King Air PIC or Dash FO?

[C-GGGQ]

In that case I'll say either choose whichever job/ company you are gonna enjoy more. (I assume they are not the same company) if your atpl's are submitted stands to reason Dash-8 FO will be CA in not too long so I wouldn't worry too much about missing PIC

[goleafsgo]

In that case I'd take the dash spot

[Cessna 180]

Amazing to read the OP and all the answers.
Does no one actually love flying enough anymore to say...let me fly. Pay me , and treat me fairly?
It seems it is always about the next step up the ladder, so to speak.
I find it amazing that any real pilot would choose the right seat when the left seatis available , at such an early stage of their career.
You youngins are so busy worrying about the music and the big show. In 20 years , Ask the 20 somethings now,who are sitting right seat at the big show, , hiw much they have enjoyed being apilot. With 20 years left in their career.

I don't regret my time up north and flying small machines around Canada, but I don't think I need to relive it as PIC on a King Air to share the pictures and stories I already have. I would love to go back as a contractor or part time, but it's hard when my rate at the airline for OT is substantially higher than most northern operators and survey companies are willing to pay me haha!

Thanks for the response everyone. Maybe I should've been more specific. My Atpl is submitted I have around 900 hours pic, all single engines. Just to clarify, I'm not really in a hurry to get to the airlines. The company im at gives me a decent lifestyle. It is all northern flying. Was just curious if airlines would rather take a guy with 703 multi PIC over 705 SIC with single engine PIC.

I'd for sure go for the dash at this point. Some left seat king air would without a doubt be valuable experience, but you already have the PIC time to make you upgradeable, and your time now might be better spent learning the way an airline works etc. Doesn't give you more time to learn 703 bad habits as well.

If going to China or Emirates is a thing you're ever interested in, the time flying light aircraft as PIC won't count for their hiring requirements. Neither does the Dash-8 for some overseas companies, but it does for Emirates and it opens a lot of doors to apply at a 737 operators in Canada or AC/WJ.

[HansDietrich]

I flew both the King Air and the Dash 8 classic. Go King Air PIC. It's worth way more than any "heavy" FO turboprop gig.

[Canoehead]

I guess if you have 0 pic, but if you're coming into the airline with 400-500 pic, its easy at a lot of them to get PICUS for those last few harder to get hours. Jazz, Porter, are upgrading guys in as little as 8 months with fresh ATPs.

Don't know about Porter, but nobody at Jazz had 8 month upgrade times.

[goleafsgo]

I guess if you have 0 pic, but if you're coming into the airline with 400-500 pic, its easy at a lot of them to get PICUS for those last few harder to get hours. Jazz, Porter, are upgrading guys in as little as 8 months with fresh ATPs.

Don't know about Porter, but nobody at Jazz had 8 month upgrade times.

I know people who were got awarded left seat positions after 9 months and were scheduled for the actual training 2 months later

[Cessna 180]

I guess if you have 0 pic, but if you're coming into the airline with 400-500 pic, its easy at a lot of them to get PICUS for those last few harder to get hours. Jazz, Porter, are upgrading guys in as little as 8 months with fresh ATPs.

Don't know about Porter, but nobody at Jazz had 8 month upgrade times.

I know guys at Porter and GGN (if you want to do that to yourself) that have successfully bid Captain spots after 8-9 months. I'm not 100 percent sure about Jazz, but I heard that on the classic, upgrade times are as short as a year. When Transat, SWG, and AC come and take a number of left seat guys ever year, it makes it pretty easy to upgrade. A lot of more senior FOs chose not to upgrade because they enjoy the lifestyle. You'll be junior a lot longer as a Captain than as an FO.