Says Safety Is Main Concern, But Pilot Pipeline Is 'Broken'

Operators of regional airlines have proposed an initiative that would lower the experience threshold for pilots while beefing up training and supervision once they are cleared for the cockpit.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the proposal, crafted by the Regional Airline Association, still has some details to be worked out before it is formally proposed to the FAA. The association is still working on alternate experience levels for pilot candidates who would participate in training programs run by the individual airlines.

Currently, the FAA mandates that a pilot accrue 1,500 hours before flying an airliner, and preserving that threshold is a top priority for ALPA.

But RAA president Faye Malarkey Black, said every regional carrier is being affected by a system that discourages prospective pilots who must invest a great deal of time and as much as $120,000 in an effort to reach that 1,500 hour threshold. Major airlines so far have been able to recruit pilots from the ranks of the regional airlines. But as more pilots age and retire, and fewer coming up through the ranks, Black said that the pipeline is "broken" and producing too few acceptable applicants.

Black told the Wall Street Journal everyone wants to see new pilots better trained, and that the proponents of changing the system say they want all stakeholders to be a part of a solution that is "safer because we leave nothing to chance."

(Image from file)

FMI: www.raa.org