Dash 8 FO's Experience
 

Hey,
Just curious what all you Dash 8 FO's past or present had for experience when you were picked up to fly the Dash (Classic or Q400). Most the Dash operators in Canada seem to be asking for 1500TT and ATPL (Not including Porter).
Also any of you go from instructing to right seat?
Thanks in advance.

Dash 8 FO's Experience
 

I was chosen with a fresh fATPL and 260 hours in hand. Another guy in the group had 1000 hours hauling freight in a Cheyenne. Another was a business jet pilot with 2000 hours...so mixed bag here.

Yea... it seems like everywhere outside of North America guys jump on the Dash with less time. From what i've seen is you need 1500-3000 to even have a shot in Canada.

I think I was around 4000 hrs almost all turboprop and mostly pic when I was hired on the dash, but that was several years ago and airlines had been doing minimal hiring, so a bit of a saturated market and maybe inflated from what you see now, I'd think operators are taking less. Maybe 1500 or so multi? Solely instructing time may be a tougher sell... Just a guess though.

Well, 148TT. I suppose I learned how to fly on that damned thing.

Curious. Where are you that you can get -8 jobs at 148 hours? What kind of license is that? MPL?

I got onto a Dash-8 with around 500 TT. Smaller outfit, not a major or regional. I know a couple of guys who went from instructing to the right seat of a turboprop - but not the likes of Porter/Jazz/Encore...more like the Calm Airs, Bearskins, CMA's and Georgians of the world. In saying that, I gave up long ago saying that things would never happen considering how few hours I had getting onto a medium turboprop. Couple other guys I worked with had 250 hours when they started...it all depended on our attitude, not how many hours we had coming into the company.

Now, back when I had a PPL with the ink still drying it was almost unheard of for pilots with less than 4,000 TT to get into the right seat of a Dash. I'd hazard a guess to say that altiplano was one of those guys.

It all depends on how many jobs there are, how many applicants there are, and what the economy is going to be doing in the next 3 to 6 months. Everyone says the days of 4,000 TT for the medium turboprops are gone...but those are the "everyones" who are yet to live through a recession or two.