Eclipse Pilots to train at UAL

[atpcliff]

Hi!

I was reading this on:

http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/avflash/313-full.html#188539

Eclipse will get insurance for their owners by having them train at UAL:
"Eclipse announced Friday that rather than try to train its customers in-house, it's contracting with United Airlines to provide initial flight-skills assessment and type-rating transition training at the airline's training center in Denver. The partnership will provide "the most comprehensive flight training available in general aviation," according to an Eclipse release. "The training program will provide the level of professional pilot training normally available only to commercial airline pilots," the release said.

Cliff
GRB

 

[Vik]

Sweet! More money for UAL is a good thing ...

 

[AcroChik]

So, these people want to...,

make the skies dark with the newest version of doctor-killers.

Or put two hungry jocks up front, meter it like a taxi, and drive pilot wages down to about that level.

Oh, wait, most feeder FOs can make more money driving taxis already!

Maybe I'm stupid (a point that's been debated most of my life), but I have trouble seeing why this is a great thing.

 

[Vik]

personal jets are gonna come whether you like it or not. why fight it?

insurance will come into play here and prevent 250hr commercial ticket grads from flying those planes.

 

[s0ldier93]

So, how do you guys (professional pilots) feel about these small jets entering the aviation industry?

Pay aside, do you all think they will be another (135/91 maybe) option for those moving up through the ranks toward larger equipment? For instance CFI, Cargo, little jet, cooporate.

 

[Vortilon]

I think you'll see a surge of 135 operations followed by a slew of fatalities as operators try to do things on the cheap ala the 1970s. Wages will be substandard but there will be no shortage of people flying for nearly free to get the "turbine time" they need to move on to the high-paying regionals.

Hopefully they'll be some good, safe operators of these aircraft like EJM/Netjets, Flex, Options, etc....otherwise these jets have the potential to being a blight on the image of general/business aviation.

 

[SDCFI]

insurance will come into play here and prevent 250hr commercial ticket grads from flying those planes.

"A relatively inexperienced pilot (500 hours total time with limited instrument and multi time) will pay about $42,000 for hull loss ($1.175 million) and a maximum of $1 million in liability."

500 hours is relatively inexperienced? When you're talking about flying a personal jet up at 30-some thousand feet by yourself 500 hours is a baby. Also, how much are owner-pilot going to fly the thing? With that low time you can't just fly 2 or 3 times a month and expect to stay proficient.

 

[s0ldier93]

Vortilon-

Provided I large number of these aircraft don't down all at once, would they not help revive the industry?

 

[Vik]

Basically, it might give people something to do to build time other than CFI or work for a commuter.

So what if it pays $17k/yr? You're willing to work at a commuter and fly 40+ pax around for $17k/yr, yet you guys have a problem with someone flying a personal jet with 6 or less people for $17k/yr.

Is it going to take away from the fractional/biz jet market? Doubltful. People that will buy these things most likely can't afford a biz jet of their own or don't need the bells and whistles or a flight attendant.

Also, with the extensive training a pilot will need for the Eclipse, there will be few that will be qualified, and so maybe they'll make $35k/yr flying 6 or less people around, which is better money than at a commuter.

pot/kettle/black

I'm always surprised to hear about complaining when they see the evolution of an industry. You *cannot* stop evolution. You can't stop the RJs and you can't stop the personal jets.

 

[Sctt@NJA]

I think more airplanes can only be good. I don't know why everyone thinks the pilot jobs created will pay peanuts. Heck you guys are thowing around numbers that are as low as one third of what I made flying a Cheyenne II.