Apokleros

Advisory Panel Would Relax Rules for Co-Pilot Experience - WSJ

Here we go again, ladies and gentlemen. The FAA and regional airlines once again seek to lower the ATP certification law that has played a grand role lately in improving safety at the regional airline carriers, as well as in raising the quality of life for regional pilots across the United States. Granted, this seeks to drop the hours requirement for military aviators from 750 hours to 500 hours, but it will only set a precedent to lower minimums for all pilots in due course. I wrote to my congressman and senators asking them to stand strongly against it. It does not take much time and can be done quickly online in a simple message. Please do the same and show these scumbags that we will not endure their insult to our profession.

GrassstripflyerZSE

They just keep trying!

iahflyr

As someone who got on with a regional airline with far fewer than 1500 hours, I support the lowering the minimums to become a 121 first officer to a more reasonable level.

The truth is, if the FAA relaxed minimums to something like 750 hours, or even 250 hours, the pilot shortage would still be around. There are only so many pilots with 250 hours, and they would then have the option of flight instructing for a bit, or joining a regional airline, depending upon their values of QOL and pay. If flight schools had to compete for candidates with the regional airlines, their pay would have to go as there is a fundamental shortage of pilots. As that pay went up, regional airlines would still face a shortage of pilots or have to continue raising their pay to attract candidates.

The 1500 hour rule did not create the pilot shortage. The 1500 hour rule shifted the pilot shortage slightly, increasing the supply of CFI's, banner tow pilots, and the other 250-1500 hour jobs, while slightly decreasing the supply of pilots for regional airlines. The pilot shortage was created by a high amount of older major airline pilots retiring, and fewer commercial airline pilots being created despite a growth in the number of pilot jobs. Not from the 1500 hour rule.

Just look at what's happening to operators of 9, 19, and 30 seat turbo prop airplanes. Those airplanes are practically gone! Fuel is the cheapest it has been in over 10 years. These type of operations should be thriving and growing, but this regulation is killing jobs. Not just lower paying FO jobs, but higher paying Captain PIC turbine experience opportunities. All we are doing is shooting ourselves in the foot and losing more jobs by supporting this regulation.

The unintended consequence of the 1500 hour rule is that it brings even worse poverty level wages to pilots in the 250-1500 hour range. If you look at career earnings for a pilot, it just means more debt and hardship at the beginning of their careers. I do not support that.

Both the pilots from Colgan 3407 had more than 1500 hours. Nothing about this law would have prevented that crash. In fact, I would agree that regional airlines are hiring worse pilots after the rule came into effect. Now regional airlines will hire anyone with a pulse it seems. If the minimums were lower, the airline can select the best pilots, which only increases safety!

As someone who mentors a lot of young pilots, I cannot look them in the eye and say "Sorry, I want you to spend an extra year or two making true poverty wages and gaining practically zero relevant experience (single engine, VFR, slow, not even flying the airplane) because I'm selfish and I want a slight benefit at your expense." That sounds a lot like the major airline pilots who sold out on scope because it didn't effect them! I refuse to be in that same category.

Lvlng4Spd

This should have been the original requirement. 750 hours for a civilian pilot is a good sweet spot on the trainability/experience curve. I hope we can get this done.

CBreezy

I disagree in principle with what you are saying. I learned an incredible amount between 250 and 1500 hours as an instructor. At 250 hours, you've barely been in the airplane alone without an instructor. Additionally, flight instructor pay has gone up significantly. At my old flight school, instructors make between $25-32 per hour with an endless supply of students. I made more there than I did on my first year at a regional.

I taught many commercial candidates and flown with many brand new 121 pilots with 1500 hours fresh off IOE. I can state, without a doubt, that I would much rather have someone in the right seat who instructed for a year than someone with a wet commercial. It's apples and oranges comparing the experience of the two. If you don't think a CFI is flying the airplane just because he isn't touching the controls, then you really don't comprehend what the job of a CFI is.

Blueskies67

I hated the 1500 hour rule until I got my time and realized it is singlehandedly the best thing to increase quality of life at the regionals don't be stupid.

Duesenflieger

This right here^

It's the best thing to have ever happened for regional pilots, notwithstanding whether any of us were hired at 750 hours, 1000 hours or 1500 hours. Why should we change that when it makes us all more valuable to regional airlines?

Besides, it is killing the regionals and making them recognize our worth. I have no sympathy for regional airline executives who want to pay pilots less so that they can reap ever larger bonuses.

Dags

Personally I think the one part of this issue that keeps getting ignored is plainly the return of investment. It costs more than ever to get all the required certificates. On top of that, a 4 year degree. Lastly the icing on the cake- that law now requires students to take an ATP CTP course with level D and level 6 FFS/FTD time. Have you heard the prices for this? Anywhere from $4,000-$8,000 from those I've asked. And it's required to just take the written ATP. The written alone! Granted, some regionals will now pay for that, but not all.

So, you go through all of that money, upwards of $100,000, to enter the industry and for possibly years qualify for food stamps if you're single and/or your SO doesn't make much either.

Why do that when you can buckle down, get a 4 year degree in IT or engineering, and make >$50,000 right out of college? Say what you want about millenials, they're not that stupid. They want quality of life and to be able to live comfortably as soon as possible. They're showing it right now with the lack of interest in becoming professional aviators. I feel that many times, those now entering the industry and those who entered the past few years before the better contracts either truly love flying, or they love the look.

I do not think quantity equals quality, but 1,500 hours does allow for more independendance and confidence building. If they change it, I would say 1,000 should be the lowest they go. But something needs to be done on the exorbitant cost of entering the industry. I'm glad to see 1st year pay beginning to rise, that's the first step.

MartinBishop

All regulations hurt the economy. A few are necessary for safety, most are not.


Bingo.


It is amazing how few people understand this.

word302

Says the guy with less than 1500 hours.