The way MPL works or is different from traditional CPL is that it gives you an exposure to multi crew cockpit operations procedures pretty early in your training. ICAO requirements for an MPL is a minimum of 240 hours of actual or simulated flying performing the duties of pilot flying (PF) and pilot non-flying (PNF) with an additional requirement that the applicant meets all the actual flying time for a private pilot licence plus additional actual flying time in instrument, night flying and upset recovery. So one can expect around 80 hours of actual aircraft flying (in Seletar and Jandakot) with the rest being simulated flying.
Now multi crew operations are for a/c certificated for more than 1 crew member. So the trainer could be anything from a complete flight deck mock up of an a/c as simple as a CRJ or Learjet or A320 to more advanced cockpits like the 777 or 350. Depending on the degrees of freedom and complexity of controls on the flight deck there are varying levels of a Flight Simulation Training Device(FSTD). When you start training for an MPL you will start small. Your training device will be a simpler FSTD say level 4 which will be just a complete flight deck mock up and not an FFS because they will want to emphasize on teaching you how to work in a turbine multi crew co operation multi engine environment and save on costs of putting you in an FFS. So you will start your MPL on smaller a/c sims with lesser system and flight deck complexities (Learjet or A320) so that you can emphasize on operational procedures and are not overwhelmed by cockpit complexities. All this training will be according to SIA ops procedures. Now all this will easily take you 12-15 months (including ground school for ATPL and flying). So you might have an idea by this point which line you would be assigned to but won't be sure of it till your type rating. Then you will have your type rating (maybe another 1-3 months) on a FSTD level 7 or a FFS (level D I think) which will be type specific on the fleet you are going to be assigned to. This is the regular type rating that even a CPL holder would need to do. I guess this is the reduction in training time down to 18 months that Nicholas Ionides referred to in media reports when they shut down Maroochydore.
As in life, you have to walk before you learn to run. Every new a/c is a development of the older ones with newer systems being derived from older ones. That's why airlines will transition pilots from older and smaller to newer and bigger based on seniority of experience with the airline because you are deemed as having that much knowledge of the airlines ops procedures.
So irrespective of the a/c coming in, a new (cadet) pilot will start off on the smaller and older fleet in an airline and senior pilots will make the transition to newer, bigger, advanced a/c coming into the fleet.
So as flying.monkeyz said earlier, you should expect to be on the 777 fleet for SQ or 320 for MI
This is just my research and what I've gathered about MPL. Let's see what route SIA takes.
Last edited by fromdgrndup; 9th Jul 2014 at 16:03.