Type rating just for fun

Everskyward said:
It's the way it is. If you want less competition, pick a field which seems less like "fun".
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Is this your idea of a professional pilot?
fun
verb

: to speak or act in a way that is not serious
​
dtuuri
 
dtuuri said:
Is this your idea of a professional pilot?
fun
verb

: to speak or act in a way that is not serious
​
dtuuri
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I guess you did't notice that I used the word "seems" and put the word "fun" in quotes.

I also notice that you are quoting some irrelevant part of the dictionary instead of some irrelevant portion of the regs this time.
 
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Everskyward said:
I guess you did't notice that I used the word "seems" and put the word "fun" in quotes.

I also notice that you are quoting some irrelevant part of the dictionary instead of some irrelevant portion of the regs this time.
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I notice your nose is as out of joint as ever.

I also notice you don't pay attention to the regs you don't like, but why bring up the past.

dtuuri
 
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dtuuri said:
I notice your nose is as out of joint as ever.

dtuuri
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The only people whose noses are out of joint are the ones who jumped on the OP for asking an innocent question.
 
dtuuri said:
Type rating just for fun? I consider it serious business. Once you get through the course you ought to be ready to carry passengers, often for hire and often total strangers. I doubt from what I've seen that you cut the mustard. Riding in the back doesn't count for experience. Oh, it's not that you can't be propped up long enough to pass the test, Thurmond Munson was. I just don't believe from what I've read you have enough experience to have a clue. If you did, you wouldn't be proposing it.

If you buy an air taxi company the pilots will grow to hate you in short order. I've seen it before: Successful businessman/pilot buys FBO/jet charter operation and totally ef's up everything. Forget it. If you do it, remember where you heard it first. ;)

dtuuri
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Speaking just to the type rating alone, some people consider gaining knowledge, ability, and experience fun, with those things being the objective sought, not monetary return on investment. It's just a difference in how some view aviation rather than others is all.
 
Everskyward said:
If you read his posts he isn't wanting to "progress in his career". It sounds like he already has a good one since he can ride in the back of business jets and is thinking of paying for a type rating. Don't know why there's this angst about it. Yeah I've heard all that stuff about not paying for your type rating, etc, etc. It's true that most working pilots have their type rating paid for by their employer, but then most can't afford one, or at least it doesn't make economic sense. But if that's what he wants to do then he should go for it. As far as his skills as an SIC if he finds someone to fly with, I don't think he will be any worse than a younger, poorer newbie.
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I'm pretty sure most, or at least many, of the pilots at SWA paid for their 737 types.
 
Henning said:
I'm pretty sure most, or at least many, of the pilots at SWA paid for their 737 types.
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I think that it is true. I have heard you need a 737 type before you are hired. In fact I know someone who got one because he was thinking of applying to SWA.
 
Everskyward said:
Your opinion about the OP, not mine.
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Yeah, s/he makes millions, but can't spell (to instead of too; by instead of buy; EBIT instead of EBITDA?). Uses mogas for 27 years. Wants to zoom around in a jet without paying for more than a type rating because it's a non-serious "fun" thing to do. Sounds like your kinda guy.

dtuuri
 
James331 said:
100% agree.

His choice and he's free to make it, doesn't mean I, or most all working in the industry have to agree with him, or like him.



Heck you are free and welcome to tattoo a swastika on your forehead, however it won't make you many friends and it may make getting a job a little more difficult.
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So you don't like someone who wants to get a type rating with no expectation of getting a job? Or someone who wants to get a type rating and play at being a pilot?

I ask because I heard the first, but you seem to be reacting to the second.
 
Everskyward said:
I think that it is true. I have heard you need a 737 type before you are hired. In fact I know someone who got one because he was thinking of applying to SWA.
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It weeds out most non-military trained pilots. They can get Uncle to pay.

dtuuri
 
Art VanDelay said:
So you're all right with things that hurt you ?
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Depends on the level of hurt and the greater benefit, and what that benefit is. If I give up little while someone else, especially groups, benefits greatly, sure. One also has to consider what the benefit and loss is.

Personally I don't think the pointy end of a Jet is a particularly good place for a dilettante to reside, with a strong captain in the left seat, the risks get minimized. If he takes the time to really learn the systems on a type rating, he will be a CRM asset greater than many right seaters that have greater flying experience but little systems knowledge.
 
