Turbo Prop Command versus Jet F/O?

[Tango November Bravo]

Seeking the opionions of those wiser than I.... which would be considered more valuable with a goal of one day hopefully making it to the 'majors'?

Left seat in a 17/30/50 seat turbo prop?

or

Right seat in a 70/100 seat jet?

[Checkboard]

The turbo prop command requires far more skill and knowledge - and is a lot more fun.













... so it's the jet FO job, of course. :hmm:

[AerocatS2A]

Cathay Pacific will accept 1000 hours either jet time or command turbo-prop above 20,000 kg MAUW for a direct entry FO position. A 50 seat turbo-prop might just be around 20,000kg, so as far as they're concerned they're almost equivalent.

[Dream Land]

Agree with checkboard, but if your goal is to work at an airline, it will be on a jet, just a thought.

[40Deg STH]

You will not be competitive with ATR72( or similar) time at Cathay for DEFO position, you will need lots of jet time.
Many DESO have that and some have jet time.
The Turbo prop requirement is designed for ex Airforce and C130 time and this also means they have jet time from earlier training.

[The Bunglerat]

If you've got the option of either - and you want to fly turbo-props, fly turbo-props. If you want to fly jets, fly jets. It's that simple.

I prefer flying jets myself, and personally there's not a whole lot I'd be doing in the left seat that I'm not already doing in the right - except getting paid more for it (not to mention that I'm already getting paid more in the right seat of a jet than as a turbo-prop skipper anyway). And if that sounds like a flippant remark, rest assured I'm well aware of, and have great respect for, the fact that good command skills are so much more than how well one flies an aeroplane - or what type of aeroplane it is. But then I'm also not a 22yr-old-Gen-Y type who's been with the company only 12 months and already bitching about why I haven't got a command yet. All things in good time...

[Howard Hughes]

Most airlines have a requirement of (x) number of hours on type before you can get a command, some even specify 'on company aircraft', none that I know of ask for multi crew command time. So if jets are what you want to do long term, the sooner you start down that path the better!

And I haven't even mentioned seniority!:ok:

[Mach E Avelli]

Howard Hughes hits the nail on the head. Direct entry commands on jets are fairly rare unless you want to head to some foreign location. Even then you won't get DEC unless you already have jet command. And you won't get that at home unless you start RHS. So if jets are your ambition, every year in turboprops is time lost toward the ultimate goal.
But which is the more satisfying job? Probably turbo-prop command. But can you live on satisfaction alone, or does ambition drive you? Your call.

[Wildpilot]

How about the one you actually want to take rather than the one you think is most valuable. I know getting to the Majors is your goal but people in this industry seem to forget the journey is the most fun part, do what you want and what makes you genuinely happy and I mean genuinely. You might not get to the majors for a number of reasons so make sure you get it right.


Have fun what ever that is.:ok:

[R.Cruizo]

Both are valuable!! Depends on your experience. Multi -engine Turbo prop Command time is valuable ( esp Brasilia, Dash 8, Saab 340, F50) up to a point.

If you already have alot of Command Multi time go straight to for the Jet.

[Led Zep]

Get some effo time on a turboprop, get into the jets, stay for a command and earn some $. Then you can afford to go back and fly a turboprop for fun and cash on the side to see you out until retirement. That's the ideal theory anyway.

[Piltdown Man]

Command time in a Multi-crew aircraft (bigger the better) will probably have more value than jet F/O time. Any plonker can fly (and let's face it, jets are veeerrry easy to fly) but not every plonker can handle a command.

PM

[Erin Brockovich]

TNB good question - but also the wrong one. Wildpilot has the right idea.

My multi-crew turboprop command time was the most rewarding and the most enjoyable. It also gave my confidence a boost as a bonus.

I feel that command experience is beneficial for a jet F/O to have. It makes you appreciate and understand the operation more clearly. Sometimes the role of a Captain is not obvious, especially if you haven’t been one before. The biggest difference is the responsibility, and how that affects decision making. It’s very sobering when something goes wrong and you’re in the left seat. No amount of ICUS or co-pilot time can substitute for that.

Enough drunken rambling. All I can say is that you won’t regret going for a turboprop command. It’s more rewarding than being a jet F/O, and more fun than a Jet command.

[KRUSTY 34]

A good friend of mine went from years of Turboprop command at the regionals to F/O at the majors. After about 12 months he said to me "Krusty, if they'd have me back I'd return to my old job tomorrow." At the time he was earning approx the same amount as a Jet F/O as he was as a Captain on the Turboprop. Money wasn't the issue for him at that time, he actually always wanted to fly a jet, but untill DJ came along opportunities were limited. As he found out however, the grass is not always greener.

Sadly (for the regionals that is) most Turboprop Captains now moving from the LHS (turboprop) to the RHS of a jet will in fact see a significant pay rise! Something most regional airline management have failed to grasp, to their ultimate discredit.

Anyway after about 4 years, my friend moved to command on the Jet. He would still rather fly the regionals, but admits the "real" money he is now earning will allow him the means to properly look after his family, and at least retain some dignity in retirement!

