Flying jets for the first time?

[Evo7]

Evening all...

Just curiosity, but how and when do people make the jump from flying Pipers and Cessnas to flying jets? Presumably there's a step between all that single and twin time getting your ATPL and flying a 7x7/A3xx, but what is it and how long does it take? Maybe more importantly, who pays for it?

Not that I want to do it, you see - my ambitions go as far as a PPL+IMC and maybe a twin rating when I win the lottery - but I guess I'm curious.

Cheers,

Evo.

[Capt Claret]

Evo7,

it depends what country, and whether one is in the right spot at the right time. For me in Oz,

'83 to '84 Student pilot to CPL
'86 to '88 PA28, PA28R, C172 etc
'88 - BN2
'89 to '91 Nomad & Twotter
'91 to '93 Mohawk/Nord 262
'94 to '95 Kingair & Nomad
'95 to '99 Dash 8
'99 .. First and only jet - 146 (~7000 hrs total)

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bottums up !

[fly4fud]

Hi Evo7
looking back at my pilot's class, we were six of us going onto the ARJ:
1 had 1300 hours of single flying, mostly Pitts aeros
1 had worked for Farner in BSL and had 1500 hours F27
3 of'em had only 180 and 200 hours total, mostly single
I had 800+ single + about 20 hours twin, Seneca and Crusader (nice craft by the way :) ) and about 25 hours in a motion/visual approved Seneca III simulator

For those 3 having little experience, and even for myself with a little bit more, it was quite some work.

Mind you, an airplane is an airplane, and the nut to crack is the IFR and twin rating. Once you master those, the jump to flying a jet is a pretty small one, at least flyingwise. The difficulty is more in the operation of the systems and the daily challenges such as weather, pax, ATC, you name it ;)

Also, on the ARJ, things happen fast, but not quite as fast as on some other jets. It is also a very forgiving aeroplane, having a good airbrake and is easy to land :)

Who paid for that?
Well, the experience, the IFR bit and the twin rating and the frozen ATPL, you pay. As for the type rating, in our case the company paid for that, but we are now bonded for three years. Leave the company before and you have to repay some of your type rating.


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... cut my wings and I'll die ...

[Eff Oh]

From my class at flying college:-
2 Fly Shorts SD-360.
1 Flys Bae ATP.
1 Flys DHC "Dash" 8.
I Flew Saab SF340 and now fly Boeing 757.
We have all started flying turboprops. We all had 200-300 hrs TT when we got our first jobs!! I got the 757 job with 750hrs TT. Its not as difficult to transit to jets from props, as some may suggest! I would not have done things differently at all. I learned SO much on the Saab. It was a FANTASTIC first aircraft, and a joy to fly! :)
Regards.
Eff Oh :)

[flaps]

200 hours of which 170 single Bulldog & PA28, 30 were PA34.

Went to ATP and flew their horrendous Caravelle sim (together with abnormal physics due to a problem with the valves or boilers or something, ie flap 5 single engine equalled NO DRAG, could accelerate through base turns at idle power level???)
The Caravelle had terrible lag and I found it a really difficult sim to fly. ATP agreed but maintained (and they were true to their word) that the next step to a modern jet would be more straightforward, and it certainly was. A320 a positive dream to fly.

[VH_KAM]

Well for me it was 170-odd hours then from a Duchess to a 767...Quite a jump, but definately the best way to do it !!!