Wannabe Fat Albert Captains?

[Level 28]

I was asked a question recently that I only partly knew the answer to. What is the current selection criteria for aspiring C130 captains at the 'not so known about' Wilts base? More interested in hrs/timeline required as a co-pilot than PQs etc. If it isn't a State secret, can anyone help?


Ta.

[Seldomfitforpurpose]

At the current rate Captain's are disappearing off to the airlines I suspect 25hrs Tucano and an above average flying assessment will see you straight into the left hand seat missing out on the Co thing completely :ok:

[StopStart]

1) Join RAF

2) Pass pilot training (don't be too good mind or you'll end up in a plane with no loo or microwave)

3) Avoid the frozen north and get posted to Lyneham

4) Do a copilot's tour (2 - 2.5 yrs. The way things are at the moment with detachments etc that'll probably get you up around 800-1000hrs on type)

5) Be moderately capable

6) Become captain

7) Lord it over new copilots.

Seriously, that's pretty much it. If coming from another type with lots of experience you can skip points 1 and 2. There may be occasional instances where the co's tour reduced slightly but generally you serve your time in the RHS first.

PVR rates are pretty average really but lots of people are bailing out at their option points. This is mainly because they get the hours for their ATPL so quickly and the civvy world is hoovering people up as fast as we can train them.....and they're all hacked off with endless dets :hmm:

[Truckkie]

C130K OCU will close Dec 07 - no ab-initios to the K from then on. With the retirement of 5 more K's this year and the re-structuring of a certain sqn you will find that C130K Capt slots will dry up around the end of the year.

C130J - different story although the OCU is working flat-out at the moment so there are a few delays.

If you're after C130 Captaincy as an ab-initio you will need to go down the J co-pilot route.

Re-treads may well be trained in-house in limited numbers on the soon to be one remaining C130K sqn.:ok:

[Dan Winterland]

C130 Captain? May I suggest you show a bit more ambition that that! :E