Goose17

From the latest Jetflyer email talking about the new legisltion:

The legislation requires airline pilots to hold an FAA Airline Transport
Pilot (ATP) license, which can be obtained with a minimum of 1,500
flight hours.
Current law requires a first officer to have a Commercial Pilot License,
which can be obtained with 250 flight hours.


So does this mean even regional pilot FOs need 1500 hours now?

Goose17

BooyaOhYeah

Yes, it means everyone needs 1500 hours. However, there are exemptions in the bill. For example, if you train with an accredited college such as Auburn, Purdue, UND, Embry-Riddle then you are exempt from that requirement. At least in the current bill.

HIREME

so far it's just a proposal...IF it makes it in the final version in the Spring of this year then yes...all airline transport pilots will need a *gasp* Airline Transport Pilot's liscense. Will it happen? It almost makes too much common sense for it to happen. There's also talk of substituting college credits toward an aviation degree for some of the flight time.

MX727

Actually, I think they are discussing an airline and equipment specific SIC license that will become only be valid while you are on that equipment at that airline.

An SIC ticket that will expire, if you will.

Daniel Larusso

You go over to the regional forum and watch people get all giddy about these changes thinking that they will lead to greater wages along with enhancing safety. Most of them still fail to see that nothing short of good ol' fashioned negotiating and sacrifice will get that done. Exemptions to this reg were/are inevitable for a number of reasons and while they may(debatable imo) improve safety, they will likely do the opposite for negotiations. If people have a SIC license that is equipment/airline specific that will be a serious hammer in negotiations for management when it comes to FO wages. It will also likely tempt some unions at those carriers to essentially advocate a B-scale for fo's in the longevity years that most pilots would tend not to have ATP mins. I could see that sort of thing really being a player at 'career-fo' regionals like Eagle.

MX727

Here is the article I read:

FAA Takes First Step Toward Stricter Commercial Co-Pilot Licenses

By ANDY PASZTOR

Seeking to improve the qualifications of airline crews, federal aviation regulators on Friday took the first official step toward creating a new commercial co-pilot's license that could mandate tougher academic requirements and enhanced flight-training for high altitudes or bad weather.

By releasing some preliminary concepts and asking for public comments about whether the agency should proceed with formal rulemaking, Randy Babbitt, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration, is following up on earlier promises to beef up licensing requirements in the wake of the crash last year of a Colgan Air Inc. turboprop outside Buffalo, N.Y.

In the document released Friday on the Federal Register's Web site, the FAA said the Colgan crash, which killed 50 people, raised questions about whether current co-pilot training includes "enough hours training in various weather conditions to be able to recognize a potentially dangerous situation" such as icing or a midair stall, and "respond in a safe and timely manner."

The FAA is considering, among other things, raising academic requirements for new co-pilots; requiring hundreds more hours of flying experience than the current minimum of about 200 hours; and requiring co-pilots to obtain additional training in pressurized aircraft.

One of the most controversial issues broached by the FAA is the possibility of creating a new type of license that would be valid only as long as a pilot continued to work for a specific airline flying a certain type of aircraft. Once he or she moved to work for a new carrier, such a license no longer would remain in effect. The purpose of such a license, according to the FAA, "would be to ensure that each carrier has provided" its pilots with training geared to its specific fleet and operations.

The FAA's move parallels some of the changes advocated by pilot union leaders and independent safety experts. It also comes as lawmakers are considering legislation that would mandate new co-pilot experience and training standards, including a dramatic increase in the minimum number of hours required behind the controls prior to flying passengers.
http://online.wsj

BooyaOhYeah

My problem with it is this:

A pilot living in Florida can have 1500 hours in a Cessna 150 and 152 and get a multi-engine rating and ATP in a week. How does that solve the problem of not having enough experience?

In other words, that Florida pilot has never seen ice/snow or dealt with icing. Vice versa, a pilot with the same circumstance in North Dakota may have never flown in the thunderstorm laden area known as Florida.

Nitefrater

As a wise man one said, "There's a difference between 3000 hours of experience, and experiencing the same hour 3000 times."

BooyaOhYeah

That captures it exactly.

727C47

the shame of it is the DC3 operators who would take a 500 hr wonder under their wing and nurture them in the round engine freight dojo,where they would be exposed to wind ,and weather,along side some grizzled old sensei who would impart much wisdom don't exist anymore in the lower 48. That was true learning,art and science,with a bit of Ernie Gann,and St.Ex thrown in as well. its tough for a newbie with low time to find that experience.