Turboprop Captain vs Jet First Officer

[ThunderstormFactory]

What’s the general consensus on here regarding Turboprop PIC time vs Jet copilot time? As in if you had to choose one or the other. Does anybody have any insights as to what the majors (both here and overseas) prefer when hiring?

TF

[roundsounds]

At the moment I think you’ll find the airlines require a pilot licence and a pulse. Im told the current new intakes at a large Australian international airline have a large percentage of pilots with turbo prop experience.

[Offchocks]

It really depends on where your final goal lies. Personally I changed airlines and went to Jet FO after having been a Turboprop Captain (F27) for a year, I even paid out an upgrade training bond for doing so.
Getting on a seniority list early is advantageous to progressing to the left hand seat and lifestyle, you also never know when the jet jobs will dry up.

[Mach E Avelli]

Recruiters who laugh at Metro time are misguided. My long experience converting pilots to jets has convinced me that those with a reasonable amount of Metro time often perform better than those who have flown highly automated jets and are downshifting to a less automated jet or going back to a turbo prop.
As posted above, a licence and a pulse will get you a job. But seniority still rules,so given a choice, take the jet FO if you want to make your career with that operator. If merely using the job as a stepping stone, toss a coin.....

[Lapon]

Jet FO.

The turbo prop command is the end of the road until you change fleet/job where you will start as an FO again anyway.

The above holds true assuming you are talking about main stream RPT jet FO and not obscure small business jets (IMO)

For what it's worth I do believe the turbo prop command will make you a better pilot and enhance your skills for the future, but it wont help your CV or career so you might aswell skip it of that's an option.

[Brakerider]

I believe in this era of recruitment, size really does matter. Just ask the Rex FOs at JQ who have 75 hours command and a stack of SAAB FO time.

[machtuk]

Jet FO.

The turbo prop command is the end of the road until you change fleet/job where you will start as an FO again anyway.

The above holds true assuming you are talking about main stream RPT jet FO and not obscure small business jets (IMO)

For what it's worth I do believe the turbo prop command will make you a better pilot and enhance your skills for the future, but it wont help your CV or career so you might aswell skip it of that's an option.

That's about correct there Lapon but a green F/O on that shiny jet doesn't have to make command decisions, that's what the guy in the Left seat does:--) Flying a jet after a while is pretty straight forward, CMD Turbo prop especially SP is far more challenging but the Airlines don't see that experience as helpful as they will want to erase all you know anyway & mold you their way monkey see monkey do:-)!

[B-757]

What’s the general consensus on here regarding Turboprop PIC time vs Jet copilot time? As in if you had to choose one or the other. Does anybody have any insights as to what the majors (both here and overseas) prefer when hiring?

TF
..I was in your situation about 20yrs ago..I chose the right seat, on a CRJ200..One of the best decisions of my flying career, as it gave me lots of good
experience flying a jet, into the major airports..Also it got me ready for the upgrade to the left side..

..My recommendation; take the jet..That will be a far better choice in the long run..You can always come back to a prop later, if you so decide..

Fly safe,
B-757

[belongamick]

If your career aspirations consist exclusively of an Australian major, take the job that pays the best and has the best work lifestyle balance in the location you like most. Both jobs are good, and neither will disadvantage you over the other when interviewing for QF, VA, JQ or TT

[GA Driver]

has the best work lifestyle balance
:D THIS.... should be held in equal importance to the original questions.

[compressor stall]

The trouble is you don’t know who is interviewing you.

HR types will probably prefer a candidate with the most jet time, as HR types would ignore or not understand the magenta line stuff.

Old salt CPs will probably prefer a pilot who has flown single pilot metro night freight. If you can do that you can cope on a dark and stormy night in an Airbus/ Boeing and not get lost on a complex NPA. .

[drpixie]

Depends where you're going ... and who's crystal ball functions well these days!
But if you might move around, or move to corporate or similar, remember that a jet FO has almost no command time. That will limit your choices, you can't even get an ATPL without a decent slab of PIC.
I've seen a few CVs with thousands of turbine but only 100-200 PIC - can't give someone like that a job, no matter how good they might seem.

[geeup]

Take the turbine command as it will be character building.

[krismiler]

How old are you ? If you’re in your 40s grab the jet before you’re seen as too old and end up stuck on props for the rest of your days. If you’re in your 20s multi crew TP Captain time looks good but get on the seniority list ASAP with an airline.

[Capt Fathom]

grab the jet before you’re seen as too old and end up stuck on props for the rest of your days.

How awful ! :rolleyes:

[Seagull201]

How old are you ? If you’re in your 40s grab the jet before you’re seen as too old and end up stuck on props for the rest of your days. If you’re in your 20s multi crew TP Captain time looks good but get on the seniority list ASAP with an airline.

The U.S regionals are constantly recruiting new pilots, who are in their 50's.

Have a look at the facebook pages of any U.S regional, you'll see photos of the new monthly recruits, people 50 plus.
I've read on the air pilot central forums, of new recruits, being up to 61 years of age, starting an F/O type rating course.

That's what i like about the U.S system, they don't discriminate against age, OR, are WILLING to give people an opportunity, at ALL ages,
obviously a person has to progress and pass the training course AND try NOT to get washed out, during training (ground school/Simulator/IOE-intial operating experience).

The U.S provides the best opportunity, for a person to get onto a jet, but a person must meet the requirements of an E3 visa ( Aviation University degree & 3 years experience OR 12 years aviation experience).

**Off topic: I've noticed Cebu Air have a post on their facebook, for ATR 72 F/O's, 500 hours total time required and for ATR 72 Captains, 3,000 hours total time/1,000 hours turbine command.

[krismiler]

https://www.pprune.org/south-asia-far-east/617925-cebu-pacific-a320.html