I fly a turboprop for a living. Well, to be honest it's not much of a living. I love my job, and the flying is great, but you can't make a career out of it, and I don't really plan on it.

Back in the old days, flying a turboprop meant something; it was respectable work, a means to an end, and some of the old-timers I encounter while jumpseating recall fond memories of doing the job I do. These guys cut their teeth on airplanes like mine, and then moved up to join the ranks of the majors and legacy carriers. Many have told me that the best years of their careers were spent flying low and slow.

Then came the RJ, and "regional airline" became more of a relative term. Much of the domestic flying has been consumed by these carriers, and now rookies like me can go right from the piston twin and into a jet. Those guys are missing out, in my opinion, but I guess--in the States anyway--the turboprop is a dying breed.

This is a vicious industry, and real security is becoming scarce. Even my little airline has been on the brink in the short time I've been with them, and we just feed off the scraps. Most of my peers have jumped ship for higher-paying and more glamorous jobs in the right seats of CRJs, ERJs, and 170s.

Me, I want a command. Whether or not PIC time is valuable to anyone anymore I can't really say. All I know is that I'll never really learn about the sky if it's not my ass on the line. But it's still turboprop time.

Now everybody wants jet time. The heavier the better. All glass? Even better. Totally automated? Perfect. Where's the respect for the turboprops? Where's the respect for old-fashioned stick-and-rudder skills? Where's the respect for a hard-earned and intimate knowledge of weather, winds, turbulence and structural icing so thick you have to chop it off?

I know several green FOs who bailed out of my airline for automated RJs because they couldn't hack hand-flying a beast like mine. Someday soon they'll meet the minimums of the JetBlues and the Continentals. Is that really who they want to hire? Maybe so.

I just finished reading the entertaining but ultimately sad thread started by Snoopy747, which mentioned retired Space Shuttle commanders that can't find decent jobs in this industry. I wish all those guys the best of luck, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't bring me down a bit.

I know it's a tough business; in a way it's almost a source of pride for me. So is the flying I do. Maybe that's why I've stuck it out so far. But I wouldn't mind flying a widebody freighter across the Pacific some day. I just hope I'm not shooting myself in the foot by staying here. Maybe my buddies are right and I should just go over to Wisky or Republic and get in line behind everyone else.

I don't know, what do you guys think?

 

If you really want to do PACRim ops on a heavy I recomend you get some glass time. Yo will need it to get hired with any of the decent/semidecent companies that do that kind of job. Very few clasic aircraft will be aroubd in 5 years.

 

Most wide body pilots are old enough to have a wide range of experience. Nobody would put down the turbo props, but having flown various types from light piston, fighter, turboprop, various transport category jets and many more you will find the experience has a cumulative effect. Is one better than another? That's up to you, but you know where the money is and if you want a career you know what you need.
There are many good people out there with skills far better than my own who don't have a job. It may be that job hunting, human interaction and luck are just as important as raw flying skill. One without the others is not going to get you the seat you want.

 

The 1000 hr PIC turbine time that many airlines require means just that, turbine. Doesnt matter if the turbine has paddles sticking out of it or not. As far as your other comments about stick and rudder skills needed to fly some of the hotter turboprops, I agree. I have just shy of 7000 hrs in a Brasilia (thats nothing to be proud of Rusty<G>) and I can say that if I climbed into one of those today and had a 600 RVR V1 cut I would probably roll it over and splatter myself! In comparison the toughest part about flying the heavy iron across the pacific is going through the reams of paperwork required to get the jet started, bringing along enough reading material, and then once at your destination, trying to find your ride to the hotel. As far a glass goes, its way easier following the magenta line and programming the FMC than flying the old steam powered stuff, non issue IMO, but others may disagree.

If I were still in the hiring game I would feel that turboprop command time is more valuble than sitting in the right seat of an RJ. When I hired on at the "workers paradise" they told me that they heavily counted a persons turbine command time with a crew of more than one pilot. I guess the requirements may be different these days, but you still need the command time. If you can get that faster somewhere else and rack up some jet time I would say go for it. No need to get all sentimental about flying turboprops 8 legs a day in and out of that same line of level 5 thunderstorms. Its all about how quick you can get to the job you ultimately want. of course YMMV.

 

Being a TP pilot myself.....

******* YO JET BIATCH!


j/k of course

 

True pilots skills are becoming unnecessary in the automated glass cockpit world. All you need is to be able to pass the interview ride. The sad part is that if you actually take the time to aquire real skills you will be bored and dissatisfied being a button monkey. If your goal is to fly the heavy metal I would find the shortest path available and forget about any hero pilot fantasies.

SkyHigh

 

Blades don't matter.
You can fly an ATR -500, with automation, glass and everything, or you can fly a classic 72-3-4-7 with nothing but needles and gyros.

But, study has shown, that when moving to glass cockpit, pilots who have a background flying 'round dials' and classic steam-gauges, have a better situational awareness than pilots who were born with a sidestick in their hand.

For me, I like flying the old diesel, even if later it will be harder for me to get another job.

 

Hey thanks for all the input, guys/gals, and for listening to my rant. It's always nice to get advice from people who've been through it. I'd kill to fly that 742 around, but for now I guess I need to be patient and hold what I've got. Besides, it sure beats working for a living.

Cheers

 

Hey . .one of my all-time FAVORITE airplanes to fly was a dreaded turbo-prop. No ‘boosted’ controls. . you move the stick .it was all pulleys and wires to the ACTUAL control surface. AND . . all hand flying too . .no auto-pilot.

And the pay was crap too, since I was only a LT on 1968 Flight Pay. At least it was more than what the Blackshoes were making. .

BTW. . it was the OV-10 . . and WHAT a hoot it was to fly!

Look at whatever you are doing now as a “stepping stone” to your future. I had NO idea things would turn out so great back then. Just made the best of it.

 

two cents is about what its worth...