Turboprop transition to jet?
 

Hi,


I´ve been looking around some post and i decided to open a new one.

I am actually flying TURBOPROP (below 10 TONNES) as a Captain around 5000 total time, 4000 PIC. And is absolutly imposible to find any JET company that accepts this type of profile. Any body in my situation? there is even an article talking on this issue on the balpa magazine. It seems to me incredible that big airlines prefer my copilots with around 400 hours than me with the experience that this type of flying (as you may know) represents.

All copilots that flown with me in the last years are already flying on jet, and i am even thinking in this ****ty line trainings, really it seems the only posible solution. Even the market is growing up and more pilots are needed, each time an airline looks for pilots they ask for jet time on a 20 t or more plane and EFIS.

Any help or comment will be highly apreciated.

:ok:

Why not go for heavy turboprop first?

Where have you been the last 10 years. The devaluing of TP time is old news. You should have jumped as an FO at the first chance of a jet and not hung around. Problem is your pigeon holed now. I am not even sure if the desert values your hours......

The last one i called to for ATR, they "offered me" a payment of 24k , 2 years of contract as F/O for less than 1800 €. Ok i don´t want the EMIRATES conditions, but at least some progression on my career. But I talked to capt in big turboprop and they are almost same situation.

It's a tough one. You might have to swallow your pride for a couple of years and take an FO position on a > 10t TP for 500-1000hrs as a bridging into jets. You will get LHS heavy TP fairly quickly with your TT I would think.

Or what about a move into Corporate?

the turboprop option is on my mind also..

On the corporate actually what I see is that they are demanding pilots type rated, if not they do not usually do open recruitment. Yes maybe a step backward will be the option. But if please anybody knows any company they accept this profile please tell me. thanks for answers. :ugh:

heavy glass turboprop time is a lot more viable than you may think... and a lot more attractive on the old CV.

Dash q400 pic time will help get you a fo job with a jet operator, but almost nowhere now will give you pic.
Even big (herc) pic time is viewed as practically valueless.
It's a bitter pill to swallow but you will need to take a financial step back in order to move forward.

Why do newbies go down the p2f route? To avoid situations like this, that's why!

Are you looking for a Captain of F/O position on jet?


I have 3500 hours TT ( 3000 hours heavy turboprop ATR72) rated on B737 and it is almost impossible to find a summer contract on B737.

Turboprop hours nowadays will get you nowhere, airlines prefer guys with 700 TT and 500 hours on type. :ugh:

The only solution is to have the "golden contact" that will make you get in….

Join Cathay pacific in Hong Kong as a S/O. Within 3-4 years you will be right seat in a wide body jet, get 2000 hours jet under your belt, plenty of options.
Cathay May not be the best payer/conditions, but there is career progression.

Funny old world. I'm a high time heavy jet jockey who would dearly love to go back to regional turboprops for my last few years, mostly to be based near to home but I cannot get a shred of interest even for "starter" FO positions.

It might seem terribly glamorous from your perspective but believe me, the clouds look the same out of a 747 windscreen as they do out of a Q400 or anything else. Plus you get to spend lots more time in your jet seat. Hours and hours bored silly.

Fancy a swap?

If you are thinking you will be offered a left seat of a jet with your <10 tonne turbo prop experience then I'm afraid you are mistaken. In my experience even those moving from small jet with one operator to larger jet in a new company find it tricky, let alone a small turbo prop.

If you look for positions as a First Officer then you should have a much better chance. There are operators recruiting non type rated FO's onto their jet fleets, depends on you and a large chunk of luck.

As others have mentioned, command time in anything that looks like a wheel chock from a widebody just doesn't cut it. Try your hardest to get into any seat in anything bigger, then move up at every chance. Been there, done that. Would still rather have people like you beside me than not. Good luck.

Sorry to hear ORICHETTI that all that hard work and experience is not being appreciated by the hypocritical "safety first" industry. :sad:

..and even that is no guarantee that they will not be replaced by the next batch of P2F candidates.

Plenty of 737/A320 pilots out there with 500 hours on type but who can't find much work.

Let's face it, as people above also said: the 'market' is completely screwed up and airlines prefer young, naive, inexperienced pilots, heavily into student debt from P4T and P2F, who will automatically ask "how high?" when crew control shouts "JUMP!"

These new FO's are no longer children of the magenta line, they are robots of the magenta line and anyone with even half a brain is quickly getting outsourced, or runs into a brick wall trying to move to a jet job.

Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock.... :hmm:

The ONLY strategy is: talk to people wanting to become a pilot and warn them NOT to dive into a huge pool of debt that they most likely will never be able to pay off with the ever decreasing salaries and collective labour agreements. Stick to the cadet schemes and if that does not work out, tough luck, forget a job as a pilot in this lifetime. :(

Orichetti I feel sorry for you, but it would really tough or more.

in my previous airline (A320) I tried to help a friend by recommending him, so his CV was supposed to be on top (for F/o position, he even had hours on 320!), instead of that, they prefered to hire young cadets. I was angry at them. Plus the management asked us to recommend if we knew any f/o, and then they stab on your back.

Just to tell, you can imagine when your CV is not even considered ! :ugh:

No "Johnny F@rt Pants" not thinking in a jet captain, just an oportunity for a f/o on a jet, not more.

Yes really apreciate your comments. i will check the hong kong option and the bigger turboprop.


At least, as you well said, i do not debt anything, not like my F/O. Sometimes they even don´t have a meal to save money..

sad times for aviation. will see in the next 10 years.

At least you are a real pilot who knows how to fly and you have solid credentials. Don't give up, somewhere there is someone with enough brains to hire you over a 200 hour type rated inexperienced pilot.

"Funny old world. I'm a high time heavy jet jockey who would dearly love to go back to regional turboprops for my last few years, mostly to be based near to home but I cannot get a shred of interest even for "starter" FO positions.

It might seem terribly glamorous from your perspective but believe me, the clouds look the same out of a 747 windscreen as they do out of a Q400 or anything else. Plus you get to spend lots more time in your jet seat. Hours and hours bored silly."

Well said.

Flying for a living is just another job, all be it a good one, if you're not happy flying a TP then maybe you won't be happy flying a jet either.


Some of the happiest and most content pilots I have met have never stepped out of Ag or Rotary or Floaty's or Bush Flying or any of the multitude of specialist flying vocations that exist. Find a reasonable paying flying job in a place where you can be happy and enjoy your life, buy a motorcycle, go fishing, restore an old car, or whatever.


All the glamour flying is now with remote location bush flying not with airlines.


I took the career path of seeking diverse flying and good paying operators that respect your hard work and dedication to their industry. So far so good but only 30 years in so a bit more to go but it's looking rosy ahead.

I really enjoyed my turboprop red eye years and i still really enjoy my jet years..
Fatigue spoils the wake up sometimes but as soon as i click click i feel reborn again:E

Try to apply to airlines that have both turboprops and possibly have or will have jets in the short future...