Dude I don't mean to come across as some jaded senior FO but 1000 hours 121 is the bare minimum anyone should be operating a 75,000 pound airplane around the US as PIC.

Some of you guys that have never experienced a winter flying in and out of the NE part 121 need that before you have any business being Captains on an aircraft in part 121 ops.

I'm not bashing all the guys out there with all this 135 experience, but there is a big difference between being able to hand fly an ILS to mins in a Piper Navajo and making command decisions while flying a CRJ 900 or a E175 in and out of some of the busiest airports in the world.

 

I dont disagree with you, however my point is they accept scheduled part 135 ops carrying passengers towards the 121 requirements but not cargo. The exact same thing applies to what you are saying but is accepted by the FAA.

 

Oh you mean our guys waiting upwards of 45min for a gate or AE ground crews taking one bag at a time up and down the jet loaders?

 

This is my general understanding of the problem.

 

I can't wait to hear you explain this one

 

Totally agree. My night cargo flying plus airline time in the east opened my eyes to challenging flying. It is challenging for sure.

 

Or commissary/potable water/lav service not showing up til the 4th call to Ops?

 

Totally agreed--you need two winters in 121 ops as the bare minimum to have 80 lives on your shoulders barreling down the pipe in an 80,000 pound jet in a horrible gusty crosswind to mins, on a contaminated runway in the middle of the night.

I feel like I only get a really solid, hair-raising approach like that every 6-9 months or so--you need to see that/feel it like multiple times with a seasoned CA in the left seat to really refine your own personal comfort zone, and to recognize your own personal limits, so you'll know when it's time to blast out of there and wave off when you're the final authority for the operation of the airplane as a Captain.

On top of all of that--anyone who thinks they're ready to be a CA after less than 1,000 hours in 121 ops needs to consider the self-preservation aspect. Are you really prepared to deal with mx write-ups and make sure you're completely legal to go, with a Fed in the jumpseat looking over your shoulder in Omaha at 5AM in the middle of winter? Are you really, truly ready to be the person the new hire FO looks over to with that "uhhhhh your controls" comment, 20 feet above the ground, sideways, drifting off the centerline? Honestly, you're probably never truly ready for that--but you're sure as heck not ready with less than 1,000 hours in that operational environment when there are a whole bunch of peoples' lives in your hands.

 

Totally agree. I learned so much more in my second full year as an FO. The first year is a total fire hose. After three years in the right seat I think you will see alot. More confidence and experience is needed to be a solid captain. It's no joke and you need to know more than just systems of an airplane. You need diverse experiences to prepare you and this I know comes with years of right seat time. Be patient it's not a race...

 

I dont disagree with you all but I dont totally agree.

I think the 1500 hour rule is a blanket rule but I totally agree with it. It mitigates some of the risk when you are dealing with the average pilot. If you had a guy that was raised in aviation by his airline pilot dad/mom, flying their family plane every weekend maybe he would be better than the average. You cant however apply that idea accross the board. Most guys/gals dont have tons of exposure to aviation prior to flight school or are natural sticks so you cannot count on that when designing the rule. I do however know that when I got my CFI, I realized very quickly that I couldn't fly for sh** compared to a senior (currently flying) CFI and didn't have the knowledge base that they did either. That is the point of instructing, you are asked questions you wouldn't have thought of yourself on a regular basis. Also, you push the envelope on the aircraft that you wouldn't normally either. Constant stalls, maneuvers build your stick and rudder skills and basic airmanship very quickly. I do not however feel a 300 or 500 hour pilot has any buisiness in the right seat of an airliner. In 135 ops, we had part 91 observers serve as right seaters. Low time, low pay, but really they were just there to serve as an SIC but hold no responsibility what so ever. Its a very common thing.

Back to the 1000 hour rule, my point again is this. A person could have 6000 hours experience. Multiple type ratings, years of experience, etc. There should be some additional provisions to allow a credit or exclusion of that rule. You guys bring up great points, but my direct issue is that a person could have flown a king air 300 under scheduled passenger ops for a 1000 hours and waive the requirement. However, a person flying a Brasilia 120 under scheduled cargo ops cannot. The King Air pilot would not be a safe person under your definitions but the FAA feels otherwise.