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Everskyward said:
I think that it is true. I have heard you need a 737 type before you are hired. In fact I know someone who got one because he was thinking of applying to SWA.
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Back in the day, you had to have the type to interview. Up until a couple weeks ago, you had to have the type to go to class. They've now officially dropped the requirement to have a 737 type rating
 
dtuuri said:
Is this your idea of a professional pilot?
fun
verb

: to speak or act in a way that is not serious
​
dtuuri
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:confused::confused::confused: Have you seen the starting wages and living conditions for professional pilots? Can there be any doubt that "fun" is the reason they are there?
 
dtuuri said:
Yeah, s/he makes millions, but can't spell (to instead of too; by instead of buy; EBIT instead of EBITDA?). Uses mogas for 27 years. Wants to zoom around in a jet without paying for more than a type rating because it's a non-serious "fun" thing to do. Sounds like your kinda guy.
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I could go through your posts and pick on your spelling and autocorrect problems too but I'm not wasting my time. Don't know what you have against the OP. Isn't this forum mostly about "fun" flying? Some people think the challenge of getting a type rating and flying a jet is fun. More power to them.
 
I am not going back on anything I said

Paying for a type for a job is not good for the industry and is frowned apon, that's a fact.

Paying for a type in a B25, DC3 or whatever just for fun is 100% fine, albeit not the best bang for the proverbial buck, as is paying to get a glider add on or something to expand your mind as a pilot.
 
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KSCessnaDriver said:
Back in the day, you had to have the type to interview. Up until a couple weeks ago, you had to have the type to go to class. They've now officially dropped the requirement to have a 737 type rating
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Ok I stand corrected.
 
Henning said:
Personally I don't think the pointy end of a Jet is a particularly good place for a dilettante to reside, with a strong captain in the left seat, the risks get minimized. If he takes the time to really learn the systems on a type rating, he will be a CRM asset greater than many right seaters that have greater flying experience but little systems knowledge.
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Big "if". I knew a man who flew a Jetstar with a dilettante for a copilot. It was a small steel company and the owner's son fancied himself as a pilot. Although he had a commercial license he was incompetent in every imaginable way. For the captain, it was like flying the Jetstar single pilot and handicapped too.

dtuuri
 
Henning said:
:confused::confused::confused: Have you seen the starting wages and living conditions for professional pilots? Can there be any doubt that "fun" is the reason they are there?
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If you saw my retired brother's boat, house and airplane you'd know the answer.

dtuuri
 
KSCessnaDriver said:
Back in the day, you had to have the type to interview. Up until a couple weeks ago, you had to have the type to go to class. They've now officially dropped the requirement to have a 737 type rating
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Ahh, interesting, I wonder if it has something to do with them taking on all those non typed pilots in the last acquisition? Something to do with Equal Opportunity hiring practices?:dunno:
 
A person's skill as a pilot has nothing to do with whether they paid for their own type rating or not. And everyone is new at it in the beginning.
 
dtuuri said:
If you saw my retired brother's boat, house and airplane you'd know the answer.

dtuuri
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That's the gamble, making it at one carrier long enough to get in the good pay scales and retire. That isn't particularly the industry standard anymore. Lot's of big iron pilots lost it all when their airline folded and started over at the bottom right seat pay scale at a regional for $25k and ended up losing the house and the boat in the ensuing bankruptcy.

No, most kids are are in it for the shiny jet fun.
 
Henning said:
That's the gamble, making it at one carrier long enough to get in the good pay scales and retire. That isn't particularly the industry standard anymore. Lot's of big iron pilots lost it all when their airline folded and started over at the bottom right seat pay scale at a regional for $25k and ended up losing the house and the boat in the ensuing bankruptcy.

No, most kids are are in it for the shiny jet fun.
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I have fun flying, still enjoy flying my own plane too, got some nice toys all paid off, there are more ways to be a professional pilot other than the 121 route.

That said, when I go to work it's to put food on the table, do my job, having fun is a nice side effect.
 
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Henning said:
No, most kids are are in it for the shiny jet fun.
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Satisfaction at doing a challenging job well, at mitigating high risks for the safety of your passengers is enough for me. I don't consider it "fun", but serious business. For "fun" flying they make little corn poppers that putt around the sky at less than half the speed. I like those too, maybe more.

dtuuri
 
dtuuri said:
Satisfaction at doing a challenging job well, at mitigating high risks for the safety of your passengers is enough for me. I don't consider it "fun", but serious business. For "fun" flying they make little corn poppers that putt around the sky at less than half the speed. I like those too, maybe more.
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Your popper can kill you just as dead as your jet. It seems as if we have had a few examples of that around here in the past few years.
 
