Light Jet or heavy turboprop?
 

This is a similar tone to the 'should I take a turboprop job or wait for a jet' post from a few months back... Given a career goal of 50T+ Jet Captain:

Airlines are asking for glass cockpit experience in the 20T/30T/40T/50T categories - In an ideal world one would walk into a 737/320 cadet job straight away. But what if you can't?
Let's say the choice is Airline Q400 (>20T) or Corporate Citation <10T)
Is jet time ALWAYS better than TP?

I guess the true answer is, it depends. I'll just say that in the current marketplace i know of 2 pilots, one Q400 the other ATR, whom both now fly jets. The former transitioned to the Embraer internally, the latter switched companies and now pilots the 737.

I barely find turboprop job opportunities but I would love to start my career on whatever comes xD

I guess if you start on heavy turboprop you will have more operational knowledge that on a small private jet.

If you have any tip for those turboprop job I take them.

There are a number of operators that ask for 500 hours on something over 20T ( I think BA Citiflyer for the direct entry FOs asked for this), so on that basis the turboprop is the better option. Also zero flight time training requirements are 500 hours on something over 10 tonnes (hence why I assume BA mainline have this requirement for direct entry FOs). The turboprop qualifies for the above the; the light jet doesn't.

Ideally you want a small jet at 10.1 tonnes.

Also on corporate you are likely to fly a lot less hours than doing day regional airline work.

So the heirarcy (ascending) seems to be:

Light Turboprop - Light Jet - Heavy turboprop - Heavy Jet

ATR F/O
 

I know few people that managed to switch to a 737 after hours on the ATR.
I am now flying the ATR72, I have been lucky to get a job offer after few months of instruction..
I really hope that one day I will be able to switch to a jet as well, hopefully the 737.

At the moment building some hours and experience.
We fly 6 sectors a day and between 30 minutes to 50 minutes long.
Exceptionally some flight over 1 hour and half.

The ATR has 2 PW127 that has max of 2750SHP, normally the take off power is at 2475SHP and increase to the max 2750 on the alive engine, in case of engine failure.
The plane is not easy to handle, especially in gusting conditions.
Surely it gives you a great hand, and in our area of operations, sometime the wind tend to be quite strong, reaching gusting of 40kts in extreme case.
20 to 25 kts is normal conditions over here.
The MTOW is 22.800kg and seating is 72 people.

I have applied to Norwegian as well recently, because I really wish I could change to a jet.

Best of luck to you! I would love to fly on ATR as a first job but I will take whatever comes!

Who you flying for?

Hi folks,

Il i could i would chose heavy turboprops, otherwise wherever comes first.