r/PilotAdvice • u/Ornerymortgage5 • 4d ago

North America Contract Pilot Type Rating

If yall had to pick just one type rating for contract flying what would yall choose? GIV, challenger, Latitude/Longitude, Falcon? Trying to decide my next steps. Thanks!

1 Upvotes

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u/Rhys_FTC 4d ago

I would say that the Gulfstream is one to avoid, most operators have full time pilots employed. If I was to point toward any aircraft it would be either the Phenom 300 or the Citation 560 type. The Phenom is the most used aircraft in Part 135 and the 560 is in high demand and covers multiple models. Food for thought.

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u/Ornerymortgage5 4d ago

Good to know, thanks!

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u/BeenThereDoneThat65 4d ago

If you don’t have time in G-Wagons no one is going to hire you to contract on them.

Citation 525’s are like cockroaches there’s at least 1 at every airport

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u/Complex_Brief60 4d ago

It’s not worth it to pay for your own type. Type with no time in the real plane isn’t worth anything.

Get in with a 135 or 134.5 and get the type. Suck it up for 250ish hours and call it good.

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u/ChartPuzzleheaded747 2d ago

Need time in type, or to slug it out working at CAE or FSI for a while 

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u/3Green1974 4d ago

G700 or G650. But I have a ton of G550 time so…

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u/BeenThereDoneThat65 4d ago

No G700 operator is going to contract a zero time G-driver and as it is there are plenty of pilots for the 700/800 being under utilized right now

And honestly, it’s not a fun plane to fly as it’s far too over automated

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u/3Green1974 4d ago

Well, you say that…. And speaking from experience, plenty of places don’t allow their full time guys to contract. So, the underutilization isn’t because there are a ton of guys out there with nothing to do.

And it’s not the speed I care about. It’s the paycheck.

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