Multiple Types

[Lrusso]

Are there any pilots who fly multiple aircraft in the same work week/month. I know almost all pilots are typed on multiple planes but how many operate them concurrently.

I.g., Does anyone fly an A330 and an A320 on line duties in the same month?

Thanks in advance.

[G SXTY]

If you're talking about pilots who fly types with a common type rating (e.g. B757 / B767 or various members of the Airbus family) then it's not unusual. I know people who constantly swap between the A319/320/321, and others who can fly an A320 one day and an A330 the next.

If however, you're asking if it's common for pilots to have multiple type ratings and fly dissimilar types concurrently, then no, it's not. Most of us are typed on one particular model or series at a time, and that's what we fly. The cost of acquiring and then maintaining multiple type ratings would be prohibitive for all but a few senior management pilots.

[Lrusso]

forgive me for not knowing?

What is the job of a senior management pilot?

[Milt]

Multiple Types

There was a time when test pilots could take the opportunity to fly anything with wings. Not so now and generally a TP is limited to currency on 3 types. This severely restrains their accumulation of broad experience. There has to be some balance between the value of the aircraft and the risk of launching it by a pilot with little or no time on the type.

Back in the last century at Boscombe Down I deliberately set out to fly as many types as possible in a 24 hour period. The best I could do was seven types with a couple of V bombers included. The experience was very demanding mentally with the risk level fairly high trying to juggle all of the essentials necessary to achieve a launch and a recovery.

I think 7 would be about a maximum in a 24 hour period and then only achievable if the assets were available.