How I did it! How you can do it!

[portsharbourflyer]

Push button;

I have good reasons to take a negative vibe on this post? This original post actually represents quite a few negative aspects of the industry.

You are aware of the Air France Incident aren't you? A contributory cause of that incident was the fact the two pilots up front despite having lots of hours essentially went form ab intio training straight to an Airbus with little experience of flying anything else. The fact a lot of cadets are now training on twin stars means they are no longer acquiring traditional instrument flying skills; so no I will not positively endorse any one who goes from a Twin Star straight to an Airbus without attempting to build some alternative flying experience.

Our poster has a lot of experience flying an Airbus but has little experience of flying anything that is challenging and demanding.

As far as I am concerned every twin star trained cadet going to an Airbus is increasing the probability of another Air France incident.


Everyone on this forum a few years back use to flame anyone who did a self sponsored type rating; all the experienced pilots use to say, go instruct, go fly turbo-props don't pay for a type. As said I don't disapprove of SSTR as such, but neither should anyone who has entered the industry by such a route really be praised or celebrated.

The original poster has merely gone through a system available to him and there is a lot of credit due. But at the same time the inference of this post is encouraging and telling wannabes to just go and pay for an A320 type rating. So push is this really want you want to encourage and endorse.

Are you aware of the harm Self Sponsored type ratings have done to the industry?

Firstly the poster obtained his first job by paying for a type rating? That is what wizz air do,they run SSTR schemes. I don't object to people paying for type ratings but irrespective of the how the money was obtained it means the job was not obtained on merit or experience but merely on the ability to pay for rating.

But the consequence of the proliferation of SSTR schemes means a lot of instructors
and experienced turbo-prop pilots have been unable to move on while Airlines have elected instead to employ low hours candidates through self sponsored training schemes.


Secondly people training on a twin star and transferring straight to an airbus means they will have never have done any flying that develops actual raw flying skill.

A lot will say that with modern airliners traditional skills are irrelevant; well look at the Air France incident.

Push tell me when your family is in the back of an Airliner and the systems kick out please tell me who you want up front, Chelsey Sullenburger some one with experience; who are you happy to have a couple of people who just paid there way into the industry and have never actually experience flying anything more than a twinstar and an airbus.

I hope EASA follows the FAA route and brings in an hours requirement for the sake of future flight safety.


I am not been negative out of personal bitterness I am talking on behalf of a lot of other instructors and turbo prop pilots that have attempted to build experience, develop, learn the trade and who haven't just paid their way into the industry.