Glass time and hiring minimums
 

I have heard rumors that some regional carriers lower their hiring minimums for pilots with glass cockpit experience. Can anyone give any good isights or resources to back this up?

Don't know if it "lowers" minimums, but exstensive glass experience could only help if you're looking to get into a newer RJ.

Won't do you any good if they have a bunch of older turboprops though.

I'd be amazed if anyone did that. It doesn't take a whole lot of practice to stare at a TV screen and I haven't heard of a whole lot of people failing because it was too hard to follow the little pink arrows on their PFD.

Most regionals that operate RJ's will snap up folks who have passed 121 training on an RJ or have corporate or military jet and/or glass time.

There are a significant number of prop pilots (91, 135, and 121) who cannot pass 121 jet training, and airlines are aware of this fact. They like to hire folks who have a high probability of completing training.

I'm not sure why some prop drivers have trouble with glass, but I suspect it is jet speeds more than the glass aspect. This is not prop-bashing, just observed fact. Generally turbo-prop airliners are more workload-intensive, but obviously slower than jets.

Are you kidding me? The only time the jet goes faster than
us lowly T-Props is above 10,000, its not like you are yanking and banking much up there. As far as approaches go, a crj usually shoots an approach at what, ref+10, so about 140? That's not real fast, comparable to a prop. What about V1 cuts? The rj's are rocking with almost centerline thrust. You ever tried a V1 cut with an unfeathered prop in a dash or emb120? I don't think it is the props that are the deciding factor passing training. I think regional airlines are more than happy to hire anyone with 121 experience regardless of what was pushing them through the air.

I just ran across this in the majors board, thought it was appropriate for this in summing up my point...

Turbine PIC is the most important factor in getting hired, period.

Previous jet/glass time improves your odds of completing glass jet training.

Once again, not prop-bashing, just the facts.

That's cool, I just don't know that I agree with your facts. These days most people grow up with computers a big part in their life. I don't think the glass cockpit is that big of a deal (yeah, I have glass time too). I think it is their personal attitude that does it. If a bunch of flight instructors coming from ratty 172's are making it through rj initial training for most of the airlines out there, I think it defeats your argument.

My sim partner in my RJ training had no glass experience and he struggled with the new picture in front of him. But he caught on.

I have flown turbo props and now jets. They both have their own challenges. But the centerline thrust argument is a bit of an exageration. If the plane is not coordinated quite quickly in the event of an engine failure at V1 it WILL roll over, centerline thrust or not.

Also, the Vref speeds of the CRJ are Cat D, pretty fast.

Of course any qualified turboprop pilot can fly a jet, and any jet. At my last company we used to think we had the harder job on the turboprop. But now I don't think so. They each have their own challenges. Flying a jet is not easier, just different.

And yes, the guys who flew Beeches are getting jobs at majors. I agree with those who say PIC turbine is what matters. I have more turbine time than many of those guys getting hired, but unfortunately due to circumstances beyond my control, not one single minute of PIC turbine. Waiting to upgrade......

To get back to the point. Point out in the interview if you have glass experience. It surely can't hurt. But it is not likely to be the deciding factor. They will hire you if they like you and they won't if they don't.

Each airline has their own hiring preferences and quirks. I would argue that it really doesn't matter WHAT you flew...it's WHO you flew with, whether or not they liked you, and if they are willing to put in a good word for you down the road that really matters in the grand scheme of things.