Revelation Comes During Testimony Before A Senate Subcommittee

Answering questions during testimony before the Senate transportation subcommittee on aviation, DOT Inspector General Calvin Scovel III said that three-quarters of the first officers flying for two regional airlines recently visited by federal officials do not meet the new 1,500 hour standard soon to be imposed by the FAA. And, he said, the carriers have no plans in place to bring them up to that standard.

While Scovel (pictured) did not identify the two airlines, he told the committee "Neither carrier had developed a plan to ensure these pilots would be able to meet the enhanced requirements by the deadline," according to a report in USA Today.

The current requirement for a first officer is 250 hours. The stringent new standards were developed partly as a result of the 2009 Colgan Air accident in Buffalo, NY.

A4A Senior Vice President for safety Thomas Hendricks told the committee that it was more important for pilots to learn how to recover from a stall or fly in IFR conditions than it was to pile up hours in a logbook. He warned that the 1,500 hour standard could cripple recruiting at regional airlines, where many pilots go to build hours.

There are a couple of exceptions to the rule. Pilots with a bachelors degree in aviation and 1,000 hours can qualify as a first officer, as can military pilots with 750 hours.

But the president of the Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations Capt. Carl Kuwitsky told the panel that there should be no exceptions. He said experience in the cockpit is the best teacher. "3,000-4,000 hours of experience in a crop-duster ... has no translation to our operation," he said.

FMI: http://commerce.senate.gov