Pilot in Command Time for Majors

dr650

Well-Known Member
I'm currently training to become an airline pilot and plan on following the route of many pilots that fly for the majors today, first get hired at a regional, then work my way up until I find a job at a major airline. My question is, as a FO at the regionals, do you accumulate any PIC time? To me its seems like you wouldn't and then I'm not clear on how you would get the PIC time to be hired at a major airline. Any suggestions or explanations?
 
I'm currently training to become an airline pilot and plan on following the route of many pilots that fly for the majors today, first get hired at a regional, then work my way up until I find a job at a major airline. My question is, as a FO at the regionals, do you accumulate any PIC time? To me its seems like you wouldn't and then I'm not clear on how you would get the PIC time to be hired at a major airline. Any suggestions or explanations?

You don't start logging PIC time until you are the captain. When I got hired at NWA, the mins were 500 hours PIC. It didn't differentiate between what type of PIC time. I only had 350 hours of turbine PIC when I was interviewed, but had around 1500 including my CFI time, all single engine. Even now I only have 500 hours of multi PIC time.
 
As a First Officer, you accumulate time as second-in-command. In order to accumulate time as pilot-in-command, you must: a) hold an airline transport pilot certificate; b) have a type rating on the airplane; c) complete the FAA approved training program, and d) be designated as the pilot-in-command by the certificate holder (the airline). I say this because I know a couple of pilots who were Captain-qualified by their employer, but flew in the right seat as a First Officer. Occasionally they were scheduled to to fly as Captain. I also know another pilot who did not have enough time to hold an ATP, but was an instructor for the company, and held the required type rating. He occasionally flew as pilot-in-command under Part 91 reposition flights. Believe it or not, he accumulated the time required he needed to get his ATP certificate by flying as pilot-in-command of a BAe-146.
 
[hijack]

Hey, Buzo. . . are you on the -200 in ANC? Had a jumpseater from FAI to ANC last month cuz the only open seats he could find were MSP-FAI. Was that you?
 
[hijack]

Hey, Buzo. . . are you on the -200 in ANC? Had a jumpseater from FAI to ANC last month cuz the only open seats he could find were MSP-FAI. Was that you?


It wasn't me. I am on the -200, but commute from the ORD area.
 
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