New Training Rule To Cost Upcoming ATPs
New Training Rule To Cost Upcoming ATPs Thousands of Dollars
<http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/aviation-international-news/2013-09-01/new-training-rule-cost-upcoming-atps-thousands-dollars>
September 1, 2013, 2:25 AM
Pilots planning for a career that requires certification to airline transport pilot (ATP) standards will need to set aside thousands of dollars to pay for additional training mandated by new FAR 61.156. The training is required before the candidate can take the ATP written and practical tests (beginning August 1 next year), and the portion that will cost the most is 10 hours of simulator training, including at least six hours in a full-flight simulator (FFS) meeting Level C standards and replicating a multiengine turbine-powered airplane weighing at least 40,000 pounds. This requirement applies no matter what type of airplane the ATP candidate will be flying, whether it’s a Seneca piston twin or a four-engine A380 weighing more than a million pounds.
The new 61.156 is the result of a U.S. congressional mandate following the February 2009 Colgan Air Flight 3407 crash and others, which brought issues of pilot competency and training to the attention of the general public and politicians. The mandate took the form of the Airline Safety and FAA Extension Act of 2010. According to FAA Advisory Circular 61-138, which is designed to help the aviation industry develop the necessary training programs, the training will help pilots fill a “knowledge gap” in their training. According to the advisory circular, “Though [the public law] focused primarily on modifications to the certification requirements for an ATP certificate, the knowledge gap identified by the [rulemaking committee] remained relevant as both initiatives focused on enhancing the qualifications and training for pilots who desire to work in an air carrier environment. The FAA has determined this knowledge gap extends to pilots beyond Part 121 air carrier operations to include pilots that are required by regulation to hold an ATP certificate (§§ 91.1053 and 135.243). This knowledge gap can be best and most effectively bridged through successful completion of a modern flight training program that methodically integrates academic training and aeronautical experience in a FSTD [flight simulation training device].”
One aspect of the mandate got a lot of attention, a requirement for a minimum of 1,500 hours of flight time, ATP certification and a type rating for Part 121 airline first officers. But the pre-ATP training requirement may be the more significant result of the accident, both in terms of the cost of earning the ATP and on the qualifications and training of new professional pilots in the U.S. The new rule means that U.S. airline pilots will enter their field of employment with higher qualifications than before the rule was enacted. Previously a Part 121 first officer needed only a commercial pilot certificate (190 to 250 hours of flight time, depending on the type of school attended), instrument and multiengine ratings and a second-class medical certificate.
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