What's better?? PIC Multi or SIC turbine?

Which would you take?

  • Cessna 402, part 121 PIC multi (30k/ yr, 8 days off a month)

    Votes: 19 33.3%

  • BeechJet 400, part 135 SIC multi turbine (40k/yr, 5 days off a month)

    Votes: 24 42.1%

  • ERJ, part 121 SIC multi turbine airline (20k/ yr, 12 days off month)

    Votes: 14 24.6%
  • Total voters
    57
  • Poll closed .
Cav said:
Sorry but flying airplanes is not THAT cool. Even if you are on call and rarely flying it's not worth it. On call days are still work days in my book and not entirely "mine" when the phone doesn't ring. Yeah it beats being on the road but my job is to be available so certain obligations must be met.
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Indeed. I do get enjoyment out of what I do for a living, but it's mostly there to fund my ever-increasing expensive hobbies. :D
 
Warning!!! This is a 0.2 cents alert!!! Warning!!!


I've been told (by a much older, and presumably wiser pilot) that, "if it flies more, or it pays more, take the job. Don't sit around twiddling your thumbs, get your time and move on."

Looks to me the multi turbine time, with more pay, wouldn't be a bad fit. It also follows the "it flies more/pays more" mantra. If you don't mind 5 days off a month that is. You would be building the time you don't have, gain a SIC type (I would assume), and if you keep pushing (networking), move on to greener pastures as soon as someone else decides they want you for more $$. It's easier to hire a guy into a jet if he already has jet experience, pic or not, thus, a good step towards progression.

I bet you could find a multi-twin job later on down the road, if the jet job becomes too much due to time off, and the regionals aren't going anywhere either.
 
Cav said:
Personally I think 5 guaranteed days off per month sounds absolutely miserable.
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Hmm, try getting zero guaranteed days off per month. Hell, my wife and I are both expected to work/be available/answer emails during paid vacation too. Or during sick days too. You folks actually have it pretty good :)
 
dasleben said:
I'm going to go out on a limb and say "All of the above."

Only speaking from personal experience, but my first flying job after instructing was for XJT, flying the ERJ as an FO. I did about a year there before being furloughed. When I hit the street, I had a little over 550 hours of jet time, which was the entire sum of my turbine experience. During my furlough, I got my ATP and flew 402s (probably the same 135 gig you're talking about), which provided me another 1500 hours of multi PIC, mostly single pilot, mostly in the northeast, in some rather challenging conditions. Naturally, I expected that future employers would brush off my Cape Air time as "just piston twin time," but in fact, the opposite happened.

That 402 time opened doors I wouldn't have ever expected possible. Instead of going back to XJT (or going to fly for another regional), I was sitting in interviews and 121 groundschools with guys I'd never thought I'd be competitive with, at companies I never thought I'd see without turbine PIC. In reality, that 402 time was huge, regardless of the types of motors attached to it. It was PIC time, and well, PIC is king.

I strongly encourage anyone with the opportunity to go fly for Cape Air (or similar operation) and build PIC time. Once you get a good amount of it on your resume, then go out and fly right seat somewhere. It will pay dividends later.

Actually, let me relate a story: A friend of mine was a Cape F/O, hired with about 400 hours. He flew the 402 for about 1000 hours, then right before going to upgrade, he got antsy and decided that he wanted to go fly for the regionals. I tried to talk him out of it, to convince him to at least get his ATP and do a year as PIC. Unfortunately, he did indeed leave the company, and now he's lost in the regional shuffle, uncompetitive to move on. As much as I've wanted to help him get out of the regionals, he simply can't do it; he doesn't have any PIC!

Seriously, PIC! Go fly the 402 for a year or two if you don't have a good base of 121/135 PIC already. It's not much time, you can go fly jets later, and it'll pay off in the long run.

P.S.: Don't get trapped in the "Pay/QOL" thing yet. Yes, that's very important...eventually. For now, you need to do work on your resume so that you can be competitive later on.
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Is most of the cape air flying single pilot? I saw 402 Fo's on the list...
 
I selected the Beechjet, cos that's what I do. I get less than 10 hard days off a month, but can request (and usually get approved) whatever reasonable I like. I make roughly $40k, and received a PIC type, and I also LOVE my job.

I will say, that in my opinion total time is king, and I do not have enough. My company requires 3000 hours to upgrade, and we only fly 300ish a year, and I am a little shy. Until I had 5000 hours, I would fly as much as possible, and try to get paid as much as possible.

After total time, I'd value jet and multi PIC roughly the same.
 
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