At the end of the day, that's what it's all about.

[Horatio Leafblower]

If you already have alot of Command Multi time go straight to for the Jet.

Hmm - how often does this happen? I have only met 2 pilots who went from piston twins into DJ. I am not blagging their professional skills when I point out they are both very attractive young women.

All the other people I know in DJ and JQ have significant turboprop experience.

I strongly suspect that for most of us mortals, the filtering applied to the database will always select the guys with the "biggest and best" experience first, meaning t/prop guys will always get in ahead of piston drivers.

....at least that's what I hope is going on. :ugh:

[waren9]

If I had my time again, I would stay in the turbo prop job I had.

Mint job, great people, easy rosters, good enough pay and lived in a great place.

But I got itchy feet with the "grass is always greener" thing.

[Snatch]

If you already have alot of Command Multi time go straight to for the Jet.

Nah sorry mate - "as if".

I have over 4500TT and 1500 ME IFR CHTR yet despite blue stars etc have never had a bait from DJ or JQ for an interview.

Like Horation said, Pistons to jet just doesn't happen in this country without a furry logbook. :suspect:

[havick]

Horatio_Leafblower.. A bit of duff gen you're offering up there.

I personally know of 6 guys that went to DJ straight off piston twins with the 1500PIC and 500Multi-PIC around 2004/2005. 3 Of which are now captains on the 737.

[Grivation]

In the early days of DJ there were ex-piston drivers who were having their command delayed so they could reach the company requirment of 3000TT before command course.

All turned out to be excellent operators and were a pleasure to fly with.

It all about your number on the seniority list :ok:

[Horatio Leafblower]

Havick & Grivation

Guys that's great to hear :D

...doesn't match my observations, but I don't know everyone in the industry.

Yet :hmm:

Snatch
I didn't say that and I think you're stretching things a bit there :suspect:

[777WakeTurbz]

R.Cruizo
If you already have alot of Command Multi time go straight to for the Jet.

Agree with the others, its not going to happen. I have up in the thousands of piston twin command and was specifically told my J* recruitment that all i lacked for a serious chance at the job was turbo-prop time... :ugh:

havick
I personally know of 6 guys that went to DJ straight off piston twins with the 1500PIC and 500Multi-PIC around 2004/2005. 3 Of which are now captains on the 737.

May have been true in the past when there was no economic crisis and the numbers 1500TT/500ME meant something but no longer. The majority of pilots for Jet jobs are being scalped from regionals now a days unfortunately.

[Mr. Hat]

Nice is what you like.

If you are worried about trying to get on the list for an interview at the moment it doesn't really make any difference if you have jet time or turbo prop command. There are enough jobs going around. I do think single pilot vs multicrew makes a difference in gettting you a call up.

As for skills I think some turbo prop time (l or rhs) is good in order to get the multi crew stuff ironed out so when you go to the jet its one less thing to have to focus on.

Ultimately if you want to fly a jet for a living long term I say why put it off or risk missing out on a seat/seniority? Don't assume airlines will be hiring forever.

There does seem to be this notion of the Cathay DEFO/turbo prop command as a reason for taking a turbo prop command. A very strange rationale to me indeed.

Another one is turbo prop flying is real flying or alot harder. No just different.

As for guys in majors that wish they were back on turbo props out of say a 100 I know I can't honestly say one has said this to me. Thats not to say they don't exist as warren9 points out.

KRUSTY I reckon you've got Jet job written all over you mate just a matter of time!! Will she be french, american or brazilian is the question!

Personally I wanted performance/large company/options= jet effo.

[R.Cruizo]

Sorry everyone, I should've worded my post better.

Whilst I have seen guys/ gals go to right seat of a jet off a piston it's definetly in the minority. 100% agreed.

My initial advice to TNB's thread was directed at either moving right seat of a Turbo-prop to Left seat OR right seat of a Jet.

Both are valuable moves.

A candidate already with eg. Brasilia F/O time and signifcant amount of Command Multi time either piston or light Turbine. Moving to Left seat of the Braz, Dash 8 etc very valuable experience OR right seat of their 1st Jet.

My opinion only RC

[AerocatS2A]

There does seem to be this notion of the Cathay DEFO/turbo prop command as a reason for taking a turbo prop command. A very strange rationale to me indeed.
Yeah, I didn't even know about that until I was looking at their recruiting website recently. It makes sense to hear that it is aimed at recognising the experience some military guys get on big turbo-props. I wouldn't see it as a reason to take a turbo-prop command, but rather as a reason to apply to Cathay if you already had the appropriate turbo-prop time and didn't want to be an SO.

[Mach E Avelli]

Dunno about Cathay and Emirates etc, but the local airlines seem to get spooked if you have too much good command experience. Maybe they want to mould pilots into their own way and consider previous multi-crew command time is not a good thing. Honestly, dunno, but they do knock back very experienced people sometimes yet hire those with far less time. So I still reckon F/O time in an airline with jets is a better career move if you can crack it - and jets is what you want. It's not about what will make you a better pilot but what the airlines see as flavour of the month.