Someone plz explain to me what a mutli-crew license is...plz.
It's a scam the airlines came up with to solve the "pilot shortage". It is in effect or under consideration in some foreign countries, but not in the US yet.
An 18 year-old is trained mostly in a simulator to serve as a gear monkey. The MCPL allows him to sit right seat in a widebody, but he would NOT be allowed to rent a 152 and fly in the pattern at his local patch because he is not actually a licensed pilot. No experience, judgment, or leadership required...video game skills are all you need.
This is great for airlines because an 18-year old who has incurred no training costs would probably work for $10K year.
Better hope your 63 year old CA doesn't keel over dead.
It's a scam the airlines came up with to solve the "pilot shortage". It is in effect or under consideration in some foreign countries, but not in the US yet.
An 18 year-old is trained mostly in a simulator to serve as a gear monkey. The MCPL allows him to sit right seat in a widebody, but he would NOT be allowed to rent a 152 and fly in the pattern at his local patch because he is not actually a licensed pilot. No experience, judgment, or leadership required...video game skills are all you need.
This is great for airlines because an 18-year old who has incurred no training costs would probably work for $10K year.
Better hope your 63 year old CA doesn't keel over dead.
Where does the ICAO stand on this, or was it their idea? Has is not happened in the US simply because the FAA has not allowed it yet?
I can only speak for SWA, but you will not get a job at SWA if your 1000 TPIC is dependent on Caravan PIC. Single pilot PIC on a multi engine A/C will be a little better, but you'll always get passed up for somebody who has multi-crew turbine time. SWA hires Captains. If they can, they want people with a track record of dealing in a crew situation. Nobody denies that a King Air is a complex aircraft, but what if you came in with 1000 hours of single pilot EclipseJet time? You might make it, but it will be much much more difficult that if you had time that actually means something.
Bottom line; any experience is good experience, but if you're trying to get to a major, I would look for things with multi-crew environments, and would certainly not rely on Caravan or VLJ time. Again, only SWA, I can't speak for the other majors.
A lot of what this all comes down to....do you want to sit at a regional as an SIC or try to bypass the regionals with a lot of PIC time. Most small 135 multi turbo prop operators need you to have 100 hours of TURBINE PIC and 1,000 multi engine to get checked out in their multi turbo props. So instead of going to the regionals one could follow this path:
1. CFI to 1,200-1,500 hours/91 Flying
2. get a 135 job in piston twins for 1,000 hours
3. get a 135 job in a C208 for 1,000 hours turbine experience (2 and 3 are interchangable).
4. Then with multi and turbine time you have to look for a job that operates mutli-turboprops if your current company doesnt have them.
5. Get 1,000 ME Turboprop in the logbook.
6. You should have networking ability to get yourself into a corporate jet.
7. If you cant accomplish 6 in a timely manner go play airline pilot at an RJ operator for about a year to get 500-1,000 hours Jet/Crew/SIC.
8. At this point one would after about 6 years have approximately 4,000-6,000 hours TT with 2,000 turbine PIC, 2000 ME, and 1,000 ME turbine PIC. This wide variety of experience makes one a much more well rounded pilot in an emergency when true PIC ability is needed. Someone who follows this path is much more qualified than a guy who C-F-Died to 500 hours and went to the regionals, sat their as an SIC for 3 years and then upgraded. Unfortunately this industry doesnt neccessarily reward the 135/single pilot/IFR path, even though it is a much more tested and proven route.
9. SEND OUT RESUMES to that dream job.
10. Get lucky, always strive to get better, and dont be a jacktard or this would all be for nothing.
Last edited by CaptainTeezy : 07-18-2009 at 10:54 AM.
8. At this point one would after about 6 years have approximately 4,000-6,000 hours TT with 2,000 turbine PIC, 2000 ME, and 1,000 ME turbine PIC. This wide variety of experience makes one a much more well rounded pilot in an emergency when true PIC ability is needed. Someone who follows this path is much more qualified than a guy who C-F-Died to 500 hours and went to the regionals, sat their as an SIC for 3 years and then upgraded.
But most majors will still, in general, prefer the guy who has 121 PIC experience
It's only a matter of time before the FAA adopts it too in order to standardize with ICAO. This doesn't mean an MPL will be flying right seat of a 757, but we might see them at Part 135 or smaller airlines while they gain experience for the larger ones. The problem of the pilot shortage is the high cost of training balanced against the first 10-15 years of pay an airline pilot can expect to receive.
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Learn from the mistakes of others. You won't live long enough to make all of them yourself.
But most majors will still, in general, prefer the guy who has 121 PIC experience
I know, in my opinion, and this is what is leading to the downfall of the airline industry. 121 is supposed to be the best of the best. Instead at the regional level it has become the top gun of lets get the top 5% of the bottom 20%. Give it 10 years and the majors will be full of guys that got to 500 hours and then just waited in line long enough to get to the position of Captain at the regional level. Sure day to day you wont notice much of a difference, but you will lack the guys that have been tested and proven as a single pilot, Hard IFR, limited equipment, Ice carrying, thunderstorm dodging, box shippers. This leads to a lack of outside the box thinking that 135/single pilot guys do on a regular basis. And sure 99.9% of the time it wont really matter...until that .1% time comes due.
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