Flying a Cessna to flying a King Air

pilotmichael

pilotmichael

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PilotMichael
So lets say you have a day job and are a weekend warrior with 200 TT hours flying mainly single engine 4 seaters. SEL, no other ratings.

You might have the opportunity for a slight career change in the next couple years. That career change would be to fly a King Air (possibly an old 90 or 200). What are my options for quickly an efficiently aligning myself for this position over the next couple years that:

A. Makes me crew qualified in the King Air
B. Makes me single pilot qualified (I understand I need a pile of TT and TIT)
C. Makes me insurable (either A or B - again, I've heard lots of TT and time in type)

Anybody out there having made similar moves that can shed some light on this for me? And before you say "you'll need a pile of $$$". I know that and I'm working on a mitigation strategy for that.

Thanks!
 
A multi rating is a good start. Hang out at the FBOs and see if you can find someone with a King Air that will let you bum rides.
 
Go for the muti rating,then look around the charter companies. You could get some right seat time,even with low hours.
 
A Commercial with multi and instrument ratings are the bare a** minimum qualifications for a job flying any King Air.
Those KA's are certified for only one pilot, no SIC is needed like the vast majority of the jets. Maybe you can find a 91 or a 135 operator that will put someone with those minimum qualifications in the right seat. Maybe they'll even let you fly the plane from the right seat on dead head legs. Maybe a 91 operator will let you fly from the right seat while the boss is in the back too. You'll have to talk with this company about what they require, and go from there.
 
Get your multi, commercial and IR, as others have said, bum rides in twins, I know guys that flew right seat in 414's and such for free to build time. Multi time is expensive, so get it when and where you can! I'd be surprised to see anyone with less than 500 hours get insurance on any turbine twin! You'll probably need closer 1000 hours to be considered for coverage.
 
Do IR first. Then commercial single. Then add on multi commercial. That's the more economical path


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N747JB said:
I'd be surprised to see anyone with less than 500 hours get insurance on any turbine twin! You'll probably need closer 1000 hours to be considered for coverage.
Click to expand...

This is what I was looking for right here. I've seen "you need 2-3K TT to get into a King Air" and the above (500-1000). Trying to find real world examples here. I suppose calling an insurance company with a tail # of a King Air might give me an idea.

The IR, COM, Multi COM is a given of course. Also, is it crazy talk to get your multi in a King Air assuming you start with a pile of money?
 
pilotmichael said:
So lets say you have a day job and are a weekend warrior with 200 TT hours flying mainly single engine 4 seaters. SEL, no other ratings.

You might have the opportunity for a slight career change in the next couple years. That career change would be to fly a King Air (possibly an old 90 or 200). What are my options for quickly an efficiently aligning myself for this position over the next couple years that:

A. Makes me crew qualified in the King Air
B. Makes me single pilot qualified (I understand I need a pile of TT and TIT)
C. Makes me insurable (either A or B - again, I've heard lots of TT and time in type)

Anybody out there having made similar moves that can shed some light on this for me? And before you say "you'll need a pile of $$$". I know that and I'm working on a mitigation strategy for that.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

As most here have said, get commercial, multi, and instrument certificates/ratings.

You will not likely learn crew skills until you work for a company with defined SOP's.
Personally I wouldn't work for a single pilot King Air outfit.

That said, the transition for an experienced twin pilot is pretty easy. But... with no twin time might be a bit rough.

One other thing to note.. It's not just a different airplane. Once you start flying turbine equipment the flying world often changes. You are now expected to handle complex profile arrivals, and other things that ATC expects from a pilot flying that equipment. Often the kid gloves come off.
It's not rocket science, but for the first while you may be behind the airplane in certain situations. It's a bit different than IFR AT 6,000 feet.

ETA: to fly single pilot I would expect an ATP will be required.
 
At 200TT you're going to be a hot mess, maybe be a "FO" if you have a super acomndating pilot in the left seat
 
This guy got his multi in his own C90!! This was his first flight without a cfi!
http://www.wral.com/news/state/story/2384767/


Kritchlow said:
As most here have said, get commercial, multi, and instrument certificates/ratings.

