Part135 upgrade or Part 121
 

I'm currently flying right seat in a beech 1900 in Alaska. I have 1400tt and the chief just offered to upgrade me in the spring. Should I stay and upgrade or go to the regionals? Is Beech 1900 PIC time respected by the majors?

part 135 in beach 1900? Nahhhh, go to the regionals bro.

Come to the other side of Sierra. We are hiring. :)

At Little Ace?

I don't think airlines frown upon BE-1900 PIC time at all. I know lots of folks who are at the majors after having flown the B-1900.

Just got hired at UAL. From what I saw there were ton of FOs from regionals with little or no turbine PIC time but I didn't see any straight turbo prop guys. I'd go to a regional.

I have 1000hrs 135 tpic(metro) and I'm still a regional FO. You probably aren't going to go from 135 capt to major FO. Seems like they want 121 jet glass time.

If you enjoy the job stick around and get the experience. If you just want to be at a major make the jump to the regionals asap and at least get a senority number.

No one cares about this fake "glass" time. That's a ridiculous assumption especially considering two of the three majors are flying MD88 with steam.

Someone once told me that TPIC was like collecting gold coins; get as much as you can in as little time as you can. Think of it as an investment in your career more than anything.

I know with the hiring going on right now it sounds contrary, but I guess I've always looked at it with a 'glass half empty' mentality; if/when the music stops, what's gonna separate you in the now extremely competitive job market from the thousands of other regional FO's? TPIC.

Some airlines do actually care about glass/EFIS time. It's on at least one of the applications (JetBlue) and was discussed face to face at one point when reviewing times. Not that I'd make a decision on employment based on that, though.

I have a few friends who have tons of 135 PIC and didn't get any bites from the majors until they went to the regionals and got some 121 PIC. So if the goal is a major airline career then maybe there is some extra value with 121 PIC over 135.

If your looking to go to the airlines, then you need to fly for an airline. You also need jet time. I've got nearly 11,000hrs with 5,000 turbine PIC all 135 but no jet time and it gets me nowhere. I'm sure the training will be far superior to what your getting 135 also, I know it has been for me.

That's a silly thing to say. Of course they want glass time. Even 3 out of 4 regionals asked for it during interviews. Not saying it's required but it is much preferred.

I sat left seat in a Caravan part 135 for about a year. Currently a 121 regional FO. I know lots of people that stayed 135 hoping that having turbine PIC would get them to a major, and it really hasn't. Most 135 pilots seem to have to spend at least a year or two in the 121 world before the majors consider them.

That being said, I flew a Caravan which is single-engine turbine PIC (aka worthless, other than being able to say that I have some Turbine PIC). Not sure if it would have been different in a BE-1900 considering that it's multi-engine turbine PIC, but the one thing that seems consistent is that the majors like hiring pilots with prior 121 experience.

If your goal is corporate aviation, the BE-1900 TPIC might be worth something. If your goal is a major airline, I'd make the switch to the 121 environment as quickly as possible.

Just my 2 cents.

Probably background specific, but Speaking to a recruiter at one of the big 3, he seems to view part 135 PIC time with the same value as part 121 regional SIC time for guys with a military background building time when they get out. If you can upgrade- do it, get some TPIC time under your belt and apply to LCCs and regionals next year. That way you get some PIC experience that will help you be successful upgrading to part 121 PIC at a regional with short upgrades.

This is correct. Oh wait, nevermind, it's not 1999 anymore...

All else being equal (no affirmative action or family in high places) 121 RJ time is far more likely to get you called by most majors. More so than any civilian prop time, much less a 1900.

On a sort of related note... How about going from 121 turboprop to a major? Obviously RJ time would be more competitive but are guys currently going from Dash 8's and Saab's to the majors?

Airlines are looking for future Captains and not professional first-officers. Any evidence that you can provide them that you are Captain material will give them the confidence that you are likely to be a good candidate. I imagine for the individual who posted, being a B-1900 Capt in Alaska has to encompass some challenging "real" flying and decision making. But most of all, upgrading fills in the blocks that recruiters are looking for. Now if you were given a choice of upgrade that's a completey different story. I would consider taking the B-1900 upgrade, get some PIC hours under my belt and then move on.

And by the way, recruiting is quite an imperfect science at best. There are tons of highly qualified guys who never get called/hired. And that indcludes both from the military and civilian ranks. And then suddenly you hear of someone getting hired (lets assume no connections or Affirmative Action) who does not seem that particularly competitive. Go figure!

GTFOH.
I was a prior regional FO, now flying as a 135 Captain in a Citation X. Guess what? I have an interview with Delta (pickiest of them all) in a few weeks and I've interviewed at SW recently. Not once, have I gotten a whiff of the stigma you described regarding 135 time.

What stigma are you talking about? The point I was trying to make is there isn't one for 135 PIC time.

I think passing up on an upgrade to a PIC position when your resume lacks PIC experience it isn't the best idea.

The whole "recruiter's view of 135 PIC time equal to 121 FO time". Come on man.
There's all kinds of 135 operators. Now, if you're flying 135 in a caravan or a twin piston then yes, I can see that time being viewed as 121 FO time but... 121 FO's are being hired with the majors and many have 0 PIC.

FWIW,

I've got 5500tt, 2500 TPIC, all in a King Air 200, all part 135, and the majors are not calling me.

Maybe it's lack of jet time? Or maybe it's because I have about 6yrs 121 experience before leaving for 135?

A friend of mine flew 1900s at Gulfstream for a couple of years, he left to fly bizjets for a bunch more years, all short or medium range. Tons of PIC time he got. He got on with United last year. Moral of the story is I don't know what this proves other than he did it with some 121 PIC time on his resume.

I think we're both making the same argument. The recruiter didn't care (and came from a part 135 background themselves) about part 135 vs part 121. I specifically asked that because I have the opportunity to go part 135 or to a regional, and I wanted to make sure I wasn't going to shoot myself in the foot if I took the Job that would give me a better quality of life.

The point I made was both are viable paths to the Majors to counter the argument being made that the 135 PIC time would be worthless and the guy would be better off skipping upgrade to be a FO at a 121 regional and never having any PIC time.

Take the upgrade. Can't beat having experience as a captain on your resume. Get some PIC time then go apply at a LCC, then check the 121 box.