Originally Posted by
MEMbrain
Because I'm sick and tired of my commercial deadheads getting cancelled for lack of crews.
What the MAJORS need to do is have MPL candidates self-sponsor for a spot at a wholly-owned regional for a period of seasoning and mentoring by senior regional Captains who decide, or are "ineligible" to get a job at mainline. The regionals would have a stable crew force of senior permanent Captains and self-funding F/Os who will only work there for a few months of real world seasoning, before going on the their major airline right seat.
You are seriously misinformed about the MPL...it is carrier-specific license that requires additional training to obtain a full ATPL or move on to another carrier. Regardless, you're gonna be hard-pressed to find anyone that will self-sponsor for a license that, should they run into politics at their airline employing regional airline, would leave them with very few options.
I think most people would have a real problem with a right-seat regional "job" being used as an evaluation period for people with very little flight time and experience, particularly when the changes as of late have been in the opposite direction.
Also, countries that have an MPL have many years of experience with the frozen ATPL...it would be a hell of a leap for the FAA to go from a 1500 hour requirement to right seat regional people with less than 200 hours....it works in the EU because upgrades take a long time, whereas regional upgrades in this country have often been less than a year.
Also, your plan depends on a retaining a cadre of senior regional captains, which is going to require vast improvements in pay and work rules at that level, which will price the regionals out of existance.