How do I get a type rating?
 

Hey fellas!

I have a few questions for you all out there about type ratings.

I have been doing some searching online but I cannont seem to find a list of prices for type ratings anywhere.

I am just interested in seeing what it would cost to get a type in some of the following aircraft:

King Air
Lear 35
Lear 55
G-3 through 550
eclipse jet
citation mustang
citation 10
citation excel

These are some of the planes that I am interested in getting a type rating in. I am also trying to figure out how to get somebody else to pay for a type rating. Any ideas?

Thanks!

These can range from $5000-$15,000+. Your best bet is to get a job with an operator of your favorite aircraft, and then they will flip the bill. I wouldn't advise getting your type rating in anything unless you know you will be flying it alot in the near future.

Typre ratings cost anywhere from $3K-20K. The airplanes you're looking at are on the lower end of the scale (except the gulfstream I think).

You can get a type the same way you get a PPL, by taking a checkride at your local airport on a Sunday afternoon. The only catch here is that you would need access to technical training materials, an airplane, an instructor (with type), and a DPE who is qualified to do type rides on that airplane.

Since this is usually impractical, you normally attend a type course at a simulator-training facility:
- They'll send you the books and you normally spend 40+ hours of home-study before coming to class.
- Ground school might be 3-5 days, or more.
- You will do 5-15 sim sessions to prepare.
- The checkride could be in the sim or the real airplane.
- You will probably have to do at least a few touch-and-goes in the real airplane.

Airlines almost always pay for all of your training.

A 135 operator must put you through 135 training, which would include a type if required. This training might be done in-house with a real airplane or at a sim facility, and you may or may not have to pay for it.

In corporate flying, it is common for pilots to buy an entry-level type (lear, citation) to get a job. It is also common for employers to buy your type, but only if you:
1) Have extensive experience, and they want your experience badly enough to pay for your training in a new airplane.
2) Are already employed there, and they get a new airplane or want to transition you to a different airplane.

Generally, the job comes before the type. I might be reluctant to buy a type with no job prospects, but if you get an offer contingent on having a type (ie Southwest Airlines) that might be worth it. If you buy a King Air or CE-500 type, you could probably get some use out of that eventually.

I think the numbers that folks here are quoting a probably on the low side, unless you're looking at training at a non "mainstream" program. If you're training at Flight Safety, Simuflite, or CAE, I would expect to pay anywhere from $10K all the way up to $35K (or more for a G550 type), not including expenses.

My initial type rating in the Citation 560 (Encore) at FSI Wichita was around $21K + hotel/food/transportation, IIRC.

Did you pay that out of pocket? or did you have somebody else pay that?

My company paid for it. I signed a training agreement where I committed to work for them for a set amount of time or would repay the cost of training. I hasn't been an issue and I foresee staying around here for quite some time.