Originally Posted by
DHC8Flyer
The 50NM requirement is does NOT apply to the ATP. the 500 hrs is point to point. I forget the exact wording in the FAR but under the subpart of 61 that pertains to the ATP it says it in there. Very similar to this is the "Solo" cross country requirement for the Comm. cert. it is not solo in that you are the sole occupant of the airplane, it means solo as in not dual instruction. The only definition of solo found in part 61 is under the subpart for student pilots and the definition states "For this subpart only"
So for the 500 hours of cross country time for the ATP, ANY flight that you had where you landed at another airport regardless of distance between the two is a cross country flight
According to 61.1:
(vi) For the purpose of meeting the aeronautical experience requirements for an airline transport pilot certificate (except with a rotorcraft category rating), time acquired during a flight—
(A) Conducted in an appropriate aircraft;
(B) That is at least a straight-line distance of more than 50 nautical miles from the original point of departure; and
(C) That involves the use of dead reckoning, pilotage, electronic navigation aids, radio aids, or other navigation systems.
Unless I'm somehow misinterpreting this, I understand the ATP cross country to require a 50 nm distance, not point to point like 135.
If it is 500 hours of point to point, that would be much more reasonable for people to attain through normal time-building, and would really be a non-issue for most people.