Big career decision ahead: Turboprop or Jet
Hello PPRuNers! I've seen some threads about this from many years ago, and though they gave me a good insight, they didn't reflected exactly where I'm at currently.
I work as a FO in a regional jet at a fast growing airline with many narrowbodies expected to arrive in the coming years. After almost 6 years and over 3000+ hours, they have offered me some equipment changes, to a widebody on mostly international long haul, to a bigger narrowbody, all of which I didn't take, so I don't get locked in the equipment and lose command promotion.
Now the day has come where they have offered me Command on their smaller aircraft type, a regional turboprop.
First and foremost, my first end goal when I started on this job was to get command on the regional jet.
My options are, accept the command upgrade offer on the turboprop, and get some maybe 4 years there before they can put me on the jet LHS. Or wait in the RHS in the jet for *MAYBE* some last minute demand from the company where they will need an urgent command on my type.
In the past they've done this, even though the normal career path was to take command on the turboprop, or wait until your buddies that accepted the TP PIC come back to the jet, then they'll offer the jet to you too.
But currently since a lot of the TP Capts are unhappy being bypassed while jet FO's get the upgrade on the jet, management has said they're not gonna do it again. And yet, years before, they said the same thing, and it did happen.
I've seen the older captains repeating the same old rule "Never turn down command. Once a captain, always a captain." etc. And I've read about how that worked 20 years ago, but today is different, since jet time is all that matters.
Thing is, I have that many jet experience, and I honestly don't know if by accepting the TP PIC and getting stuck there for many years, if bad things happen or I want to change my employers, if my jet time will still count, or only if recent experience counts. Currently I like my employer, and don't see myself switching to another in the future.
So, it's a long post already and I'm gonna wrap it up. Basically, I don't know if I'll be happy in the TP, I don't like the TP type even though never flew it, but since this decision will affect my next ~5 years, I'm losing my sleep over it. The type I currently fly was the workhorse of the early years but the fleet is expected to shrink a bit, being replaced by bigger narrowbodies. The turboprop fleet will remain unchanged and small it seems.
I don't currently need the added pay (which is not much), and I can afford to wait in the jet RHS to see how things pan out. But currently there is no sight in the horizon as to if the command direct on the jet will ever happen soon. And economy can go bad and the promotions can stop, and I will still be stuck in the jet RHS.
Thank you all!