I like the way you think and I hope it does go that way. There are a ton of other issues that Senators could exploit for our benefit, too. I just fear that the idealistic approach will go back out to sea with every other "knee-jerk" reaction by our pols to drum up support for upcoming elections. I just wouldn't want to see:

1500 hours --> SOS and have some qualified, skilled pilots lose out on jobs during possible hiring pushes with companies they'd want to work for.

Also, who is going to oversee the application to this rule? Airlines can already bend their mins a little bit for certain schools or in dire times. The government? Be careful what we wish for

 

[QUOTE=NWA320pilot;652896]
Well, if it's a requirement for both pilot to hold ATP's....then it's in the company's best interest to ensure FO's have ATP's as well. As such, the company should buck up. Hell, there's little difference in the check ride anyhow.....not like it would cost them any more money to provide their newhire FO's w/ the type.

 

Sometimes I wonder if we really aren't our own worst enemy!?! Honestly what the h*** is wrong with some of you people. And I DO mean YOU PEOPLE! I understand that there is never going to be a magic fix for most of the problems we face. And trust me, I understand the problems with a divided pilot group, shameless management, cheap/obnoxous pax, poor work rule (my company recently decided that an 18hr day is ok, so long as the last leg is "part 91") and experience versus training, quality v. quantity bull... but is sounds like some of you have been castrated and groomed by Lorenzo himself. We finally have the public paying attention and concerned about the safety and of regionals and we call them ignorant and naive. The NTSB and Congress want to finally force the FAA to address fatigue and some of you actually have the nerve to say a shorter duty day limit might adversely affect your QOL???? (run-on alert)And after years of complaining about the 200hr wunder kid not being able to fly out of a paper bag, but willing to fly a shiny CRJ-10,000 or E-whatever for 16k a year, we finally have an important but admittedly small step of reducing their ranks and, gasp, requiring airline transport pilots to have an airline transport pilot's license and you guys balk at the idea???? Are you such a gift to aviation that you couldn't benefit from an additional 500-1000hrs of doing whatever in some sort of airplane?? I rarely post here, but felt this needed to be said. Would this accidnet have happened if these rules were in place? Probably not but who knows. But honestly, how can any line pilot say that a shorter duty day, atps mins for a atp pilot, and better access to past records is a bad thing?! Time to get over your self and Grow a SET!!!

 

I'm one of those guys who hopes to break into the industry before too long and I'm am slowly creaping up to 1500 TT. I can definately see the benefit of 121 carriers and the FAA requiring this. I trust this would be a good thing for everyone flying for the regionals!

 

I'm going to break my self imposed ban on this thread an make one more comment. I agree with all that you wrote. Even though this new rule will probably force me to give up on my dream, I have no problem with higher total hour standards or liscence standards. What I don't like is the arbitrary nature of the 1500 hour/ATP requirment. I don't think it allows for flexibilty or takes into account how hours were obtained.

For instance, I have 1200 TT and 200 multi. The majority of my time has come in solo flight under IFR clearances and in IFR conditions. About 50 hours of my 200 multi has come in a Citation. Only 200 hours has come as a CFI. I can spend another 300 hours teaching student pilots, but I'm not sure how much more experience I would gain. I can tell you this though. My experience level drastically improved from 500 hours to 1200 hours.

 

Requiring an ATP to be an AIRLINE pilot is a small step in the right direction.

More important in my opinion is that training standards and checkrides at ALL levels, PPL, CPL, Instrument, ME..etc, be ramped up to make it difficult to acquire these certifications. The fact of the matter is given enough time and MONEY... anybody can get enough training to pass these checkrides. BUT, do you want the guy who took 38 hours to solo in a 172 flying with you..... or the guy who took 50 extra hours of instrument flying to GET it RIGHT before his checkride? Professional training facilities like CAE and FSI etc ... do a fair job of evaluating the customer.. but remember .... MONEY is involved and they dont want to **** off clients. I know I am sorta rambling but I think it needs to be HARDER to get ratings and certifications..etc.

A personal experience I had last year was when I went to CAE for a 5 day training program before going back to my company for a checkride in the aircraft that would be both a type ride. My flying partner from my company ( this guy was suppose to have like 8,000 hours ) was just TERRIBLE. I mean his basic airmanship just sucked. Did the training people ever say anything to HIM or to our BOSS about his terrible performance all three days in the sim? NOPE. We got our certificates from the training center and went home. I took my checkride as scheduled the following week. The other guy went up for a practice/signoff ride with our in house check airman and after about 20 minutes they were back on the ground. CKA pulls me into a room and starts asking me questions... which I answered truthfully, eventually he was signed off but busted the check ride with the DPE and was let go. My point is it shoulda never got that far... somewhere back in this guys history somebody gave him a pass and he stumbled thru all those years. In this case even the training center was at fault because they said NOTHING to the company about this guys **** poor performance. NOTE: this guy HAD and ATP and was typed in the KA-350 and supposedly had 8000 hours.

AT risk training. As long as the system allows they student/customer to pluck down more and more money until he is ready the weak ones will continue to get through.

I am sure my idea is not popular.... dont mean to offend anyone.

 

Hey no worries everyone, in 20 years the computer will be doing the job, management will only have to deal with 1 pilot in the cockpit, and everyone will be complaining on how inexperienced the computers have become...do you all think there will be a time requirement for R2D2?? I would be telling the young ones to screw the ATP minimums and get a degree in aerospace engineering to fix C3PO...

And to the gentlemen/lady who stated 50% of republic pilots will be wiped out...

come on guy really?? I'm astonished at your ignorance...

 

great post, agree completely!!!

 

Welcome to life. All ANY action can hope for is a majority. Some won't like it. If you offered $500,000 a year to all pilots, some would complain that they aren't given a wheelbarrow to put it all in.

 

"I can tell you this though. My experience level drastically improved from 500 hours to 1200 hours." You will gain more experience, however the govt wants and will get a basic min for anyone wishing to become Part 121 qual'd. I believe having an ATP is not too much to ask. Do not give up, it will be a least 12 months before furloughs are back, then new hiring will begin, 300 hours can go fast.