Hours on type

[Farrell]

Hi Folks

Just a question and probably a stupid one because I haven't thought it through but....

when you get a relatively new, or brand new aircraft like say the A380 (if it ever gets off the ground :E ) how do the airlines work out or specify the necessary "hours on type" - surely the A380 is a unique beast in this respect.

Do pilots have to do, say for example 500 hours in a simulator? Or how is it done? And subsequently - does this mean that flying on a new aircraft with a new crew with low experience on type, increases your chance of being in an accident..??

BTW I'm NOT a journo....!!!!

I'm just interested in finding out more about this!

Wayne

[P.Pilcher]

Wayne - Don't forget that every new type of aeroplane has to be flown for the first time by a pilot with no hours whatsoever on type! However, this situation occurrs more often than you think. When an airline decides to operate a different aircraft type, it could well be that none of their crews have ever operated such a type before, so after appropriate ground and simulator training and testing is completed, experienced pilots from outside the company will fly with company pilots "on the line" until said company pilots are confident to fly the aircraft type themselves. This will be in very much less than 500 hours!
In the case of the type you mention, it could well be that some of the manufacturers' test pilots will fulfill this role.

The only time that very low hours on type tends to catch out pilots is when job changes occurr. I had a friend some years ago who had just been promoted to a command on the BAe 146. His company went bust a couple of days later, so he was out of a job with a mere two hours in command in his logbook. Needless to say his next BAe 146 job was back in the right hand seat!

P.P.

[Farrell]

Ahhh I see!

Thanks P. Pilcher ;)

[Genghis the Engineer]

It is a normal part of the Test Pilots role, that they then checkout the training captains / instructors / Chief Pilots on a new type before handing it over, and often ride along on service flights from time to time so that any issues get picked up and dealt with.

I believe that the German CAA require that test pilots on larger types hold a type rating before carrying out a first flight. I've never quite worked out how this works! Alternatively, I was party to conversation between UK CAA and a British company test pilot on the subject of seaplane ratings that went something like this...



TP: I've got an FAA seaplane rating, could I have a British seaplane rating please?
CAA: No, because you want it on a different class of aircraft to your FAA rating.
TP: So how do I get it on this class?
CAA: You have to fly a seaplane in this class, with a CAA seaplane examiner.
TP: But that's impossible
CAA: Why?
TP: Because until I have test flown and certified the aeroplane, there is no seaplane in this class.

(Pause of several months)

CAA: Okay, we've agreed that you can fly the aircraft as a test pilot, but as soon as it has been certified you can't fly it until you've done so with an examiner to get your UK seaplane rating.
TP: Okay, but presumably I'll first need to train your examiner in how to fly this class of seaplane.
CAA: Err, yes.
TP: Except your examiners aren't allowed to fly under flight test conditions, only test pilots are allowed to do that.


It did get a bit silly for a while, it was eventually solved by somebody at CAA having a blinding flash of common sense and agreeing to come and sit on the side of a lake and watch the flight testing, and so long as the aeroplane didn't get bent, to issue a CAA seaplane rating. It did take almost a year to get to that point however, thankfully it wasn't urgent :{

G

[Farrell]

this is EXACTLY the administrative kind of sh*te that adds years to us converting licences etc.

I'm sure that it's necessary sh*te though!! :E