Type ratings???

[swashplate]

I understand that Airline pilots have to be specifically 'type rated' to fly airliners.

Some questions (purely out of interest - god, what an anorack I've become!!!):


1. What exactly is involved in this - do you have to take exams? How many hours do you do in the sim?

2. Would you ever train in the real aircraft? I've heard of Pilots doing it all in the 'sim', but the 'Air Show' a few years ago showed BA pilot trainees doing circuits at Prestwick in the A320.

3. Do turobprop pilot tain in sims, or is it just jet pilots? Do jet Pilot have to do more hours?

4. Do you do the Instrument Rating in the 'sim' or the real a/c?

5. Do you do more 'hand flying' or 'systems management' on the type-rating.

6. Can you fly as many airliners as you like? Or only one at a time?


Eagerly await replies from 'type-rated' yoke & sidestick operators!!

Anyway, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to sit in front on MS FS2000 for 10hrs while we go to Florida..........

[This message has been edited by swashplate (edited 22 February 2001).]

[This message has been edited by swashplate (edited 22 February 2001).]

[HugMonster]

1. What exactly is involved in this - do you have to take exams? How many hours do you do in the sim?
Exams - yes. Sometimes several. Depends to a slight extent on the course, but a type rating course on even as relatively small (20 ton) aircraft would normally involve about a month's study and training. Normally this would be about 2 weeks in the classroom, 2 weeks in the sim.

2. Would you ever train in the real aircraft? I've heard of Pilots doing it all in the 'sim', but the 'Air Show' a few years ago showed BA pilot trainees doing circuits at Prestwick in the A320.
For small, light types, you can train on the aircraft. However, for anything of any reasonable size at all, you wouldn't dream of doing so. Main reason of course, is expense - a sim is far cheaper to operate than the aircraft, and, naturally, you can simulate all sorts of emergencies (engine fires, hydraulic failures, multiple failures) in the sim that for safety's sake you wouldn't dream of attempting on the aircraft.

3. Do turobprop pilot tain in sims, or is it just jet pilots? Do jet Pilot have to do more hours?
Normally, the more complex the aircraft, the longer the training required. There is a minimum time laid down in the TRTO's (Type Rating Training Organisation's) syllabus for it to be approved by the CAA/JAA. Some candidates may require more. If they require much more, they will start to be expensive, and the airline may consider "chopping" them. And not much difference in the time required between a jet and a turboprop type. If anything, slightly more for turboprop as they're slightly more complex to operate.

4. Do you do the Instrument Rating in the 'sim' or the real a/c?
Provided the sim is approved for all training, you'd do the IR in the sim just as part of the rest of the course, not as a separate sim ride. Once you get to these sorts of levels, an IR is type-specific, and cannot be used in other types.

5. Do you do more 'hand flying' or 'systems management' on the type-rating.
Simple answer is - a mixture. You have to be able to fly the thing with no automatics. But since full systems failures are rare, much of the time is spent learning to operate the aircraft's systems.

6. Can you fly as many airliners as you like? Or only one at a time?
General answer is that you can only be current on one type at a time. However, because of cockpit commonality between different types, in some cases the CAA will allow you to alternate your Line Proficiency Checks and stay current on two types at the same time. Examples are the ATR 42 and 72, the Boeing 757 and 767, and many Airbus types.

Hope this answers your queries!

------------------
Breeding Per Dementia Unto Something Jolly Big, Toodle-pip

[This message has been edited by HugMonster (edited 22 February 2001).]

[rolling circle]

Almost entirely correct, HugMonster, except:

2. There is a requirement to complete some of the LST items and to carry out a certain number of take-offs and landings in the aircraft which is why you see BA pilot trainees doing circuits at Prestwick. The number of landings depends upon previous experience - 4 for the more experienced, 6 for the less. There are zero flight-time courses approved for some aircraft but only for pilots with considerable relevant experience. Also there are some (mainly older) aircraft for which an approved sim is not available (e.g. DC6, Electra) in which case all training is done on the aircraft.

6. You can be current on more than one type, many pilots are. The rules are laid down in Appendix 1 to JAR-OPS 1.980. In broad terms you can be current on multiple types as follows:

Single Pilot Aeroplanes

(i) Three piston engined aeroplane types or variants; or

(ii) Three turbo-propellor aeroplane types or variants; or

(iii) One turbo-propellor aeroplane type or variant and one piston engined aeroplane type or variant; or.

(vi) One turbo-propellor aeroplane type or variant and any aeroplane within a particular class.

Multi-Pilot Aeroplanes

(1) The minimum flight crew complement specified in the Operations Manual is the same for each type or variant to be operated; (i.e. you couldn't be current on both 747-400 [2 crew] and 747-200 [3 crew])

(2) A flight crew member does not operate more than two aeroplane types or variants for which a separate licence endorsement is required; (e.g. you could be current on A319/A320/A321 [one licence endorsement] and B757/B767 [one licence endorsement] and

(3) Only aeroplanes within one licence endorsement are flown in any one flight duty period unless the operator has established procedures to ensure adequate time for preparation.

[swashplate]

Thanks chaps, v informative!!!!!!

I'll be away from PPRuNe for 10hrs now, as I'm coming BACK from Florida on FS2000..............

[This message has been edited by swashplate (edited 26 February 2001).]

[This message has been edited by swashplate (edited 26 February 2001).]

[Low_and_Slow]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">1. What exactly is involved in this - do you have to take exams? How many hours do you do in the sim?
</font>
In the US the time will vary depending on your previous experience (an experienced Boeing glass driver takes less time to rate on another Boeing glass plane than someone moving from, say a DC-10), and on the complexity of the plane. The training terminates in a checkride.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">2. Would you ever train in the real aircraft? I've heard of Pilots doing it all in the 'sim', but the 'Air Show' a few years ago showed BA pilot trainees doing circuits at Prestwick in the A320.</font>
At least in the US, you can generally do all the training in the sim. If you don't already hold a turbojet type rating, however, you must do some flying on the practical test.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">6. Can you fly as many airliners as you like? Or only one at a time?</font>
I find it's difficult enough flying one plane. Don't think we could get them in close enough formation for me to fly more than one simultaneously :) .