As airlines are driven by customer sentiment I wonder how long it would take for a change in recruiting patterns if they were required to make an announcement that the flight being boarded will have a Cadet First Officer under training in the cockpit?
As a matter of interest given the pro and against stance:
AAIU Formal Report No2003/010
AAIU File No: 2002/0050 ]Published: 6th Aug 2003
Ryanair
Manufacturer: Boeing
Model: B737-204 ADV
Nationality: Irish
Registration: EI-CJE
Location: During climb out from Derry Airport.
Date/Time (UTC):28 September, 2002, 08.20 hours.
(First Officer)
Personal DetailsMale, Age 22
Licence CPL 343263
Total all types 382.25
(Commander)
Personal DetailsMale, Age 34
It is clear from the pilots debriefing into this incident that the pressurisation system controls were not in the normal configuration, at least from after take-off at 08.03Z to the resolution of the problem between 08.18Z and 08.24Z, when permission to climb to FL310 was requested. While the Captain’s decision to perform a “Bleeds Off” take-off was done in the interest of the relatively inexperienced FO, (this was his first such take-off), the Cross Cockpit Gradient of experience was quite steep in this instance. It was unfortunate that the additional switching prior and after take-off led to the FO describing retrospectively, in his own words, “mentally becoming overloaded with new information which potentially had serious effects”. And this, in effect, is what transpired. The FO switched the pack switches to OFF and this went unnoticed by the Captain in subsequent checks and ignored by the FO, until the aircraft levelled off at FL270. That all was not well was brought to the crews attention by the sounding of what they understood to be the configuration warning horn.
SERIOUS INCIDENT
Aircraft Type and Registration: Airbus A320, G-DHJZ
No & Type of Engines: 2 CFM56-5B4/P turbofan engines
Year of Manufacture: 2003
Date & Time (UTC): 5 July 2007 at 1205 hrs
Location: Kos Airport, Greece
Type of Flight: Commercial Air Transport (Passenger)
Persons on Board: Crew - 6 Passengers - 180
Injuries: Crew - None Passengers - None
Nature of Damage: Severe damage to main landing gear
Commander’s Licence: Air Transport Pilot’s Licence
Commander’s Age: 47 years
Commander’s Flying Experience: 12,100 hours (of which 950 were on type)
Last 90 days - 174 hours
Last 28 days - 38 hours
Co-pilot’s Age 34 years
Co-pilot’s Flying Experience 381 hours (of which 147 were on type)
Last 90 days - 154 hours
Last 28 days - 49 hours
Synopsis
The aircraft landed heavily on Runway 32 at Kos Airport, causing substantial damage to the aircraft’s main landing gear. It touched down with a high rate of descent, following a late initiation of the flare by the co‑pilot, who was undergoing line training. Three safety recommendations are made.
Late in 2006, he attended selection tests for a ‘Cadetship’ programme offered by a commercial flying training organisation (FTO), in conjunction with the operator (of G-DHJZ)6; the tests were run by the training organisation. Under the scheme, a cadet would pay for a ‘Jet Bridge’7 course, type rating and 150 hours of line flying with the airline. Thereafter, there would be a possibility of employment should the airline concerned have any vacancies. The commercial training organisation paid the airline for its involvement in the training, enabling the airline to generate revenue through their training department,
Having cadet pilots is not risk free but if given good training and if the airline is properly resourced the risk is very much reduced. Of course after a period of time they do have the experience the risk is in the initial stages.
Last edited by Lookleft; 17th Feb 2011 at 04:47.