Originally Posted by
hockeypilot44
I'll tell you guys what isn't good. They are going to allow 2 pilots on Europe flights that now require 3 pilots. They are going to allow 3 crew members on flights that now require 4 pilots. A lot of major airlines do trips to the Caribbean where one crew deadheads down to fly back and vice versa (4 pilots required). Some airlines just send an IRO down (3 pilots required). The new rules will let 2 pilots fly it. Same with transcontinental turns. It will be allowed. This will eliminate more high paying jobs thereby affecting the regionals. Just something to think about.
First of all many contracts require 3/4 pilots for current ops so they won't be changing anytime soon barring another massive event.
In any case, I'm writing my congress critter about this very issue. It's one thing to do 9-10 hours block in the lower 48 where you are pretty much never more than 20-30 minutes away from a suitable airport. But a 180 ETOPS oceanic crossing when something happens to one pilot, suddenly that's a really, really BMFD.
That can NOT be allowed to happen. If it is, pilot groups with current pilot staffing required in their CBA's need to go to the mat with that issue (and not give up scope to keep it either).