Senate hearing re Regional airlines

[PBRstreetgang]

How would that fix anything? Instead of instructing 200-300 hours before getting the regional job, the applicant would just instruct a couple years more to get 1500, then take the checkride. A instructor busting his balls could probably do it in a year.

That applicant still hasn't seen high performance aircraft, icing, class B airport ops, or anything that would be helpful to his future career. But he has an ATP, so that must make him competent.

It would eliminate or severely hamper the "puppy mill" pilot training companies. This business has gone from hiring the most qualified pilot to hiring the best FICO score. "If you can and will, sign on the bottom line we will make you an airline pilot" vs "We only hire the best and brightest" I am sorry, I have flown with a few guys who have no business in the cockpit of anything larger than a 152 and I cringe when I think I may have to fly in the back of the plane when they are in the front.
Good luck we are all gonna need it!
PBR

 

[PilotGeek]

So give me a proposed regulation that would fix this....

They are politicians. Their new rules may not fix anything, but they feel the compelling need to do something, like in the Jessica Dubroff aftermath.

It will probably be along the lines of min number of hours experience, more training requirements and increased crew rest requirements.

 

[Jet_Dreamer]

Requiring an ATP will keep the < 1500 hour pilots out of the cockpit. Not every ATP is a competent pilot, but raising the bar to 1500 hours is reasonable and needs to be done.

How much experience can a 250 hour pilot have anyway? Do you guys actually think raising the bar to 1500 is a bad thing? I would love to hear your logic on that one.

the public wants safety improved now. two atp pilots up front will give them that. sounds like a sound improvement to me.

only problem with that is where are they going to find the atp pilots, let alone get them for 20k a year to sit in the right seat.

 

[rustypigeon]

only problem with that is where are they going to find the atp pilots, let alone get them for 20k a year to sit in the right seat.

Supply and demand. Less qualified pilots = higher pay. You start paying guys 60k their first year and I bet you won't have trouble filling the right seat with a qualified pilot.

 

[Skywest Pylot]

only problem with that is where are they going to find the atp pilots, let alone get them for 20k a year to sit in the right seat.

Supply and demand. Less qualified pilots = higher pay. You start paying guys 60k their first year and I bet you won't have trouble filling the right seat with a qualified pilot.

I would say average regional Captain should be making $100k/year and First Officer $60k/year. We've got plenty of guys/gals on the street that could fill the seats if an ATP was required but you gotta pay them a liveable wage.

 

[BoilerUP]

Supply and demand. Less qualified pilots = higher pay. You start paying guys 60k their first year and I bet you won't have trouble filling the right seat with a qualified pilot.

Yeah, a regional airline with first year pay higher than NetJets with their 2500tt minimums ain't going to happen any time soon.

A much more reasonable (and likely) figure would be the $35-40k ballpark, but even still I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for it to happen.

 

[Andy Neill]

Require an ATP for both PIC and SIC in a transport catagory aircraft. That will push the payscale up too. I doubt it will happen, but it will solve a couple of issues, and it is certainly a reasonable requirement.

I think that is a very reasonable idea and one which would raise the average experience level at the regionals.

Of course, it would not have prevented this accident, though. The CA was an ATP and the FO certainly had enough time to be an ATP when she was hired at Colgan. Still, I can appreciate how this would move toward reducing the liklihood of this happening again.

 

[rustypigeon]

Yeah, a regional airline with first year pay higher than NetJets with their 2500tt minimums ain't going to happen any time soon.

A much more reasonable (and likely) figure would be the $35-40k ballpark, but even still I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for it to happen.

I'm not going to hold my breath either. I honestly don't think the FAA is going to do anything about it. But raising the bar needs to be done. I would love to see day when a regional had no choice but to pay a decent wage to keep their front seats filled.

 

[lancair360]

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theworldnewser/2009/05/world-newser.html

Great exposure, guys. Keep the emails coming to ABC. I bet Phil Trenary and his circus clowns are about to sh!t right now.

 

[habubuaza]

Foreign Carriers for decades have used 300 hour pilots in the right seat of their heavy jets who have gone on to have stellar careers without as much as a scratch, so obviously it's not just time, or holding an ATP.