Everskyward said:
Your popper can kill you just as dead as your jet. It seems as if we have had a few examples of that around here in the past few years.
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Some might also argue that the "popper" is more challenging to fly given lack of systems redundancy, required engine management of a piston, no FO and very little of the huge "excess power" a jet has.

I've heard some say that single pilot IFR/IMC ops in a piston twin is about as high as the workload gets. Could be...never flown a turbine.
 
Look guys, lay off Rotarywing. We are all in this for our own reasons. If he wants to pay for a type rating and fly for "fun", well God Bless him. He has the resources to do so. And yes, flying professionally can be fun. I mean fun fun, not "fun".

I just got checked out as Captain at United Airlines. Yes it was and is a lot of work. But I just flew my first trip out of IOE, and yes I had fun.

So stuff THAT in your pipe and smoke it.
 
LOL: If the OP had started the type rating training at the same time as he started this thread, he's done by now and the thread will take at least another few months to die. Haha. ;)
 
Greg Bockelman said:
Look guys, lay off Rotarywing. We are all in this for our own reasons. If he wants to pay for a type rating and fly for "fun", well God Bless him. He has the resources to do so. And yes, flying professionally can be fun. I mean fun fun, not "fun".

I just got checked out as Captain at United Airlines. Yes it was and is a lot of work. But I just flew my first trip out of IOE, and yes I had fun.

So stuff THAT in your pipe and smoke it.
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This.
 
Citation. I have several Citation types, and the 750 is a real kick-in-the-pants to fly. Also, it commands the most money on the contract market.
 
That said, a couple years ago I was seriously considering getting a purely ornimental type rating; the DC3. I would love to have it on my ticket even though I would likely never have a use for it.
 
Greg Bockelman said:
Look guys, lay off Rotarywing. We are all in this for our own reasons. If he wants to pay for a type rating and fly for "fun", well God Bless him. He has the resources to do so. And yes, flying professionally can be fun. I mean fun fun, not "fun".

I just got checked out as Captain at United Airlines. Yes it was and is a lot of work. But I just flew my first trip out of IOE, and yes I had fun.

So stuff THAT in your pipe and smoke it.
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What Greg says. I have a commercial multi-engine certificate that I got for fun. I haven't flown a multi since the checkride which was three years ago. I knew that would be the result when I paid the thousands to do it.

Will I get type'd some day? Maybe. But it'll be just for fun as well.
 
denverpilot said:
LOL: If the OP had started the type rating training at the same time as he started this thread, he's done by now and the thread will take at least another few months to die. Haha. ;)
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Have you done a type? Generally it takes between two and four weeks. There are likely exceptions both plus or minus.
 
Kritchlow said:
That said, a couple years ago I was seriously considering getting a purely ornimental type rating; the DC3. I would love to have it on my ticket even though I would likely never have a use for it.
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Th best paying routes on the planet still fly them.;)
 
Kritchlow said:
Have you done a type? Generally it takes between two and four weeks. There are likely exceptions both plus or minus.
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Ok so he'd be only a week away. Haha. You kinda missed the point.

Here I'll be more blunt:

Instead of asking on an aviation forum, for anything you feel like doing for fun, just go have fun.

LOL.

I'm going to start a thread to see if I should have a beer at OSH this year. :rollseyes2:
 
denverpilot said:
Ok so he'd be only a week away. Haha. You kinda missed the point.

Here I'll be more blunt:

Instead of asking on an aviation forum, for anything you feel like doing for fun, just go have fun.

LOL.

I'm going to start a thread to see if I should have a beer at OSH this year. :rollseyes2:
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Looking back at the first post, the OP was not asking if he should do it or not, he was asking for suggestions about which type would be better. Before the thread came off the tracks.
 
Everskyward said:
Looking back at the first post, the OP was not asking if he should do it or not, he was asking for suggestions about which type would be better. Before the thread came off the tracks.
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Hmm. Good point.

Of course, if you're doing something for fun and really don't have any other underlying reason, it doesn't matter at all.

By hinting he had an underlying desire to be a free Commercial pilot, that's actually what made it come off the rails. ;)

I've heard Kent's "someone needed me to warm a seat in a jet" story, of course, but I'm amazed at any industry that's let anyone with ratings and zero experience hop in a seat at all.

"Hey, I maintain Linux systems in my basement and have a bunch of industry certs. Wanna have me just sit in your office and do stuff on the night shift?"

ROFL. Right. Sure.

I have a feeling any company that'd let you hop in a seat with nothing more than an FAA piece of plastic and not even signing a waiver let alone being an employee and under their employment contracts, is not run well enough you want to risk your life in one of their aircraft.

Just a guess. ;)
 
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