Originally Posted by
Platypus
Dear fellows,
My story is one of many individual fates in the industry these days.
For the past two years, I have been enrolled in an airline ab inition programme at a major european carrier. Our class sucessfully finished the type rating course up to the skill test, still missing base training in the actual aircraft, when everything stopped due to Corona. Due to the recent developements in the crisis, flight ops as well as training at my airline obviously has been suspended for an undefined time, but at the moment some of us have been told that we would be looking at no continuation until next year, not taking into account the chance of the operator ceasing operations permanently.
So I am looking at alternatives to complete my license, maybe to the degree of CPL. I am also holding an EASA PPL(A).
Reading through EASA PART-FCL, I still have some open questions regarding the interpretation of this document, and maybe you have answers to them:
1.: Is anybody reading this, or has been, in a similar situation? What would be your course of action?
2.: Is it true, that in order to qualify for the CPL skill test, I "only" need to make up the required PIC flight hours (in my case about 25h)? Can these hours be flown in SEP?
3.: Regarding the TR: Can the base training be completed in a Level D FFS instead of the actual aeroplane? Looking at the training matrix, it seems to me that there is no explicit requirement for the landing training to take place in the actual aircraft (PART-FCL, page 1260, not allowed to post URLs here)
PART-FCL CPL Training Course, specific conditions for MPL holders
FCL.325.A CPL(A) — Specific conditions for MPL holders
Before exercising the privileges of a CPL(A), the holder of an MPL shall have completed in aeroplanes:
(a) 70 hours of flight time:
(1) as PIC; or
(2) made up of at least 10 hours as PIC and the additional flight time as PIC under supervision
(PICUS).
Of these 70 hours, 20 shall be of VFR cross-country flight time as PIC, or cross-country flight
time made up of at least 10 hours as PIC and 10 hours as PICUS. This shall include a VFR crosscountry
flight of at least 540 km (300 NM) in the course of which full-stop landings at two
different aerodromes shall be flown as PIC;
(b) the elements of the CPL(A) modular course as specified in paragraphs 10(a) and 11 of Appendix 3,
E to this Part; and
(c) the CPL(A) skill test, in accordance with FCL.320.
PART-FCL appendix 5
Appendix 5 - Integrated MPL training course
GENERAL
1. The aim of the MPL integrated course is to train pilots to the level of proficiency necessary to
enable them to operate as co-pilot of a multi- engine multi-pilot turbine-powered air transport
aeroplane under VFR and IFR and to obtain an MPL.
2. Approval for an MPL training course shall only be given to an ATO that is part of a commercial air
transport operator certificated in accordance with Part-ORO or having a specific arrangement with
such an operator.
3. An applicant wishing to undertake an MPL integrated course shall complete all the instructional
stages in one continuous course of training at an ATO. The training shall be competency based and
conducted in a multi-crew operational environment.
4. Only ab-initio applicants shall be admitted to the course.
5. The course shall comprise:
(a) theoretical knowledge instruction to the ATPL(A) knowledge level;
(b) visual and instrument flying training;
(c) training in MCC for the operation of multi-pilot aeroplanes; and
(d) type rating training.
6. An applicant failing or unable to complete the entire MPL course may apply to the competent
authority for the theoretical knowledge examination and skill test for a licence with lower privileges
and an IR, if the applicable requirements are met.
THEORETICAL KNOWLEDGE
7. An approved MPL theoretical knowledge course shall comprise at least 750 hours of instruction
for the ATPL(A) knowledge level, as well as the hours required for theoretical knowledge instruction
for the relevant type rating, in accordance with Subpart H.
FLYING TRAINING
8. The flying training shall comprise a total of at least 240 hours, composed of hours as PF and PNF,
in actual and simulated flight, and covering the following 4 phases of training:
(a) Phase 1 — Core flying skills
Specific basic single-pilot training in an aeroplane.
(b) Phase 2 — Basic
Introduction of multi-crew operations and instrument flight.
(c) Phase 3 — Intermediate
Part-FCL – Appendices, AMC and GM V1, June 2016
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Application of multi-crew operations to a multi-engine turbine aeroplane certified as a high
performance aeroplane in accordance with Part-21.
(d) Phase 4 — Advanced
Type rating training within an airline oriented environment.
Flight experience in actual flight shall include all the experience requirements of Subpart H, upset
recovery training, night flying, flight solely by reference to instruments and the experience required
to achieve the relevant airmanship.
MCC requirements shall be incorporated into the relevant phases above.
