How valuable is piston time?

[abracadabra]

Obviously turbine and multi-crew time is what you want, but for a low-time frozen-ATLP holder do airlines care tremendously about the type of piston time achieved?

For example, as far as job prospects are concerned, is time in a C-310 worth more than time in a Seminole?

Would an airline rate hours in a single-engine retractable more highly than those gained in a C-172?

Just wondering whether the extra cost for more complex aircraft is really worth it when your resume lands on someone's desk, or if IFR in a C-152 is just as handy as anything else.

Thanks for your feedback

-abracadabra

[Gin Slinger]

I'm sure the airlines will rave if you hour build in a C172RG rather than a mere C152!!

[mattpilot]

i'd assume you would want to build the following things - the rest is not significant:

complex
high performance
high altitude
multi
turbine

[Smokie]

Horses for courses dear boy ! Flying a C 182 will probably help geting a non paying but hours building job at the week ends down at your local Parachute club. If you happen to have a multi rating then you might get a sniff of their Islander.

If you have 300-500hours in the BN2a then you may get a sniff at Job flying say C404 or a Chieftan Navajo or perhaps if you are really lucky a EMB 110 Bandit or SD-360.
Then and only then, with sufficiant turbine time, will you be considered by the" Airlines " for a Jet job.

The bottom line is that most Airlines want to see that you have "Done your Apprenticeship"

Unless you or Daddy have a rather large wallet whereby you can sign up for a course at CTC, then I'm afraid that you will have to join the Que with the rest of the wannabes.

Yes I did all of the above except the CTC bit and nobody gave a toss about my hundereds of hours in the DC3.

Good luck and be patient: cool: :cool: :cool:

[Chuck Ellsworth]

Smokie:

I bet you wouldn't trade your DC3 time though would you?:D :D

Cat Driver

[A and C]

You have to stay current and what ever you fly will help , this will show if you get invited to do a sim check.

I had not flown a big aircraft for about 4 months when I did the BAe 146 course as had the rest of the guys on the course but i had been flying an extra 300 , about as far removed from the 146 as you could get but it kept my hand flying sharp.

Flying time is never wasted as long as you learn something and keep in practice.

[Luke SkyToddler]

Smokie ... that is indeed the way it works in most of the civilised world ... but not the UK for some reason. It's not like there is a pilot shortage, in fact even in normal recruitment times there are always a few high time (2,000+ hour) instructors knocking around, and a steady supply of multi-engine charter pilots with shed loads of time on high performance piston twin, who can't seem to raise any airline interest at all ... but the undeniable fact is that there are also seemingly hundreds of pilots out there who got their first job on heavy jet with 2 or 3 hundred hours total.

The logic of it escapes me entirely :rolleyes:

[abracadabra]

Thanks for all your responses. I guess it's a case of either doing 2-3 hours a month in a twin in the UK to stay current (but effectively not build much time), or use the same money to maximise hours in a single (or a twin) in the US doing blocks of hours once or twice a year.

Both choices hit the wallet pretty hard though.

-abracadabra

[Smokie]

Chuck.

Nope !


Luke,

Yes it was in the UK mate. :cool: :cool:

[g92]

Parachute centres are now using twin turbine aircraft. Why not see about getting on with some of them?
Large twin turbine, some multi crew, loads of flying in the summer, get sent abroad in the winter, loads of ferrying time.....and even get paid fpr it.......what more do you want?

[jasonjdr]

g92,

How about a name and tel. number? Please. :D

[g92]

Why not e-mail me? I'll give you all the info I have.