Pilot Certification and Qualification Requirements for Air Carrier Operations

Pilot Certification and Qualification Requirements for Air Carrier Operations

With the passing of the new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules concerning airline pilots, the requirements have been increased significantly.  Pilots completing a Part 141 program like Eastern Michigan University (EMU) with a bachelor's degree in aviation must have a minimum of 1,000 hours before applying for a Restricted Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) Certificate to gain a second in command seat.  Students will also be required to obtain 10 hours of simulator training, six of which must be in a full-motion simulator meeting 'level C' standards. 

There are few 'entry' level jobs left available to pilots graduating a 141 program.  Graduates will be competing for any time building jobs left available to them; flight instructing, small cargo, and aerial patrol provide only so many seats.  One issue will be graduate stagnation.  Without regional airlines hiring commercial pilots with 250 hours, new pilots will be competing for jobs to log hours.  A second side affect will be a loss in student enrollments.  The new amount of hours required to be logged is intimidating, and will likely steer prospective students to a different career.

The new rule is a response to the Colgan Air crash in Buffalo, New York, a good many factors were involved in that accident, but the FAA has singled out the relatively low experience the two pilots of that flight had logged in the accident airframe.  In an effort to improve safety and give first officers more knowledge and experience before flying an air carrier operation, the FAA is requiring more flight time.  Before, a commercial pilot with 250 hours was a candidate for a first officer position with a regional carrier.  The new rule requires an ATP license, and at least 1,000 hours (if graduated from an approved program).  Additionally first officers must log another 1,000 hours as an airline first officer before flying as a captain.

The new Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 61.160, like almost every other regulation, is aimed at improving safety.  Although the FAA is continuously looking for ways to make flying ever more safe, their hand is forced by serious aviation accidents to implement a change that will prevent another occurrence, because to do nothing at all would be far worse.  This regulation will bring new pilots to the airlines with an expanded knowledge base and more experience, a solid foundation of pilot skills before joining the airlines, I am confident this will enhance safety.  Additionally focus has been directed to flight captain qualifications and crew resource management skills; this will undoubtedly create a more efficient cockpit working environment.  Essentially we can expect airline flight crews to come in to the airlines prepared, skilled, knowledgeable and professionally trained to manage a flight deck more efficiently than before, able to mitigate hazardous conditions and ultimately increasing safety.

Although the recently promulgated regulation is intended for safety there will be a handful of unintended consequences, and the regional airlines will likely feel it the hardest.  The industry’s shortage of qualified pilots is a complicated issue that will intensify as a result of the new regulation.  The lack of experienced pilots available for air carrier operations begins with a large number of them reaching age 65 when they will have to retire.  A reduced budget for militarily trained pilots has limited some great candidates for the airlines as well.  Here is the pinch: airlines have frequently used regional carriers to recruit pilots from, and the availability of qualified aviators for these positions will be in short supply.  Training costs to attain 1,500 hours (or 1,000 hours and bachelor’s degree) is significantly higher than previously required and will lessen student enrollment while increasing the time it takes to become an ATP.  The issue is further inflamed when prospective pilots for the regional carriers learn the average starting salary is around $20,000 a year.  Each of these circumstances combine to illustrate the gravity of the pilot shortage, and this is hardly a complete list of the industry’s challenges.  One solution may be that charter or regional companies allocate the resources to train pilots to the ATP level.  Another possible answer: increase the salary for professional pilots beginning at regional, charter, or air taxi companies to attract the needed personnel.  These two options, along with other avenues being explored, have two common traits; encourage pilots to attain their ATP certificate and incur costs upon regional air carriers.

References

Bernard, M. (2012 September/October). Real Learning through Flight Simulation. FAA Safety Briefing. Retrieved from www.faa.gov/news/safety_briefing/

Federal Aviation Administration. (2013). FAA Boosts Aviation Safety with New Pilot Qualification Standards [Press release]. Retrieved from http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=14838

Goglia, J. (2013, July 31). What do entry-level regional pilots and McDonald’s workers have in common? Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com

Maxon, T. (2013, July 10). Re: FAA will require airline pilots to have at least 1,500 flight hours [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/2013/07/15604.html/

National Transportation Safety Board. (2010). Loss of Control on Approach Colgan Air, Inc. (NIH Publication No. 10-910401). Retrieved from http://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/reports/2010/aar1001.pdf

Thurber, M. (2013, September 1). New training rule to cost upcoming ATPs thousands of dollars. Aviation International News. Retrieved from http://www.ainonline.com