I've seen a few odds and ends comments on here by folks that own higher end turboprops (PC-12, TBM, etc.) or light jets (Phenom, PC-24, SF50, CJ2, etc.), my question is what was your license/experience route to being able to own and fly one? I'm hopefully going to be considering buying a complex/high performance aircraft sometime in the next few years, but let's say I even end up with a higher end Mooney like an M20M or Acclaim. That's easily achievable with where I'm at now. It seems a huge jump to go from that to a TBM or jet so I'm just curious what that route normally looks like. While I certainly doubt I'll ever be in the position to consider purchasing a private jet, I'm still very curious about getting there, I just can't make it make sense in my head currently.
What's the license/experience route to private jet/turboprop flying?
- Thread starter MattCW
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Tools
The license route is immaterial. The real consideration is experience. That comes from spending time in the air making decisions, and handling the consequences.
Acquiring mission creep and resetting yourself.
The higher performance you go, the patently easier it is to fly. I got my Airbus 330 type rating doing the single engine approach AND missed approach ON THE AUTOPILOT!
BUT… the higher the performance the further from the crash site is the decision that makes it INEVITABLE. And NOTHING can stop it.
So the answer to your question is why do you fly? If you enjoy the pain and suffering that comes from getting qualified, AND are successful at it, would do it again… and find yourself flying when you probably should be doing something else… you’ll likely be fine.
If you fly just to get there quicker… eh… maybe reconsider.
Acquiring mission creep and resetting yourself.
The higher performance you go, the patently easier it is to fly. I got my Airbus 330 type rating doing the single engine approach AND missed approach ON THE AUTOPILOT!
BUT… the higher the performance the further from the crash site is the decision that makes it INEVITABLE. And NOTHING can stop it.
So the answer to your question is why do you fly? If you enjoy the pain and suffering that comes from getting qualified, AND are successful at it, would do it again… and find yourself flying when you probably should be doing something else… you’ll likely be fine.
If you fly just to get there quicker… eh… maybe reconsider.
Palmpilot
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You can fly those aircraft with a private pilot certificate, but you would need additional training and endorsements for complex, high-performance, and pressurized airplanes. You would also need to get type ratings for the jets.
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tbroadhurst
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Your question boils down to one thing to me. MONEY, I have flown the planes you are talking about but they belonged to other people, your question sounds like you want to own and fly one as we all would like to do , owning a turbine or jet aircraft is very expensive, even the newer high performance G A aircraft are expensive in today’s market, as mentioned getting the license is minimal to buying and maintaining a high performance aircraft, if you are in the financial position to do that great , i wish I was
midlifeflyer
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Took the words right out of my fingers.
kaiser
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I'm not going to bring up money but will answer it differently.
I have recently started flying a PC-12, the next fastest plane I've flown being SR22T. I’m still low time (touching 800hrs), but may be able to provide some insight. As far as stick and rudder, it’s just about as easy of a plane to fly as a 182. If I did the math on how many landings it took me to get good in it, it probably has the least of all the types I fly. To solo, I heard it takes about 50 hours (and I agree). That's because the big step up is more about operating it than stick and rudder. Everything moves a lot faster. Frequency changes, clearance changes, traffic management, adjusting pattern size, etc. The real key to proficiency is strategies for staying ahead of the plane/mission. One thing that really opened my eyes was as simple as grabbing the ATIS. In our little planes, we can get the ATIS 20 minutes before we get to approach’s airspace. In the PC-12 it’s barely a couple minutes.
I have recently started flying a PC-12, the next fastest plane I've flown being SR22T. I’m still low time (touching 800hrs), but may be able to provide some insight. As far as stick and rudder, it’s just about as easy of a plane to fly as a 182. If I did the math on how many landings it took me to get good in it, it probably has the least of all the types I fly. To solo, I heard it takes about 50 hours (and I agree). That's because the big step up is more about operating it than stick and rudder. Everything moves a lot faster. Frequency changes, clearance changes, traffic management, adjusting pattern size, etc. The real key to proficiency is strategies for staying ahead of the plane/mission. One thing that really opened my eyes was as simple as grabbing the ATIS. In our little planes, we can get the ATIS 20 minutes before we get to approach’s airspace. In the PC-12 it’s barely a couple minutes.
tbroadhurst
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It sounds like you have answered your own question and you are on your way to becoming what you asked about, not sure how you got a job flying a PC12 unless it’s the right seat or you own it , insurance would be a issue but good luck to you on your journey , and yes I am jealous I wish I had one to fly.
tbroadhurst
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I have flown some pretty fast planes and we could get the ATIS quite a ways out but that was years ago maybe it’s different now
Jim_R
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tbroadhurst
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You’re right now I am confused.
@kaiser spent all his money on Porsches, not airplanes. He's getting paid to fly the PC12.
flyersfan31
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Mooney to TBM is not a huge jump. Honestly turboprops are so much easier to fly. If you can start the engine without blowing it up you are golden. Well, and pay the fuel bill.
Would depend on hours, but you’d need at least an instrument rating, obviously. Might need 20-30hrs supervised flight after Initial training at SimCom or the like.
A commercial rating would be even more helpful. Also, timing the insurance market helps too. Insurers’ appetite for risk waxes and wanes. I was looking to step up from a Matrix to a twin. At the time only twin they’d consider was a Navaho, even with a CMEL. No chance for a 340 and even Barons were iffy. So I got a Meridian, no issue insuring a turboprop at all. A few years later, need a bigger plane, got a 414A with only ins requirement was Initial sim training plus 2 hrs in aircraft. They didn’t even blink, with only 35 ME time in a Seminole!
18 months later I dumped the 414A for a Super Cheyenne and since then I have had it all. A twin turbine. Life is beautiful. Allah akbar! And insurance only requires recurrent sim training. I would never buy another 414 - what a nightmare.
Would depend on hours, but you’d need at least an instrument rating, obviously. Might need 20-30hrs supervised flight after Initial training at SimCom or the like.
A commercial rating would be even more helpful. Also, timing the insurance market helps too. Insurers’ appetite for risk waxes and wanes. I was looking to step up from a Matrix to a twin. At the time only twin they’d consider was a Navaho, even with a CMEL. No chance for a 340 and even Barons were iffy. So I got a Meridian, no issue insuring a turboprop at all. A few years later, need a bigger plane, got a 414A with only ins requirement was Initial sim training plus 2 hrs in aircraft. They didn’t even blink, with only 35 ME time in a Seminole!
18 months later I dumped the 414A for a Super Cheyenne and since then I have had it all. A twin turbine. Life is beautiful. Allah akbar! And insurance only requires recurrent sim training. I would never buy another 414 - what a nightmare.
flyersfan31
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I did somewhat of the classic progression. Sundowner - T182T - Matrix - Meridian - 414A - Cheyenne. All enjoyable planes except the 414A. I'm done buying planes though. Im not giving up the Cheyenne until they make me.
tbroadhurst
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You guys are very fortunate to be able to fly that kind of equipment, when I was in business we had a turbo commander great plane but those days are over for me now , enjoy it while you can it will end one day, the insurance companies don’t think much of the golden years and maybe they are right , I had a friend that had a 414 I didn’t think much of it my RAM turbo 210 would eat his lunch , of course they are bigger I have flown it years ago I thought they were way under powered , and yes turbines are way easier to manage. we had dash 10 engines with auto start so that was easy Have fun