With the stroke of a pen this month, Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen enabled an estimated 60,000 or more U.S. pilots to act as safety pilots. In the Nov. 16 signing of a new rule that focuses on requiring medical certificates for balloon pilots, other provisions were included that granted holders of BasicMed medical certificates the opportunity to fly as safety pilots, a right not previously held.
Everyone has been moaning that the Colgan ‘rule’ sets too high a bar for Part 121 wannabees. Some have moaned about the age 65 rule taking otherwise qualified and willing pilots out of the cockpit with no exceptions. We USED to have commercial rated pilots in the R seat and did OK with it all. So what’s the beef? Let 'em try it conditionally with a review after a set amount of time.
Myself, I have heartburn with the ‘sly’ way Republic is approaching the FAA … “Let us train qualified aspirants from under represented groups.” That doesn’t sit well with me. The MOST qualified and working backward would be fair to all. So now if you’re one of a myriad of people from the you-know-what groups (who THEY pick) want to fly, Republic will make it happen so their equal opportunity numbers look better. That’s baloney. I think I’ll decide to call myself a female black tranny and get some free flight training. More woke BS.
Dave, Larry’s comment is the natural product of identity-politics workplace discrimination.
MLK would roll in his grave, if he could behold today’s upside-down, woke world.
I believe in equality. Period.
No discrimination of any type, “positive” or negative.
Whatever happened to the American ideal of a meritocracy? Really.
I agree that a trial period could be a good thing. I also agree that the approach to comingle underrepresented pilots and the new proposal makes little sense. There are plenty of pilots that can’t afford things and these should be considered regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation etc.
There are other ways to encourage underrepresented pilots and those programs should be the vehicles for them.
Republic is reported as having among the poorest wages and working conditions of all the US regionals. Now that the industry is rabidly growling their pilots are decamping to better employers and they are having to cancel flights due to a ack of crews. So they had a choice
They could increase their pay and treat there pilots better, or
Get the government to reduce the standards and create what is basically an indentured servitude program to reduce the cost of pilot wages and undoubtedly increase the executive bonuses.
And people are saying that capitalism is a rigged game only benefitting the well connected …
The answer is to proofread. I never send so much as an e-mail without reading it over once and correcting the inevitable typos. (As I just did with this message, catching two typos before I pushed “post.”)
Most boards have an edit function so I have gotten lazy and posted a comment and then went back to fix it later. I often found that after mulling it over a bit I ended up changing parts of the post several times to make it better.
‘Whatever happened to the American ideal of a meritocracy? Really.’
Successfully squashed and kept inaccessible by the American aristocracy.
Even a cursory glance at US history, Yars, shows we’ve never had one, not even close. It’s a fairy tale to tell children for esteem building and confidence as they grow into their own self-awareness. And it’s a good one at that, to build the necessary skills and uncover their talents.
I get your point, but it’s a fantasy. So is the concept of equality. All men are not created equal, but all men should be treated as equal. We just don’t have the maturity to deal with that reality on a national scale, so we form little protective cliques in defensive mode to ward off any integration from the ‘others’ and mock their efforts (woke) to be acknowledged as equals for our gratification. Cheers, brother. ?
Here’s the deal, Dave. All men (gender neutral) ARE created equal … the moment they pop out of the womb. After that, it’s up to their environment – for childhood – and after that, it’s up to them. You want a good life … work for it. You wanna sit on your ass and complain about the unfairness of life and expect Uncle Government (or the ‘system’) to make up for your inadequacies, sorry … I ain’t buying it. I grew up in the Polish ghetto of Chicago and pulled myself right out of by sheer force of willpower. So I have neither empathy OR sympathy for those who want everything for free. THAT is the basis of my previous comment AND personal position. That is the basis for my, “despicable, ignorant statement.”
Just the other day, I read where most of the pilot deviations of a certain airline were of females spoon fed their positions for the purpose of equality numbers. That’s just not right.
I’m genuinely sorry that you’re so jaded. I wish it weren’t so.
I grew up dirt poor, and -stunningly? - made something of myself.
Meritocracy? I’ll say this much: it wasn’t simple dumb-shit luck, and it certainly wasn’t “white privilege.”
Was it belief in myself, and belief in post-war America?
They’re seeking a leniency in standards in right seat ATP’s but only for those who are underrepresented. I’m not sure what underrepresented really means in the US but this sounds crazy. Where I come from, this is discrimination wrapped in woke language. Perhaps they could ask this on behalf of all pilots. I seriously hope the FAA doesn’t bite. I know tons of pilots seeking that fifteen-hundred hour magic number and it’s difficult for everyone - I don’t care who you are or where you come from. My original CFI got his first regional job after teaching piles of students to reach that minimum number. I’m proud of him. He’s a captain now.
I don’t know but just asking. If a flight instructor at a good flight school flew 3 hours a day 5 days a week for one year that is 780 hours, so two years worth of experience instead of one?
My profession takes a Bachelors Degree in Geomatics and four years of work experience in the profession in responsible charge to qualify to take the State Examination to be a licensed professional. So to be a professional pilot (not to bad of a deal).
As a Captain at a Regional Airline I couldn’t agree more. Short cuts to the “Dream Job” at a major airline are not a good idea and different standards in training are even worse. Airlines are bending over backwards to push certain groups through the training when others are let go with the same training record. I have flown with more than a few FOs that require more training or a different job but the percentage seems to be increasing.
It’s not just at the Regionals. The major airlines are currently hiring FOs from Regional airlines and bypassing more experienced pilots for the same job. Just 2 years ago to get an interview at a Major required extensive military experience or 1000 hours 121 PIC time. Now individuals with none of that experience and not even the time required to be PIC in a 121 environment are jumping into the right seat at the majors. Long term consequences? I guess we will see.
Hundreds of hours instructing in a 172 doesn’t help prepare to be an airline pilot, at all. Fully support Republic’s motion to create a reasonable exception to the ATP rule. By reasonable, I mean someone who has undergone training in a jet sim, brought into a mentorship situation under the tutelage of a check airman, etc… Current regional captains may not like the idea, which is likely related to the reality that they too are marginally competent because they hurriedly were flowed to the left seat - convinced that they were ready by their short-staffed company. Under the supervision of an experienced captain, an FO with 750 hours can be ready to do his/her job very competently.