Cessnadriver

Just wondering how favorably a major airline would look at time in a King Air counting towards a turbine PIC requirement vs having time in the left seat of an RJ. I’ve been at regional for 3 years and although I have avoided furlough, I don’t see any chance of upgrading in the next 2 years. I may have a chance to fly left seat in a King Air C90 (part 91) for my old boss and was debating taking a voluntary furlough in order to build some PIC time. It looks like I would be able to fly roughly 500 hours a year if I took the job. Although I can’t complain too much about my QOL at my regional, I want to be in a position to be hired if and when the majors start hiring and I’m afraid I may miss next round if I’m stuck in the right seat for the next 3 years.

I’ve got roughly 3000 TT right now with 1500 in a 121 environment. If I managed to add 1000-2000 hours of PIC time in a King Air in the next several years how competitive would I be for a position at a major?

rickair7777

King Air time would not be as good as RJ time, so if you had a choice I would go with an RJ upgrade.

But since you can't choose to upgrade at the airline due to seniority, I would say go for the King Air job if you can keep your airline seniority number. If you were going to resign your 121 seniority I would probably say no, unless you had personal reasons in addition to chasing TPIC.

Also the fact that you have turbojet airline time will help...you will have 121, TPIC, and jet experience, just not all at the same time.

MarineGrunt

If you could take a voluntary furlough and the pay was decent, heck yeah, do it! Just make sure the new boss is aware of the situation.

I don't think I would resign my seniority # for it, but TPIC time in a King Air is a lot better than SIC time in a CRJ, IMO....

Captain Bligh

It sounds to me like your resume demonstrates being a solid employee as a pilot. I think if the airlines were hiring in numbers(not just jet Blue with their social experience) you'd be a contender for many jobs, but there are some that are going to weigh PIC time regardless. Larger numbers in the PIC column will guarantee a job in this industry even if it means the third world somewhere and make make the difference when an employer has to make a choice.

cruiseclimb

Take the King Air job... The market is full of RJ FOs.. get the pic time.

BoilerUP

x2

With solid 91 PIC experience in an airplane that's been around 40 years and known by everybody, you'd not only "check the box" required by most 121 applications but put yourself in a position where you're qualified for more charter/corporate jobs...and by qualified, I don't necessarily mean your logbook.

AtlCSIP

I have a similar circumstance in that I have just secured a part-time Part 91 King Air 200 gig. The pay flying 6 days a month is better than most Regional airlines first year pay. The plane is based within 30 minutes of my house. I will be home 20-25 days a month, and can still keep my Part 135 job (also part-time). Down side is that I will not be building PIC turbine time quickly. The job currently requires about 6 to 12 hours per month of flying, to go to about 20 hours per month within a few months. At 20 hours per month, it will take me 4 years to get to 1000 hours turbine PIC.

That being said, I have 2 questions. First, is there any reason for me to ever go to a Regional, assuming the job remains the same? Second, will 1000 hours PIC in a King Air get me a shot at Major? (I will have over 4000 hours by then, and probably over 5000)

rickair7777

It will give you a shot, but not as good a shot as a regional guy. Assuming your 135 job is piston props, you will have 1000 TPIC but no glass, turbojet, or scheduled/121 experience. Will you even have crew experience, or are both jobs single-pilot?

If your real goal is a major you will probably need to get some 121 time or at least 91/135 turbojet time....you could do it after you get the part 91 TPIC, that combined with some 121 SIC might be enough.

BushwickBill

5 years ago my goal was to get hired at UPS. I was working at a 135 charter service as a copilot with a chance to upgrade to a PIC position. My cousin, who could recommend me for a job at UPS, said I should leave my 135 job for Skywest despite the paycut because it would be the only way to get hired at UPS Since then UPS added a international overwater heavy time requirement. So I was happy that I didn't leave a living wage job for Skywest. Also recently UPS seems to be having major problems. I'm fuzzy about the details because I gave up on ever being eligible to be hired at UPS.

So it just goes to show you. You never know with aviation. I haven't been in the game for a long time and I have seen quite a few changes and good career paths turn into dead ends. The major downside with this career is the uncertainty and it only seems to be getting worse.

We could all use a crystal ball right now but they just are not available.

BoilerUP

UPS hired a handful of pure-corporate/charter pilots in the 2004-2006 hiring binge before they changed minimums to staff ANC (the heavy international stuff) where, at least in one case I'm aware of, the biggest thing the guy had flown was a Citation Encore.

Like everything in aviation, being well-connected is often more important than your logbook...