New Minimum Hours Legislation

[SynixMan]

It was only recently (on here in fact) I learned of the really low minimum hours regional pilots need before they can be responsible for many lives and get paid a pittance. Nice to know there's movement on the issue.

http://www.buffalonews.com/2010/03/17/990217/senate-oks-measure-to-boost-flight.html

 

[phrogdriver]

I'm not sure how this will affect things, market wise.

Airline hiring is competitive. Does anyone actually get hired at 250 hours? I doubt it--any airline types here please advise.

Until pilots actually hold out for better wages, many of the quality applicants will continue to look elsewhere.

For crying out loud, guys will go $50000 in debt to get a $25000/yr job. In any market that hosed, the quality spread will get really distorted.

 

[HAL Pilot]

I don't know about recently, but a couple of years ago the regionals were hiring 250-400 hour pilots.

Which is why I won't let my daughter fly on a regional airline. I don't either.

 

[yak52driver]

One of my former students was hired at a regional with just over 300 hours about three years ago. And I'm with HAL, my wife won't fly on a regional.

 

[ryan1234]

I'm not sure how this will affect things, market wise.

Airline hiring is competitive. Does anyone actually get hired at 250 hours? I doubt it--any airline types here please advise.

Until pilots actually hold out for better wages, many of the quality applicants will continue to look elsewhere.

For crying out loud, guys will go $50000 in debt to get a $25000/yr job. In any market that hosed, the quality spread will get really distorted.

$50k in debt is a fairly low number... if someone goes to an aviation school, say ERAU, $120k in debt is not unheard of.

I don't really see how this new rule is going to make regionals safer. The Captain is still going to have ATP requirements... so does that mean FOs can just upgrade faster???

If that's so it could just make them less safe:

Say regionals continue to pay crappy. A CFI with a fresh ATP applies to build 'turbine' time for the corporate job... a year later he could be out for the better paying corporate gig. Sooner or later they have less qualified captains and just upgrade the FOs quicker. I don't think they're just going to pay pilots better off the cuff... if they have to get transitioning pilots building turbine time they will. So now you have less experienced captains because they just reduce the captain's pay and upgrade the FOs quicker. JMHO