Quote:
Originally Posted by 15789
I think that the real answer here is just that, Receiving the training necessary to safely overfly those countries-NOT slamming the backgrounds of the crews who may be flying those routes.
With all due respect, International Ops training is a nice way to spend 8 hours receiving 1 hour worth of useful information. Actually having flown to some of these regions, is what UPS was
generally looking for when they advertised the requirement of overwater experience. IMHO, if one retains 50% of what is taught in a classroom, I'd be surprised. From my limited international experience, I've found that experiencing the ever-changing nuances first hand, causes more retention and better prepares one for international flying.
Case in point for my friends at the regionals. I could take anyone at your airline and ask them the atis freq. at your hub airport, localizer freq's , localizer course, and decision height, where speed reductions are needed, etc. and each one of you would know it. Then take someone that flies Anchorage to the Pac rim and bring him into your hub airport and he/she is working hard to familiarize themself to the local procedures that ya'll do on a daily basis.
At UPS, the new collective baragining agreement shifts the Relief Officer position (IRO) from Capts to F/O's. Specifically from Captains to newhires. Thus the FAA has suggested strongly, that if you want new hires as IROs, and F/Os on widebody equipment coupled with possibly junior Capts which may have come off a domestic airplane since ANC is our junior base, then you will hire, new-hires with overwater international experience. The FAA has suggested the alternative to that hiring procedure is increased observation and scrutiny of its ANC operation (line checks and ramp checks). So given the choice, would you hire the international widebody captain from another airline or the RJ captain and risk the FAA giving that person (and their crew) a line check based on training they received back in Louisville. This isnt a slam on anyone's background, I have almost 5 years at the regionals myself. It's just the way UPS and the FAA are running ANC flights based on what they negotiated in the latest contract.