Hi guys, 

 

I'm trying to find a good site with pilot biographies that'll give me some idea what sort of planes pilots fly on their way to taking us off on holiday in the big tube liners. I'm a relative newbie to flight sims and as an engineering student and former music teacher I'm a firm believer in "learning to walk before you run". I really want to build up my simulated flight hours and progress through aircraft types in a realistic manner and I'm curious as to what exactly is realistic! I'm looking at it from a purely civilian perspective as I have no interest in the military angle. 

 

My question is... is it the same for all pilots or are there many exceptions to the rules? Are there some commercial airliner pilots who might have never done a stint in turbo props? Or are there pilots who might have only done a few months in a Cessna 172 and then got rated in a twin? What are the first jets a commercial pilot might fly? It seems an awfully big leap in technology from say a King Air to an airbus A319... but is that a leap that happens often?

 

Essentially I don't want to unrealistically leap up to a different type of plane that in the real world you wouldn't jump into. Ultimately, I can put hundreds of simulated hours in for nadda and I'd like to make my simulation education as real world equivalent as possible. 

 

At the time of writing I'd consider myself a fairly competent VFR flier, capable of pulling off a "greaser" every once in a while and I don't lose my s*** if I happen upon a few clouds! In fact, are there any online virtual "flight-training" schools. I've seen some commerical packages but they're a bit disappointing. 

Angle of attack. Good stuff. Begin with Aviator90 (which I think is free).

 

Your question is a bit difficult to answer straight and forward, but let me try:

 

There are as many ways from scratch to a 747 cockpit as there is flight schools..

I know alot of pilots, both ex and current flying/flown 737s F50s, Dash8s, A330/A340 and so on.

They came from all sorts of background, but the common platform they all started with was a cessna

or a SEP (single engine piston).

 

The new thing now a days is that you can get a multi crew liscense.. It takes you from scratch and straight into the right seat of a 737/320. If you do it that way, you actually dont get a PPL and cant fly a cessna 172 (how ironic, right). But the fact of the matter is that when the big guys comes around my local flying club to have some laps in a C172, they often suck.. If you leave SEP-flying behind and only fly a 737, youll loose alot of the stick and rudder skills because you suddenly have yaw dampers and servos helping you out.

 

Anyways, the pilots I know come from some of theese backgrounds:

 

Military training RNoAF F-16/Orion ----> Sas/Widerøe 737/dash 8

 

Civil training single engine/twin engine pistons --------> Cessna caravan -------> 737

 

Civil training sep/mep ---------> instructor -------> 737

 

You will always do alot of time in a cessna/piper single engine piston. Then, some actually go straight to the big jets while other jump one leap at the time.

 

There are infact people that have gone from flying piston multi engines to the right seat of a 747.. It depends on luck/skills/contacts etc. 

 

Jumping from a King Air to a A319 is not a big deal if you are ATPL/ATP-rated. The King Air is in itself complex on areas the A319 is not and vice versa.

Thanks maf, that is exactly the type of response I was looking for!

Hi thissmallfish, in my case I started flying c172 and the seneca in the flight school, then I flew pa-28, and arrow for some time increasing my logbook, and then a big airline hired low-experienced pilots where I started to fly the md-80, later B717 and actually A320. Other people I know started directly in the A320, and others from freighters, like the metroliner, caravan or the B146 and actually fly A320, 330, 340, 380, 777 or 787. In aviation you never know in wich cockpit you will end, but normally once you fly in an airliner, you will find new jobs if you need it.

Hi thissmallfish, in my case I started flying c172 and the seneca in the flight school, then I flew pa-28, and arrow for some time increasing my logbook, and then a big airline hired low-experienced pilots where I started to fly the md-80, later B717 and actually A320. Other people I know started directly in the A320, and others from freighters, like the metroliner, caravan or the B146 and actually fly A320, 330, 340, 380, 777 or 787. In aviation you never know in wich cockpit you will end, but normally once you fly in an airliner, you will find new jobs if you need it.

