Should an ATP be required for both pilots?

[JustaNumber]

I voted no because that is not the fix. The ATP is a piece of paper/plastic. If the poll would have said "Should ATP minimums be required" I would have voted yes.

I took my ATP in a Seminole along with an Eagle driver. I flew so much better the next week in the 72 after that.

Agreed, taking the ATP doesn't necessarily make better pilots. But creating the extra hoop to jump through, especially the ATP mins required to get the piece of plastic, initially drastically decreases the number of people who would qualify to fly an RJ. When the regionals eventually start hiring again to cover new flying, they won't be able to. The price of the existing flights will go up. Airlines will make more money, and will want to fly more to meet increasing demand, but can't hire enough for the wages they offer. You do the math: they convert the additional revenue into higher pilot wages to be able to add the flights they want.

Now with higher wages offered, more people will want to become regional pilots. Corporate pilots, ex-military pilots, and others will start competing for the RJ slots. Now the regionals will have a larger pool of much more qualified pilots from which to choose, and much better pilots can be hired.

So it's not that Johnny living in his parent's basement will be hired because he now has a fancy ATP certificate in his pocket; he will be bypassed for the much more qualified and mature individual who already had his ATP but never considered working for $19K a year.

 

[Erlanger]

Requiring an ATP atleast should be good to perpetuate the pilot shortage or for the shortage to come and hopefully that would drive up wages.

 

[jonjuan]

Requiring an ATP atleast should be good to perpetuate the pilot shortage or for the shortage to come and hopefully that would drive up wages.

Nope-requiring an ATP as a prerequisite for a regional pilot job would simply mean more fly by night ATP shops would go into business. It would drive up wages at these joints, but not the regionals. Likewise, there's no lack of supply of pilots with a 737 type going to Southwest.

 

[skyaddict]

Nope-requiring an ATP as a prerequisite for a regional pilot job would simply mean more fly by night ATP shops would go into business. It would drive up wages at these joints, but not the regionals. Likewise, there's no lack of supply of pilots with a 737 type going to Southwest.

Nope. Sure it would boost wages at a gazillion fly by night ATP outfits, but it would also limit the supply of regional fodder by virtue of the 1500 h requirement for an ATP. I agree with the post that really all that is required is a 1500 h time requirement, not the actual ATP piece of plastic... however, it is much more politically palitable to sell it as an ATP requirement and if we pick an arbitrary number of 1500 -why not?- after all the mighty ATP (which is, after all, in essence nothing more than an multi-engine IFR checkride again) is required for Captains, so let Joe Q. Public rest assure that the SJS FO is also legally "ready" to be a "Skygod"- even if really it is all about the 1500 h.

As for the ATP fly by nights-- if someone is silly enough to waste their money on one, fine. But there are a ton of ways to get 1500 h (get all your CFI ratings for one, and instruct at least a little bit) other than forking over money to a scumbag outfit. The ATP checkride is straightforward and passing the mickey mouse written doesn't require wasting time or money at a seminar either- a simple copy of Gleim' book and some self-study over a few months hile one builds the 1500 h is sufficient.

 

[livin'thesim]

In addition, new hires should be able to pass a captain ride and earn the type.

No more trainees in the right seat.

 

[cjdriver]

In addition, new hires should be able to pass a captain ride and earn the type.

No more trainees in the right seat.

I don't know if you're serious, but I totally agree with this. Send a new hire with an ATP to type school. The hires will be better, and the whole operation will be much safer.

 

[livin'thesim]

Dead serious.

If you're going to sit in the front seat of a transport category aircraft, you should have an airline transport category certificate with type rating.

You should also be about 70% on the captaining skills. Think 2000 hour freight dog IFR expert instead of 300 hour bridge program systems expert.

 

[rustypigeon]

Nope-requiring an ATP as a prerequisite for a regional pilot job would simply mean more fly by night ATP shops would go into business.

Is the current system with fly by night Commercial shops better?

 

[WayBack]

an ATP won't fix stupid. Just look at the Captain of that ExpressJet flight. She couldn't think for herself.

 

[fam62c]

It's a great idea and one that I wish would happen but it never will. The airlines will fight it and say that it's not in the best interest of the consumer because it could drive costs and ticket prices up. Economics will always win out over safety and there's no way that the airlines are going to see their supply of green pilots who are willing to work for nothing shut off. A large surplus of pilots keeps unions and pilot wages in check and that's what the industry wants. The race to the bottom will continue and the thing in Buffalo will fade from the public's memory very quickly as they search for the cheapest ticket.