Current FAA rules only require co-pilots to have a commercial license and certain minimum experience flying multi-engine planes. Under the proposed standards, co-pilots intending to start flying passengers also would have to obtain a "type rating," or certificate demonstrating competence at the controls of a specific aircraft type.
My question is this: does it really cost the airlines more money to type rate a pilot newly qualified as an FO on a plane?
At CAL we obviously type rate every pilot, but I don't recall the training being anything that different than what was required when I was given my type ride as captain at the regional level. Yes, on recurrent checkrides there are certain items FOs don't do, esp. if two are paired together.
So to any check airmen out there, is the initial training on the aircraft that much different between captains and first officers?