SkyHigh

USMCFLYR

People here have mentioned how in the past, as in the 1980's, piston multi engine time held some value to airline employers. Airlines list their minimums. It is not hard to check it out. Most legacy airlines today want 1000 hours of turbine pilot on command time just to apply. Part 121 jet PIC however is the most competitive.

These facts are self evident to most anyone who has even filled out an application with a major airline within the last 15 years. Most who are commenting here have not had to look for a job for some time now.

I personally have thousands of hours of part 135 piston multi-engine and single engine PIC and I can tell you that it is worthless to the legacy airlines. Jet or turbine part 121 is where it is at.

Skyhigh

SkyHigh

Yes, for starters this thread is in the "low time" section and the OP in this thread mentioned that he only has 700 hours. My point is that if someone wants a career in the airlines then they had better focus on things that will add to that goal. A better plan is to go straight to a regional. 700 hours is getting close to being enough to get on with an operator that flies turbine or jet glass paneled planes.

I consider myself to be an expert on these matters since I have spent much of the last 20 years studying hiring trends in this industry. Most here who have posted opposition to my posts have not had to find a job for sometime now. Nostalgia is great but it is not going to help someone who is trying to get a career off the ground.

Piston time only holds value to the point where one can get hired at a regional. 1500 total time and perhaps 200 multi-engine. Anything beyond that faces steeply diminishing returns. Anything fun like DC-6 time, Float time and taildraggers are neat but will not gain you any points over a few thousand hours in 121 turbine operations.

Skyhigh

Airhoss

No problem and easily answered.

On the scantron form they have several blocks for SIC or PIC time in A/C over a certain weight gross weight. One is for time A/C over 12.5 the other A/C over 50K. It doesn't ask what kind of motors they have on them.

Beaver time of course would be included in total time.

Hmmm question for you SH? Do you think my 777/ 320/737/757/767/DC-8 time would put me at the top of the heap for a DHC-2 float job up in Bristol bay?

You have to gain experience in the right type of equipment for the desired track obviously. That doesn't mean you can't do some other things along the way.


Once again you've soundly discounted my input covered your ears and screamed "NAH NAH NAH NAH". Dude I've been there and done that I am the guy you are describing in your posts as supposedly unhireable by the majors. You need to read and absorb a little more and type a little less.

Stop blaming line pilots at major airlines for your failure.

The Dominican

All people ask me about in my recent interviews is about my radial engine time, nobody seems very interested in the check airman jet pic, but I do agree that having that experience as complement of your total resume is a talking point during an interview but only having that experience and low time to boot will hinder your chances at a job that is mostly focused on flying an automated flight deck. I do believe however that not having a strong back ground on basic hand flying jobs, wether it is flying checks in a queen air at night single pilot or flying a DC-3 around, will create a weak foundation for you to build your overall experience from.

HercDriver130

Hey Sky.... I have 0 (ZERO) hours of part 121 PIC turbine time.... hell barely 1000 hours of PIC time in total... (in my defense i do have about 830 hours of PIC in USAF C-130's)... and I was just hired to fly 747s...... and with only 3600 hours ...AND having only flown 80 hours in the past 27 months...... Persistence.

clipperskipper

You could log the DC-6 time under multi-engine for starters, or four engine time if you have a heading for that. Nothing wrong with tailwheel time in the DC-3 either, some log it as special time for lack of a proper heading. I threw the DHC-7 time under four engine turbine, good machine for a lot of TMAAT questions; RNAV STOL LASO approaches, Cat II ILS's, legal taxiway departures from PHL. Heck I fly a piston twin now, I don't think anyone rally gives a hoot.

SkyHigh

Herc,

That is great! We are all very excited for you. However the issue here is if DC-6 time is an asset to getting hired flying for a legacy airline. My contention is that it is not.

Skyhigh

SkyHigh

DC-6 time might make for fun interview conversation but if you only flew a DC-6 and did not have any jet time it is unlikely that you would have even gotten the interview at a legacy airline in the first place since it is not they type of flying that modern airlines are interested in. Pilots yes HR departments no.

Skyhigh

SkyHigh

Airhoss,

You bring up an interesting angle on this. Would a DC-6 airline (or Beaver Float operator) value heavy glass jet time? My answer is no. During my time in the bush we occasionally would get a resume from ex-military from a guy with all jet time who was looking for an adventure.

Needless to say they did not get hired. They did not have the background for the job. That is why I say in modern times if a pilot wants to be competitive they had better build time creating a resume that is suited for their goal. If that is as an airline pilot then go straight for the first turbine twin you can find and leave aside romantic thoughts of flying old radial planes, floats or taildraggers.

Take it from a guy with tons of wasted years of bush flying. Adventure flying rarely does anyone any favors when trying to build a contemporary airline career. I could get a job right now overseas or flying smokejumpers. I still get the occasional call from a supercub operator or bush outfit. The problem is that I don't care about that stuff. I just did it to build flight time towards the airlines not to be stuck there for life.

At the time I took the jobs that were offered under the belief that it all counted and it does but for other similar operations not for the airlines. The only thing they want is part 121 jet PIC. Period. Therefore have fun flying radial engines and watch your career get side tracked as I did or forget all that stuff and go straight for what the airlines want to see. Glass. Jet. PIC.

Skyhigh

SkyHigh

I agree with you guys. I think that adventure flying holds a lot of value. It goes straight to the heart of what Captain Sully was talking about in his address to congress. We need life long pilots in the airlines. People who have a deep holistic fascination with flight. Pilots who come with a broad background that could include everything from gliders to helicopters.

Currently the only thing that the major airlines care about are pilot milled automatons who go straight from the factory to a regional. No strange career diversions. Nothing unusual in the logbook or long string of jobs to investigate. Just college, flight school and then regionals. Dedicated autopilot operators.

The HR department has taken over hiring. Take it back and hire pilots again. Change it. I have a broad background and I want a good job.

Skyhigh