TTSpilot

Hello Fellows!!

I'm originally from Brazil, i'm a commercial pilot with 1500 hrs (556 hrs in SEL and MEL pistons as Student + CFII and 944 hrs in B733 as first officer) and came last year to the U.S as a student M-1 to learn to fly helicopters. From FAA i have Private fixed-wing based on my foreign license and also i have Private, instrument and Commercial Rotorcraft. My life has changed a lot so today i'm legal to work in the U.S and i want to work on my FAA fixed-wing commercial license to apply for a job on the Airline. I have all the requirements to get a commercial license, just need to do the 3 hrs test prep to do the checkride but i'm having some questions and i hope some of you can help me.
First question - Do i need to have Commercial Single-engine and Multi-engine or just Commercial multi-engine to get a job in an airline? I know this may sound stupid but nobody at the flight school had an answer and this can save me a little of money.
Second Question - In the last 6 months i just flew helicopters and my last flight in B733 was in November of 2012, in relation of currency, is this a problem to the airline?
Third Question - With all been said...What would be the right way for me? Regional or Major?

Hilltopper89

You will not get hired at a major without an ATP. If I'm right...and I haven't stayed on top of it lately....but you need an ATP now for a regional job as well.

TTSpilot

Hi Hilltopper89, thanks for your answer. Yeah i forgot to mention i don't have an ATP yet. I'll work on it after get the Commercial License and one question about the ATP, wich i'll ask to the FSDO, is about the program. I don't know if i need to do the entire program or just the classes because i have a type rating B733 and did the simulator in Brazil. But i don't know if the FAA will recognize it or not lol.

Twin Wasp

You're not going to fly SEL for the airline so no need for the rating. You don't even need to get the commercial MEL. As pointed out above, to fly for an airline in the US you need an ATP. To get an ATP you have to hold a commercial certificate with an instrument rating. You say you've got that in rotorcraft so you're good to go. The reg does not require the commercial to be the category or class as the ATP.

I don't understand your comment about doing the "entire program or just the classes." In FAA land, EVERYONE (unless you hold a Canadian ATP) has the same route to an ATP. Complete the Certificate Training Program, pass the written and pass the checkride. If there is a type rating involved there is an additional step. For a type there has to be a record of ground and flight training before the checkride and an instructor's signoff.

1500 hours won't get you in the door at a major unless you're military.

TTSpilot

Thanks for your answer Twin Wasp. When i said about doing part instead of the entire program i was trying to say that as i already have the brazilian ATP written test, which is ICAO member, and i flew B737... maybe i only need to do the ATP checkride. But like i said, i really don't know...i'm trying to get all the informations first to save money. I've tried to contact the inspector on duty at the FSDO but nobody returns my calls and i don't want to schedule an appointment to find out the inspector doesn't know how to help me lol.

Twin Wasp

No, you're going to have to do the CTP, the written and the checkride. Look at it this way, the written covers US rules, how would they know you know the US rules if they accepted your Brazilian written. Even if you do the FAA - Transport Canada program you have to pass a short written covering the new country's different rules.

TTSpilot

I understand your point but my question is about the simulator in the ATP CTP. According with FAR any training performed by an authorized instructor in any country which is part of ICAO is recognized by FAA. I have 12 hours in Simulator which covers all the airline operation and i have previous experience in Airline. When a foreign pilot comes with a foreign Commercial Pilot License, the FAA gives a Private License and to have a commercial and instrument he needs to study the regulation to do the check-ride. About the ATP CTP there's no Regulation involved, is all about Airline Operations in the simulator, which I have already.

Twin Wasp

There is a reg involved, 61.156. It says you have to present a graduation certificate from an authorized training provider saying you completed an approved CTP. The CTP is 30 classroom hours and 10 sim hours.

TTSpilot

I was saying there is nothing related to Regulations inside of the ATP program, it's all about Airline Operations. They are making pilots who already have simulator and training in an Airline to start over just because they don't have a simple written exam. And guess what? After getting the ATP written, pilots will need to do the simulator and the airline operations classes again after getting hired by an Airline. This ATP CTP, besides the fact of being redundant, is nothing else than one more excuse to schools make more money. Who makes the rules doesn't understand about aviation or is just concerned in making more money...I just realized this is an international fact. But it is what it is. Thanks for your help.