A new pilot needs advice
 

Alright guys, I need your help here. I am currently employed by a 135 operator. I have been there for barely 3 months and like the job but don't get any kind of monthly guarantee. I never can count on a day off and I am finding out now that come fall I will be flying 3 days a week on call if I am lucky, so getting a job to supplement my income is out of the question. I am currently flying single engine aircraft there but I was told that I will be upgraded sometime in the next several weeks to a C-402 ( They are willing to do this with me having very little multi time). With that I will enter into a 6 month contract. I was recently contacted by a 121/135 operator to come and work for them who provide fantastic benefits (monthly salary, jumpseat privies, retirement, uniform allowance, health bennies, the works). I would start out as a FO in a twin-turbine a/c but was assured that I would be upgraded very quickly to a captain. So I guess I have two questions... 1) am I better off roughing it and getting that multi PIC time or flying SIC in multi-turbine with the possibilty of upgrading to a captain in short time? 2) If I were to leave my present employer would it come back to haunt when applying for jobs in the future?

My gut tells me to not burn any bridges however I do need to be able to pay the bills. With the way things have been going so far I can't really count on my current employer to follow through on any promises. They seem to put me on the backburner all the time when they hire additional pilots and bring back previous pilots when we have more pilots than a/c already.

With the little info you've given, I'd have to say take the new job. The multi time will come with it, and with the potential upgrade will come the PIC.

The whole idea is pretty much to get out of the pistons as soon as the opportunity presents itself, and in your case it looks like it has just presented itself.

Turbine PIC is king! It sounds like option two is the better route.

You may want to check some web sites, but I don't think any airlines require multi PIC. Obviously the TPIC that is required for the majors is usually multi, but not always (F-16 people).

I don't think there's any real reason to chase piston ME PIC...turbine ME SIC would be better to have.

Yeah, I'd say this job sounds pretty good as well. Maybe too good. Before you burn those bridges, do a little research and make sure all those promises are solid. These boards are full of people who went where the grass was greener, only to discover it was paint.

Good luck.

Ooops, I stand corrected. UAL jut posted their hiring mins this am. They want 1000 ME PIC...not specifically turbine. You also need 500 turbine.

If you are looking at three days a week that is not permenant employment for the winter you will not be blamed for taking the other job you did not say how much P.I.C time you have now but Single or Multi does not really matter as far as mind frame and being able to make a command for coffee or cookies go get the crew concept time.

Tough call. I got hired at a major without a second of turbine PIC(but that was 1986). Although I had a lot of multi PIC and some SIC. A lot of folks will tell you you need turbine time. I'll never know why, recips are much more complex if you ask me. Turbines are easy, you turn them on and push the throttles forward. Most air carriers will teach you what they want you to know about crew concept in new hire school. How you work and interrelate with others will be something the HR people will determine. All the crew concept experience doesn't mean anything if you're a**hole.

Unfortunately, us civilians often have to trade livable wages for experience when we start out. I'd look at it like this: which job will give the most multi PIC the fastest, regardless of turbine time.

Next, it sounds like your current employer is kind of stringing you along. Go talk to them. Be nice and professional, tell them you appreciate the opportunity they gave you, but your struggling financially. You have another job offer that you don't want but it pays more. Ask if they can do anything to get you in the 402 quicker. If they become indignant or irate, then you'll have your answer. If you think they are unapproachable and feel uncomfortable talking to them about your prospects, then again you have your answer.

Turnover at small operators is pretty high, they might appreciate an overture by you. If not, there are plenty of turbine SIC jobs out there that will pay better. Don't worry about burning bridges, in this business things can move pretty fast and I think most prospective employers know this.

I have about 1000 total time, all piston singles with 12 hours multi piston

What kind of turbine airplane? You may not be able to log SIC time in it. In that case, you may scratch around building multi-time on empty legs at best. Will you really get to fly? If the job turns out to where you end up as a SIC in a C-90 gathering little if any flight time, well, that may not be that great.

Insurance wise in the part 135 world, you are closer to being a piston twin PIC than a turbine twin PIC. Insurance companies like you to have some multi PIC time to cover you as a turbine multi PIC under 135 ops. You will also need 200 more hours to qualify for IFR PIC under FAR 135.

I am all for you going for turbines, I just wanted to point out some things you may not have thought of. Good Luck