SpecialTracking

It makes perfect sense. The opportunity has to be available to all the new hires whether they flew a KC135, a DC10 for a non sked, or the RJ fo who slid in the back door because they knew someone. You can't stroll through class and block some from a 777 slot while allowing others.

Yes, no pilot should be doing the job by themselves. If you have a half winger with zero international experience in the cockpit when things go south quickly, the other guy will be single pilot.

fanaticalflyer

Absolute garbage you are spewing. You can even have an experienced international guy that can fold under pressure or be tired and you are "single pilot". A new-hire is just as capable of flying the airplane and handling ATC as any old fogie. So it comes down to the individual. But i think the odds of getting stuck with someone that is dead weight, on top of the odds of actually having an emergency are almost 'nil'. And in the event you have these unlike odds, I say the CAP needs to be able to take command of his crew and delegate like any good CAP should, especially if an FO isn't at 100% for whatever reason. Maybe you need to question your abilities as a Captain if you are so worried about being stuck single-piloted.

Dave Fitzgerald

I have essentially been single pilot several times in the last couple of months. 2013 hires in the 777 fleet. 1st trips after IOE.

Any fleet, and base, this is always the risk with new guys. They just need experience. How do you get experience?

Settle down guys, this is the way it is, has been, and will be in the near future. There is a reason an ATP is qualified to teach ATP. We need to help each other out, not dump on them. Remember way back when, we were all new at one time or another.

In the early 90's, ALPA had an agreement with the company, no new hires into a wide body, this is after several NH's got rt seat in the DC-8 and didn't make it through training. Similar thing happened to the rt seat of the 400. They relaxed training freezes to make it happen. If this becomes an issue again, I expect we may see something similar again.

SpecialTracking

As someone alluded to our 777/400 training program footprints are designed for someone with basic experience in Boeing's and/ or company policies and procedures. Combine that with the knowledge of flying in the arenas those aircraft do and I think you are spreading the margins a little thin.

We can play the odds all you want and degenerate as you chose. I think safety dictates better if by chance a worst case scenario arises.

Probe

Some new hires have lots of 121 experience and could easily go right to a wide body. Some not. It is hard to learn to be an airline pilot getting 1 leg every 3 months on reserve. Or less.

Since we are in a seniority based system, no one gets to choose who goes where so you have to dumb it down to the lowest common demoninator. It is better all new hires go to a smaller jet so they get some legs under their belt and learn to fly for United, even if some don't need it.

svergin

I respectfully disagree. I think we hire guys who already have a bunch of hours and our training is great. Plus everyone on the line helps everyone out. I think it's a non-issue. Everyone has "legs under their belt" from wherever they came from.

Maybe that policy was when United hired pilots with 350 hours, but not today that doesn't matter.

PA Slammer

Dunno... I wasn't too fond of my 737 training. Think it left a lot to be desired. No issues with the instructors, just the program.

As a high time, heavy jet, military Pilot, I know international flying well enough, but didn't have a clue about LNAV/VNAV, 10-7 pages, metering and ramp. Lots of things for this old dog to learn.

Larry in TN

If you drive by the school bus lot on a Sunday afternoon do you say, "Look at all the yellow bii!" or "Look at all the yellow busses!"?

We got an entire one day in the sim for international ops, including ETOPS, on the 737. At least on the 756 or 777 the new-hire would be flying with guys who do their international ops procedures regularly.

pilotgolfer

Can you explain why a 757 with the two FOs in the seat diverted to Gander because they thought they didn't have enough gas to make it back to Newark? (Why they chose not to wake up the captain is a different discussion).

SpecialTracking

I don't think you're being honest with yourself.