I hope so, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

Yep...glad my PC is right around the corner

 

Oh...and I see the hearings drawing a lot of hot air, and then...wait for it...wait for it...nothing.

 

Meeting the mins does not meen anything these days...you need to excede the mins to have any chance at getting looked at.

 

Minimums are based on supply and demand. If there is a low demand for pilots (like right now) The airlines can be picky and only hire high time guys which are much easier to train, and cheaper to insure. When there is a higher demand for pilots the airlines will have to be less picky. There is also a big difference between hiring minimums and competive minimums. There is not much chance for a guy with less than 1500 hrs right now. they'll be back to hiring 500 hr guys before we no it.

 

I don't think that any of this is supply and demand. Basically because there is no demand right now. Minimums can be set at any number, but when no one is hiring, what does it matter???

Here is what I think is going on. The current trend of increased mins is just posturing to the public outrage. Management at the Regionals know that the Congressional Hearings are coming. They are anticipating that one of the criticisms will be the hiring of low time pilots. They know that they will be asked about it and now they be able to say, "look at our minimums. We took the initiative to raise them on our own." Congress and the FAA will think this is sufficient and they will not change any regulations.

By the time anybody is hiring again, all of the concern about the Regional Airline's safety will have blown over. Since no knew regulations will have been imposed on the industry, minimums will be able to go right back down to where they were.

 

I've talked to a few people in the know in regards to "official" minimums getting raised to an ATP... Don't hold your breath. Too much money in the airlines. (ATA and RAA)

 

There's no way in hell that can happen. The system here continues to become more and more like the EU system of integrated and MCL programs. There will be less and less GA to provide pilots with the opportunity to build enough time to get ATP mins and the will be fewer and fewer pilots willing to go through what it takes to get those hours.

Requiring ATP mins won't happen...if it does, it won't last more than five years.

The real problem with pilot pay continues to be the RLA. I fail to understand why i haven't seen seen more discussions about this place in time being the perfect opportunity to have a discussion about this. I've also not seen nothing (granted, I don't read these boards NEARLY as much as I used to) about FedEx labor's attempt to get themselves removed from the RLA. I don't know the specifics of it, but I saw on CSPAN one congressman rising in opposition to an amendment to the FAA funding bill that would remove FedEx employees (not sure which group) from the constraints of the RLA.

THIS is the real issue that needs to be dealt with, the "ATP mins" argument is gonna be dead before it even sees the light of day.

 

If there is so much money in them then why do they all keep going CH 11??

 

I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you, it's not just about the pay, if the Colgan hearings showed us anything is that the system is broken. One of the main differences between the European system and our current hiring practices here in the states is the recruitment process itself. In Europe they are a lot more selective in their prospective candidates, it's not just a body to fill a seat. In absence of a system like Multi-crew Pilot Lincense (MPL is the correct acronym, not MCL), which not only filters, but trains the candidates from zero time as airline pilots, then we have to modify the system we have, and higher standards raise the expectations, and contribute to higher wages by lowering the supply of "truly qualified" pilots. Furthermore, in light of this accident I expect the FAA to change certain aspects of certification.

We shall see.