Students Could Substitute 'Structured And Disciplined' Classroom Training

An amendment to the Senate version of the FAA reauthorization bill introduced by Senator John Thune (R-SD) (pictured), chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, has the stated purpose to "enhance airline safety by expanding the types of training courses that can be credited toward flight hours."

The amendment changes language in that section of the FAA Extension Act of 2010 to say "training courses, or other structured and disciplined training courses, will enhance safety more than requiring the pilot to fully comply with the flight hours requirement."

USA Today reports that Thune said his amendment would "allow prospective pilots to receive credit toward flight-hour requirements if taking structured and disciplined training courses if completion of those training courses will enhance safety more than an unstructured accumulation of flight hours.”

The amendment was not universally accepted by members of the committee. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, (D-IL), a former Army combat pilot, said watching videos in a hotel ballroom can't replace flying experience. She said if the amendment is included in the final bill "we will be writing future regulations in blood."

The move has been strongly opposed by ALPA. In a statement, ALPA president Capt. Tim Canoll said that the union believes the Thune amendment would "weaken airline pilot training, qualification, and experience requirements put in place by Congress in 2010 to make flying safer in the wake of more than 30 airline accidents. Those who supported this amendment will be responsible for endangering the flying public, should it become law."

Regional carriers say they have been particularly hard-hit by the pilot shortage, and that the current 1,500 hour requirement for a First Officer is making it increasingly difficult for them to find qualified pilots. Thune said that more than two-thirds of the country's airports are served exclusively by regional carriers, and that service to smaller cities will be severely jeopardized if those carriers can't hire enough qualified pilots.

FMI: Amendment Text