence of the accumulation of 1,200 hours of flight time as a pilot including no more than 50 percent of his or her second-in-command flight time and none of his or her flight-engineer time, the applicant is entitled to an airline transport pilot certificate without the endorsement prescribed in that paragraph.


I figure when I reach the magical 1500 TT I'll have around 1000 hours of SIC time. It seems a descent number of guys at regionals probably get a lot of their time as SICs. How do they get their ATPs? Will I be eligible? I've thought of going to a jet regional, but after talking to a lot of people and reading threads on this site it seems that PIC turboprop, although in a KIng Air, is still more valuable than SIC jet.

Any thoughts?