You will not likely learn crew skills until you work for a company with defined SOP's.
Personally I wouldn't work for a single pilot King Air outfit.

That said, the transition for an experienced twin pilot is pretty easy. But... with no twin time might be a bit rough.

One other thing to note.. It's not just a different airplane. Once you start flying turbine equipment the flying world often changes. You are now expected to handle complex profile arrivals, and other things that ATC expects from a pilot flying that equipment. Often the kid gloves come off.
It's not rocket science, but for the first while you may be behind the airplane in certain situations. It's a bit different than IFR AT 6,000 feet.

ETA: to fly single pilot I would expect an ATP will be required.
Click to expand...
 
Also be careful trying to log right seat time in an airplane that on the type certificate only requires one crew member. Even if the insurance requires two you may not be legal to log it unless the company that owns the aircraft has the FAA ops-spec or similar operating certificate stating it is a two crew member operation, and if non of that exists you really can't log it as SIC, only way would be Dual Received. I have seen people run in to some issues like this while trying to get an airline or corporate job because the time they logged was not "valid" in the aircraft, similar to trying to log SIC in a 172.
 
pilotmichael said:
This is what I was looking for right here. I've seen "you need 2-3K TT to get into a King Air" and the above (500-1000). Trying to find real world examples here. I suppose calling an insurance company with a tail # of a King Air might give me an idea.

The IR, COM, Multi COM is a given of course. Also, is it crazy talk to get your multi in a King Air assuming you start with a pile of money?
Click to expand...
I think I had about 1000-1200 hours with only 500 single when I bought a Conquest II, insurance was pricey the first year, but that was 1996, so things have changed!
 
JustinD said:
Also be careful trying to log right seat time in an airplane that on the type certificate only requires one crew member. Even if the insurance requires two you may not be legal to log it unless the company that owns the aircraft has the FAA ops-spec or similar operating certificate stating it is a two crew member operation, and if non of that exists you really can't log it as SIC, only way would be Dual Received. I have seen people run in to some issues like this while trying to get an airline or corporate job because the time they logged was not "valid" in the aircraft, similar to trying to log SIC in a 172.
Click to expand...

Or you turn the autopilot on and the left-seater is ok with you logging the time instead of him.
 
pilotmichael said:
So lets say you have a day job and are a weekend warrior with 200 TT hours flying mainly single engine 4 seaters. SEL, no other ratings.

You might have the opportunity for a slight career change in the next couple years. That career change would be to fly a King Air (possibly an old 90 or 200). What are my options for quickly an efficiently aligning myself for this position over the next couple years that:

A. Makes me crew qualified in the King Air
B. Makes me single pilot qualified (I understand I need a pile of TT and TIT)
C. Makes me insurable (either A or B - again, I've heard lots of TT and time in type)

Anybody out there having made similar moves that can shed some light on this for me? And before you say "you'll need a pile of $$$". I know that and I'm working on a mitigation strategy for that.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Aside from bumming some right seat rides, your expectations of going to a King Air from a Cessna are unreasonable. I've got a friend who's over 500 hours, IR, commercial, and bums rides in a 414 right now to build ME time. He's got a few hours of King Air time but it certainly wasn't paid.

There's no real shortcut. Get your CFI and go build time to 135 minimums. Get ME time along the way any way you can.
 
N747JB said:
I think I had about 1000-1200 hours with only 500 single when I bought a Conquest II, insurance was pricey the first year, but that was 1996, so things have changed!
Click to expand...

Me too. I got into the conquest with 1000tt and 500 multi. I got $5mm smooth coverage my second year for a much lower % hull value than I did my first year on the 310 with 100k/$1mm limits.


To the op?

Get your IR and comm first. Buy this and fly it 500 hours.
https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/community/threads/1965-piper-aztec-for-sale.105321/#post-2355670
 
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