If you are talking about HR.3371, there is nothing new. I would hate to see this one grow stale and get dropped.

H.R. 3371: Airline Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act of 2009 (GovTrack.us)

I wonder what this will do to trip productivity. Will airlines be forced to create more productive trips or will we be on the road more days in the month?

I'm really not being a smarta--, but you should already know the answer ot this one...

Depends on your contract work rules. It could be bad or good, however, if it's a regional, they will most likely have to hire more pilots if mainline wants to keep the RJ's on the same schedule they are on now.

Congress has been on summer recess right (August is there month off)? I'd imagine that the ball will begin rolling again in September when both the House and Senate are back in full.

There is a VERY real possibility that such legislation will actually reduce pilot QOL. If trips are forced to become more productive (longer overnights, shorter duty days), then expect to lose your days off. Even the best contracts don't guarantee more than 12 days off, even though senior pilots are accustomed to 16-18. Congress is not going to guarantee us any more than 1-2 days off per week.


This could have the greatest impact on those who fly the most legs...ie regionals.

I have written many letters and I encourage everyone to do so as well. There were even some templates posted on here about a month and a half ago. I probably received a 70% response rate, with some of the letters catching my attention on how detailed they were.

I believe Rick’s theory is correct. You may have a hard time changing a parties issue on big topics such as abortion, but when it comes to smaller issues like this, you can most definitely influence there decision with your letters.

H.r. 3371, The “airline Safety And Pilot Trai
 

I agree with the above post.
I feel that HR 3371 falls short of what should be goals to bolster airline safety.
The House of Reps has a Transportation Committee and underneath that there is an Aviation Subcommittee.

Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

This is the only real change in the bill. Everything else appears to be a "Study".

1. Requires airline pilots to hold an FAA Airline Transport Pilot license (1,500 minimum flight hours required).
2. Establishes comprehensive pre-employment screening of prospective pilots including an assessment of a pilot’s skills, aptitudes, airmanship and suitability for functioning in the airline’s operational environment.
3. Requires airlines to: establish pilot mentoring programs whereby highly experienced pilots will mentor junior pilots; create Pilot Professional Development Committees; modify training programs to accommodate new-hire pilots with different levels and types of flight experience; and provide leadership and command training to pilots in command (including complying with the "sterile cockpit rule").

Greedy Airine managers wanted cheaper labor (i.e. Pay everyone the same as a gate agent or Flight attendant). It was easy.... just create pilot ratings mills and flood the market with people with Commercial ins. multi certificates. I cant tell you how many ex-banktellers were in my new hire class, busting every checkride.... but coddled through and are now big Union guys because they want to protect the "good life" they have now.

Require a Bachelors for an ATP... and suddenly... Poof... Pay would go up and the professions respectability regains some lost form.

I thought there was going to be recommendations coming out Sept 1? Or did I hear something wrong?