Originally Posted by
EMBFlyer
US used to have FO IPs which were just regular line FOs who went into the Training Department. We then had Check Airman doing the checking events (MVs, SPVs, etc). Then APDs who did the type rides.
Now under the New American, the FO IPs are going to be replaced by Sim Ps, which are non-seniority list pilots (mostly retired) who come in and do your training up to your MV (Maneuvers Validation) then the Check Airman take over up to your type ride.
Ground school and Procedures Trainers have always been taught by non-seniority Ground School Instructors or FCTIs (Flight Crew Training Instructors).
The non-seniority instructors do not get a seniority number.
Why does AA have to do things so odd compared to other carriers in almost every area.
Doing it that way both lowers the value of the training and costs pilot jobs.
Our biggest issues at DL with standardization is with them... and it's not their fault. It's a function of having someone that doesn't fly the line teaching line ops.
What Timbo described at DL is true.... right now on my fleet there are around 14 CA instructors (and APDs), 17 FO instructors, and around 20-25 non-seniority list instructors (about half of which are qualified in the full motion sims, the rest of which are procedures trainer only).
In our latest contract negotiations, we are trying to recapture more instructor slots back to line pilots as the old retired pilots that are now NSLI's retire (again).
Non-instructors are not allowed to seat fill in sim sessions (although it is allowed for a line pilot to volunteer for that in the contract, it is flight ops policy to not utilize that section), and for checkrides only seniority list instructors are allowed to seat fill.