Adam
I think we are getting confused here by the word type rating.
Most piston singles can be massed together and I am sure the insurance companies do not require any more than ferry experience.
Complex jet types do require specific type ratings to fly them and on the whole are far higher values so its only natural that the insurance companies will be far more concerned over the pilot that firstly he is legal to do so and secondly that he has the required experience on type and route.
I can remember 20 years ago being thrown a set of keys to a TB20 which I had never flown and taking it to ireland.
I read the manual and speeds and set off into a 500 foot cloudbase enroute to Ireland.
All was fine until in cloud I smelt a strong chemical smell.
It turned out to be a tiny switch at knee level for turning on the fluid to a weeping wing anti ice fitted to the aircraft.
It really threw me for a while till I worked it out.
But on the whole there are not many piston singles even ones I had never set foot into which i would not fly unchecked out!
Pace
Last edited by Pace; 7th Jan 2013 at 10:59.