A Fixed-Wing Career?

I got an interesting voicemail from a friend the other day. She told me her father, who has made a career of building his own regional airlines and participating in large aviation companies involving both helicopter and airplane operations, had mentioned to her something about looking for pilots to hire. Of course, it hasn't been uncommon for me to mention to her in the past my desire to someday get a job through the connections of her dad, and so she left in her message to me a question: Do you have any hours flying a King Air?

Now she clearly doesn't have the same knowledge of the aviation industry as I do, or at least a very good knowledge of my current skills and experience. If she had, she might not have asked the question because she would have known not only that flying large, multi engine, turbo-prop, pressurized cabin, high altitude, high performance airplanes is still a bit beyond me, but it's a bit beyond a number of my instructors who's abilities I aspire to. Nevertheless, the question got my attention.

So I've started thinking to myself, why not become a King Air pilot? Sure, my log book is still relatively full of blank pages, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't start thinking about the future. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I realize that this might be the perfect route for me. Not to forgo a career in helicopters, by any means. But working at a regional company that flew both rotorcraft and small airplanes has always been a specific interest of mine. And if building my abilities up to the level of a multi engine, turbo-prop, high altitude, high performance commercial airplane pilot is what I need to do to get that job when it presents itself, then perhaps it's time to start thinking in that direction.

And in reality, when I look into it further, I get the impression that it wouldn't be as hard or expensive as it first seems: at least not to get the legal ratings and endorsements. The hours of experience needed to be hired are another thing. But first of all I would simply need to get a multi-engine add-on to my pilot's license. And because I already have my Commercial license for helicopters, I have the understanding that my multi-engine airplane ticket would also be for commercial privileges. So how many hours does that typically take pilots to achieve? Only about 10.

Also I would need a couple endorsements for high performance and high altitude flight, I expect, but that would fulfill the majority of FAA requirements. In reality I wouldn't jump right then from a Piper Seneca into a turbo prop, but after an adequate amount of additional ground and flight instruction covering the more complex issues, I would probably consider myself ready to begin building time in the right seat of a King Air. So how long would this take? How much money? Maybe only a few weeks, or months if added on top of my current life's schedule, and a few thousand dollars. So if the end result were actually to be employment, especially if it were with a company that could use my skills both as an airplane and a helicopter pilot, I would see no reason not to pursue this route.

But how easily could I make that jump from pilot receiving training to pilot receiving a paycheck? That has yet to be seen.