That makes a lot of sense....maybe too much sense.

Well...ok then....

I won't go further into semantics or proper spelling, because I do agree with your main point. I think certain training should have "incentives" or "rewards" because some programs provide value beyond tooling around with the proverbial banner in tow. For certain.

However, knocking the requirement down to 500 guts the spirit of the 1500 hour rule. How about 1500 hours for the ERAU (et al.) grads and something more for the mom and pop trainees. Please tell me congress isn't dumbing things down to 500 TT. I say foul!! :mad:

Even a riddle grad should be better at 1500 hours then he/she was at 500 hours. all hours are not the same but neither are students. Do C students get the same "credit" as A students?

If a pilot wants a leg up in the hiring process then good for them. Add additional qualifications ..... like your riddle degree to your 1500 hours.

Do you think 1500 hours is it? Dragging a banner up and down the street for a couple of summers wont get you the ATP or even meet the requirements.

THIS IS WHAT SHOULD BE REQUIRED FOR EVERY AIRLINE PILOT!

NO NEGOTIATIONS PERIOD!

1. Be at least 23 years of age.
2. Be able to read, speak, write, and understand the English language.
3. Be of good moral character.
4. Meet at least one of the following:
5. Hold at least a commercial pilot certificate and an instrument rating.
6. Meet the military experience requirements (listed in FAR 61.73) to qualify for a commercial pilot certificate and an instrument rating.
7. Hold either a foreign ATP or a foreign commercial pilot license and an instrument rating, without limitations, issued by a member nation of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
8. Hold at least a current FAA third-class medical certificate. Later, if your flying requires an ATP certificate, you must hold a first-class medical certificate.
9. Receive and log ground training from an authorized instructor, or complete a home-study course (such as studying Airline Transport Pilot FAA Knowledge Test and Aviation Weather and Weather Services) to learn (61.155)
10. Applicable Federal Aviation Regulations . . . that relate to airline transport pilot privileges, limitations, and flight operations.
11. Meteorology, including knowledge of and effects of fronts, frontal characteristics, cloud formations, icing, and upper-air data.
12. General systems of weather and NOTAM collection, dissemination, interpretation, and use.
13. Interpretation and use of weather charts, maps, forecasts, sequence reports, abbreviations, and symbols.
14. National Weather Service functions as they pertain to operations in the National Airspace System.
15. Windshear and microburst awareness, identification, and avoidance.
16. Principles of air navigation under instrument meteorological conditions in the National Airspace System.
17. Air traffic control procedures and pilot responsibilities as they relate to en route operations, terminal area and radar operations, and instrument departure and approach procedures.
18. Aircraft loading, weight and balance, use of charts, graphs, tables, formulas, and computations, and their effect on aircraft performance.
19. Aerodynamics relating to an aircraft's flight characteristics and performance in normal and abnormal flight regimes.
20. Human factors.
21. Aeronautical decision making and judgment.
22. Crew resource management to include crew communication and coordination.
23. Pass a pilot knowledge test with a score of 70% or better.
    1. A knowledge test is not required for you to add another aircraft type rating to your ATP certificate if your ATP certificate lists the aircraft category and class rating that is appropriate to the type rating sought.
24. Accumulate flight experience (FAR 61.159).
    1. Except as provided in b. and c. on the next page, you must log at least 1,500 hr. of total time as a pilot that includes at least
       1. 500 hr. of cross-country flight time
       2. 100 hr. of night flight time
          1. A person who has performed at least 20 night takeoffs and landings to a full stop may substitute each additional night takeoff and landing to a full stop for 1 hr. of night flight time, limited to not more than 25 hr. of night flight time.
       3. 75 hr. of actual or simulated instrument flight time
          1. The maximum time that may be accumulated in a flight simulator or flight training device, representing an airplane, is either
             1. 25 hr., if the training is not conducted under FAR Part 142, or
             2. 50 hr., if the training is conducted under FAR Part 142.
       4. 250 hr. of flight time as PIC of an airplane, or as SIC performing the duties and functions of a PIC under the supervision of a PIC, or by any combination of the two. This requirement must include
          1. 100 hr. of cross-country time
          2. 25 hr. of night flight time
          NOTE: Not more than 100 hr. of the total aeronautical experience requirements may be obtained in a flight simulator or a flight training device that represents an airplane, provided the experience was obtained in a course conducted under FAR Part 142.

Thanks for agreeing, and thanks for pointing out the one misspelled word in my whole rant.

Response to above statements..... Well the C student will have to answer to the person giving the interview, if they get that far. I know I did. I wasn't a C student but my transcript was far from perfect and they drilled me on it. I think meeting the ATP mins is good. But just because you can memorize some answers from a book or memorize how to work THROUGH (there I spelled it right) a problem, doesn't necessarily mean you understand it. But at least you learn something form it. If you can past the test, I would say you are probably good to go. I think that the ATP written is in a serious need of an upgrade though. I think that training as a whole, from private to ATP needs to be upgraded. Every school should be part 141 or better. I think the FAA needs to be held more accountable for how pilots are trained. And of course a 1500 pilot is going to better than when he had 500. Just like your better at 5000 then when your at 1500 and so on.

What do you guys think of this - instead of an ATP written, pilots must have taken, and passed, certain academic courses in order to meet those requirements. Courses that deal with more advanced aircraft and the subjects related to it. Theoretically, the current way, someone could go from private to CFI, get the flight time for the ATP, without ever touching as much as a Cessna and whatever for their multi rating, take the test, pass, and still not fully understand some of the subject matters related to flying high performance aircraft. Am I wrong with that theory? According to some of you, that would be acceptable. As long as they got the ATP right? And why is there no multi engine requirement in the ATP?

Is there any relief for military pilots on the 1500 hr rule

As of right now, I don't believe so.

Nor should there be unless there is language that waters down the requirements for others in my opinion.
With the commitments such as they are I'm not sure that there are too many communities out there that can't reach that goal after meeting the minimum service commitments.

USMCFLYR

People are bashing ALPA because this does not help the supply side of the economic equation. My only point is that maybe ALPA believes that safety is more important. I do think there should be credit given. I just beleive that 1000 hours credit is a bit too much.

The ARC just submitted their recommendations. Its not know what they recommended, if anything, for military pilots. The FAA will issue an NPRM and we will see if they do propose giving them credit. At that point, everyone will be able to comment and give their opinion. Hopefully, the FAA will issue a final rule that is fair to military pilots.