AAL Upgrade Question

[flyboycpa]

Hey all,

I have a question for any American pilot about upgrade. I have a friend that is stepping into the left seat of one of your EFIS-equipped planes from a previous non-glass airplane. I don't want to give away too much detail about him or his history so he can remain anonymous.

I fly glass airplanes for a large fractional operator and have a lot of glass experience. He has decided not to study prior to going to school for the initial type-rating which I think is a poor decision. I am quite concerned about his potential for passing the type-ride given that the only glass he's ever had were the windows in the front of the airplane! Coming from steam-guages to glass can be quite an experience in learning.

What are your thoughts? (please, only answers from AAL crews)

flyboycpa

 

[SWAdude]

Why only from AA folks??

He has nothing to worry about. AA trains to proficiency. One of the best training departments around.

SWAdude

 

[justApilot]

We have 14 year guys getting bumped out of the CA seat, so this guy has certainly been at AA long enough to know what to expect in training. By the time the checkride comes around he will be well prepared.

 

[flyboycpa]

thanks guys,

SWADude, I didn't mean to discriminate, but I wanted to hear from those who have been through American's training department. No harm intended. He's been with the airline a looooong time, and I don't want anything bad to happen to his career.

thanks again,
flyboycpa

 

[F-eagle]

SWA is 100% correct, they are train to proficiency. I was in training with a bunch of AA flowbacks at Eagle, and believe me, at AA they have it easy. These guys get babied through training, at AA. Even at Eagle they have it easier then most, in some respects, during training. If you can't make it through training at AA, you shouldn't be flying an airplane anyway. Sorry to offend, but from what I've seen, it's true.

 

[TWA Dude]

These guys get babied through training, at AA.

I think the same can be said for all the majors. The regionals/small jet carriers have more of a weed-out mentality than the majors.

Dude

 

[typhoonpilot]

At the very least the guy should read the FMS guide. That will probably be his biggest difference and a thorough understanding of the FMS will go a long way to helping him through training.

It's one thing to go from non-glass/non-dfgs ( i.e. the DC-9 ) equipped airplanes to glass/dfgsbut much easier to go from non-glass/dfgs ( i.e the MD-80 ) to glass/dfgs airplanes. At USAirways the was a bit of a problem when the senior DC-9 pilots went straight to the 757. They were having a very high failure rate initially, but then the training department changed the program to help with the transition.

My two cents,


Typhoonpilot

 

[viking737]

Most problems I have heard about have been guys going from
widebody glass cockpit FO to narrowbody Capt non glass (back
when we still had the 727)
If your friend is going to the 737 he should have no problem, easiest school I have been to at AA.
If he changes his mind about studying ahead of time, the CD-rom
is pretty good.