Training in asymmetric flight shall be given either in an aeroplane or an FFS.
9. Each phase of training in the flight instruction syllabus shall be composed of both instruction in
the underpinning knowledge and in practical training segments.
10. The training course shall include a continuous evaluation process of the training syllabus and a
continuous assessment of the students following the syllabus. Evaluation shall ensure that:
(a) the competencies and related assessment are relevant to the task of a co- pilot of a multi-pilot
aeroplane; and
(b) the students acquire the necessary competencies in a progressive and satisfactory manner.
11. The training course shall include at least 12 take-offs and landings to ensure competency. These
take-offs and landings shall be performed under the supervision of an instructor in an aeroplane for
which the type rating shall be issued.
ASSESSMENT LEVEL
12. The applicant for the MPL shall have demonstrated performance in all 9 competency units
specified in paragraph 13 below, at the advanced level of competency required to operate and
interact as a co-pilot in a turbine-powered multi-pilot aeroplane, under visual and instrument
conditions. Assessment shall confirm that control of the aeroplane or situation is maintained at all
times, to ensure the successful outcome of a procedure or manoeuvre. The applicant shall
consistently demonstrate the knowledge, skills and attitudes required for the safe operation of the
applicable aeroplane type, in accordance with the MPL performance criteria.
COMPETENCY UNITS
13. The applicant shall demonstrate competency in the following 9 competency units:
(1) apply human performance principles, including principles of threat and error
management;
(2) perform aeroplane ground operations;
(3) perform take-off;
(4) perform climb;
Part-FCL – Appendices, AMC and GM V1, June 2016
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(5) perform cruise;
(6) perform descent;
(7) perform approach;
(8) perform landing; and
(9) perform after landing and aeroplane post-flight operations.
SIMULATED FLIGHT
14. Minimum requirements for FSTDs:
(a) Phase 1 — Core flying skills
E-training and part tasking devices approved by the competent authority that have the following
characteristics:
— involve accessories beyond those normally associated with desktop computers, such as functional
replicas of a throttle quadrant, a side- stick controller, or an FMS keypad, and
— involve psychomotor activity with appropriate application of force and timing of responses.
(b) Phase 2 — Basic
An FNPT II MCC that represents a generic multi-engine turbine-powered aeroplane.
(c) Phase 3 — Intermediate
An FSTD that represents a multi-engine turbine-powered aeroplane required to be operated with a
co-pilot and qualified to an equivalent standard to level B, additionally including:
— a daylight/twilight/night visual system continuous cross-cockpit minimum collimated visual field
of view providing each pilot with 180° horizontal and 40° vertical field of view, and
— ATC environment simulation.
(d) Phase 4 — Advanced
An FFS which is fully equivalent to level D or level C with an enhanced daylight visual system,
including ATC environment simulation.
Looking forward to read your opinions and stories.
Kind regards
Hi, this really does suck to hear. It’s not a reason not to do an MPL, as no doubt many people will be attacking you for before long, how could anyone have possible forseen this? You’d not be in a much better position with a CPL/ATPL anyway. There are no jobs.
Regarding the type rating, would be helpful to know the airline. Can guarantee you won’t get sacked for saying ‘easyjet’ or ‘wizzair’, or at least what type of aircraft it will be, are we talking turboprops or jets?
Assuming it’s a 320, you have to do base training in the real aircraft. Once you have 500 hours or 100 sectors in a multi pilot jet aircraft over 10 tonnes, any future type ratings can be done as ‘zero flight time’. Zero flight time meaning it can all be done in a sim. Hence airline joining requirements are often 500 hours or 100 sectors, for the very reason that they can put you through ZFT training. It’s 12 circuits for MPL students and 6 for ATPLs, just another difference between the two licence types.
This link is a bit light on detail and I’ve never heard of the place, but it does have the requirements
https://www.dentoaviation.com/zero-f...-training-zftt
Just be careful ripping up your MPL to get a CPL, there’s no jobs anyway so won’t necessarily help before your original airline can have you back.
Since you’re talking about essentially becoming modular, you’ll need 200 hours of flying, and need to get a multi engine instrument rating. Then a JOC and MCC as well as UPRT. A CPL is pretty much worthless unless you want to tow banners, your plan (to presumably fly jets still) needs a frozen ATPL.
I’m assuming you’ve spent six to eight months in a simulator as part of the MPL? You’re wasting all of that if you go this way and given MPLs cost about £100k, you’ll need to accept you’re writing off about half of that amount as having been wasted.
I’d wait a bit longer if I were you...!