A320 or 737 type rating?

jax12

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jax12
Hello all,
If anyone could offer some career advice, I'd be most grateful.

I'll be paying for my ATP and type rating out of pocket in order to make myself more competitive for airline interviews.

I only have part 135 SEL-turbine experience. I'm not really sure which type rating I should pursue to make myself more competitive with major airlines. Any suggestions or insights would be highly welcome and appreciated.
 
My choice would be the 737. The big 3 have both. But just about everyone has Boeing products.
 
Disclaimer: I am not an airline guy yet, just a .mil dude who got my ATP. I went with the 737 because of this logic. No airline cares about your type rating because they’re going to train you their own way. Also, there’s recency of experience requirements with your type rating that you won’t meet after you get it unless you’re already hired with an airline.

The only airline that seems to care at all about a type rating is SWA, even though they don’t officially require it, and they fly the 737.
 
So therefore, consider a citation or something that might come in handy while you wait or if you get furloughed.

Unless you’re really targeting SWA.
 
The 737 type would be simpler, and I'd think cheaper, because of the complexity of the A320's fly-by-wire system.
 
Does going out and spending the money on a type rating help getting hire at an airline? They are just going to have to train you anyway. I could see a type rating being a plus for a corporate operator, because they don't care as much about how you were trained just that you have it.
 
The 737 type would be simpler, and I'd think cheaper, because of the complexity of the A320's fly-by-wire system.
got to disagree with you about simpler. the A320 was designed to be flown by a captain and a chimp, they don't want you to know much about it. my 320 type was the easiest type I have gotten. systems on the 737, because of the age, are more in depth. not to mention those memory items. none, or possibly one on the 320 depending on who is flying it.
 
Airbus’ sims fly EXACTLY like the plane, unlike most other sims/planes.

Pretty short program.
 
Airbus’ sims fly EXACTLY like the plane, unlike most other sims/planes.

Pretty short program.

Actually the aircraft flies like the sim, not the other way around. It’s completely soulless with zero feedback. Happily almost all more modern fly by wire systems incorporate feedback loops into the system. The 787 and A220 are excellent examples as well as most new business jets.
 
Does going out and spending the money on a type rating help getting hire at an airline? They are just going to have to train you anyway. I could see a type rating being a plus for a corporate operator, because they don't care as much about how you were trained just that you have it.
In fact having a type rating for an airliner with no time can be a red flag for an airline as they may think that you are more interested in flying for an airline with that type.
 
In fact having a type rating for an airliner with no time can be a red flag for an airline as they may think that you are more interested in flying for an airline with that type.

Not true.

Getting the type in conjunction with the new rules for an ATP is just another way of doing it. Having a type rating (any type) also shows the applicant has the ability to be trained.
 
Actually the aircraft flies like the sim, not the other way around. It’s completely soulless with zero feedback. Happily almost all more modern fly by wire systems incorporate feedback loops into the system. The 787 and A220 are excellent examples as well as most new business jets.
No feed back on the 7X and I would definitely not call that plane soulless. I'd say it's quite the opposite and as far as I can tell it's the most soulful of the fbw business jets
 
Keep in mind that with only SEL turbine time, a jet type rating with a 100% simulator checkride is going to have a supervised operating experience limitation attached to it, and unless you actually fly that type, it’ll stay on your certificate “forever”.

Probably not a big deal, but worth mentioning.
§61.64 Use of a flight simulator and flight training device.
(a) Use of a flight simulator or flight training device. If an applicant for a certificate or rating uses a flight simulator or flight training device for training or any portion of the practical test, the flight simulator and flight training device—

(1) Must represent the category, class, and type (if a type rating is applicable) for the rating sought; and

(2) Must be qualified and approved by the Administrator and used in accordance with an approved course of training under part 141 or part 142 of this chapter; or under part 121 or part 135 of this chapter, provided the applicant is a pilot employee of that air carrier operator.

(b) Except as provided in paragraph (f) of this section, if an airplane is not used during the practical test for a type rating for a turbojet airplane (except for preflight inspection), an applicant must accomplish the entire practical test in a Level C or higher flight simulator and the applicant must—

(1) Hold a type rating in a turbojet airplane of the same class of airplane for which the type rating is sought, and that type rating may not contain a supervised operating experience limitation;

(2) Have 1,000 hours of flight time in two different turbojet airplanes of the same class of airplane for which the type rating is sought;

(3) Have been appointed by the U.S. Armed Forces as pilot in command in a turbojet airplane of the same class of airplane for which the type rating is sought;

(4) Have 500 hours of flight time in the same type of airplane for which the type rating is sought; or

(5) Have logged at least 2,000 hours of flight time, of which 500 hours were in turbine-powered airplanes of the same class of airplane for which the type rating is sought.

......

(f) If the applicant does not meet one of the experience requirements of paragraphs (b)(1) through (5), (c)(1) through (5), (d)(1) through (4) or (e)(1) through (4) of this section, as appropriate to the type rating sought, then—

(1) The applicant must complete the following tasks on the practical test in an aircraft appropriate to category, class, and type for the rating sought: Preflight inspection, normal takeoff, normal instrument landing system approach, missed approach, and normal landing; or

(2) The applicant's pilot certificate will be issued with a limitation that states: “The [name of the additional type rating] is subject to pilot in command limitations,” and the applicant is restricted from serving as pilot in command in an aircraft of that type.

(g) The limitation described under paragraph (f)(2) of this section may be removed from the pilot certificate if the applicant complies with the following—

(1) Performs 25 hours of flight time in an aircraft of the category, class, and type for which the limitation applies under the direct observation of the pilot in command who holds a category, class, and type rating, without limitations, for the aircraft;

(2) Logs each flight and the pilot in command who observed the flight attests in writing to each flight;

(3) Obtains the flight time while performing the duties of pilot in command; and

(4) Presents evidence of the supervised operating experience to any Examiner or Flight Standards office to have the limitation removed.


.
 
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A type rating without any experience in the plane or at least some equivalent experience (other 121/turbine time) is pretty useless.

As far as 737/Airbus...well either will be fine as they are both the most prolific airframes out there. There is no learning curve between the two.
 
In theory the Bus is an easy airplane. In reality I find it a bit challenging. Yes, in a third world country you’d be fine slowing to the managed programmed speeds on cue, but in the US this is useless. Any Bus pilot knows we are constantly overriding (tricking) the airplane to do other things. I think this complicates the flying, as we all know a change in speed effs up your vertical profile. Sometimes the Bus likes it, other times it does not. Maybe Boeing is the same, not sure.

Type rating in the Bus, just learning the laws, can be mystifying. The rest of the type may be easy. Flying the airplane... not so much.
 
How about doing what it takes to get on with a ‘regional’ airline once hiring ramps up? No need for either type rating. You’ll eventually need ME PIC turbine time anyway, the way I see it.
 
Probably doesn’t matter which one you get. I’d go with whatever is going to be cheaper for you.
 
If you are just starting out as an ATP with low hours, you probably won't have much luck getting hired at a mainline carrier anyway. You'll more than likely end up spending time at a regional flying a CRJ/ERJ of some type.
 
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