Question on simulator and line checks
I am not a professional pilot, but I thought this was the best forum to ask my question. Hope that's OK.
I understand that all professional pilots must pass:
- a six-monthly simulator check in which emergency drills are conducted;
- a yearly line check, which is conducted on a scheduled flight to see how the pilot operates a "normal" flight.
I understand that the recurrent training and examination is conducted by a training captain at that particular airline and that the contents will be largely the same but there will be some variation from one airline to the next.
My question is: is there a legal / regulatory requirement on airlines to carry out these checks? If so, could someone point me to where the requirement is found? Or are they the result of industry consensus / good practice?
Are they universal? For example, would a European short-haul pilot undergo the same checks as a long-haul pilot working for an American airline?
Finally, just out of curiosity, if a training captain is conducting a line check from the jump-seat of a scheduled flight, would the captain undergoing the line check normally inform passengers that there is a training captain on board when he introduces the crew? Or would that just confuse passengers?
Thanks as always for taking the time to reply.
Nick