 

Thanks for the reply Nachez So how many hours were you in the c172 and pa-28s before you were able to bag an md-80 job? Are the line-training/type rating requirements different for pilots with different prior experience or is it "one size fits all?"

 

I hope you guys don't mind my prying I just find it all quite fascinating :-)

Hey mate,

Here in Australia we had a huge number of Indian pilots come through to do their CPL. I've known quite a few that did a total of 200hrs in a c152, and then jumped in to a partinavia to do their instrument rating.

They then go back to India with 250hrs and jump straight into a 737, a320, or ATR.

Had another mate who did his cpl in basic singles like c172 and warriors, multi and instrument in a be76, scored a job doing bank runs in an aero commander, built up his hrs, then scored another gig flying a cirrus owner around on business trips. He built up around 800hrs, did a citation endorsement before paying up for b744 enough in the states...

Now he is right hand seat in a 744 for Korean...


Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk
 

Whenever I see these low hour F/O's it reminds of those pay to fly schemes... Especially this guy http://theairlinewebsite.com/topic/388761-a320-hard-landing-incident-kos-greece-20070705/

 

or India's 'pay someone dodgy to fly' scheme resulting in this... http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-02-27/india/28638235_1_dgca-nose-wheel-rough-landing

Interesting stuff guys! Rob, are you a real-world pilot too?

Interesting stuff guys! Rob, are you a real-world pilot too?

I take it you mean Airliners? No, I fly privately.

 

Regards

I take it you mean Airliners? No, I fly privately.

 

Regards

 

Anything. I'm in awe of you all! What do you fly if you don't mind my asking?

Anything. I'm in awe of you all! What do you fly if you don't mind my asking?

This summer was a Piper Cherokee, all depends on what is available to rent, I only spend my summers in the UK, rest of the year I work abroad.

Whenever I see these low hour F/O's it reminds of those pay to fly schemes... Especially this guy http://theairlinewebsite.com/topic/388761-a320-hard-landing-incident-kos-greece-20070705/

 

or India's 'pay someone dodgy to fly' scheme resulting in this... http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-02-27/india/28638235_1_dgca-nose-wheel-rough-landing

 

:blink:   :Shocked:

 

That was not enjoyable reading.. Very disturbing.. 

Interesting stuff guys! Rob, are you a real-world pilot too?

 

I for one fly a real machine: :t4012:

 

And no, it does not beat the air into submission.. It gently strokes it to persuade it.

I just finished an aviation program at a college near Toronto Canada. I flew the C172 and the Piper seminole and am applying to jobs in the north. In Canada low time pilots either instruct or do a bit of bush flying to build enough hours to fly the airlines. So typically in Canada after a pilot has finished their training they move on to fly King airs, or Twin Otters, Navajos, pc- 12, etc etc. Spend 4 -5 years building up hours then move onto the big guys. 

Whenever I see these low hour F/O's it reminds of those pay to fly schemes... Especially this guy http://theairlinewebsite.com/topic/388761-a320-hard-landing-incident-kos-greece-20070705/

 

or India's 'pay someone dodgy to fly' scheme resulting in this... http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-02-27/india/28638235_1_dgca-nose-wheel-rough-landing

 

I mentioned a similar thing on a thread in the FSX forum. With the likes of these guys:

 

http://www.caeoaa.com/

 

You can go straight from a 0 hour newbie to the RHS of a 320/737.

I mentioned a similar thing on a thread in the FSX forum. With the likes of these guys:

 

http://www.caeoaa.com/

 

You can go straight from a 0 hour newbie to the RHS of a 320/737.

 

From the BA cadet program...

 

 

"We regret that the following will not be eligible for the programme:

• Any candidates who have already completed any JAA / EASA ground school exams
• Current CPL or ATPL holders.
• Any military pilots who have commenced training at an Operational Conversion Unit (OCU)"

In other words, dont have previous and valuable experience..

 

I can understand the ATPL point, cause theyre already out there searching for jobs, but the first point??

 

Are they complete morons or am I missing something very crucial?

 

How can they refuse people who completed the PPL ground school exam??