Flybe MPL
 

Rumour has it that Flybe/FTE are about to advertise for the first UK MPL soon. Watch this space :ok:

Well if you visit the FTE website, it's officially written that they will be recruiting this month for a Flybe MPL part sponsorship...so I guess it's just a tinny bit more than a rumor...

Indeed it is!
It must be a definate rumour :ok:

SIX candidates good luck guys and gals..... That said FTE have said if the MPL comes crashing down they will convert you tp a fATPL.:cool:

Out of interest, once you have a MPL and you're flying on line with an airline - can you train outside of work to convert to a ATPL (CPL+IR)?

I was also wondering this?

Is there much to do to convert MPL to ATPL? And will MPL become the norm one day?

An ATPL is not a CPL/IR! Current modular and intergrated schemes train you to CPL flying standards with IR and ATPL ground subjects (frozen ATPL). In the old days you would complete a CPL flying course, an IR flying course and then sit the CPL ground subjects. When you reached the minimum flying hours/experience requirements for the ATPL you would sit the ATPL ground exams. Later the CAA decided that you could sit the ATPL ground subjects before having the required hours for the ATPL and the FROZEN ATPL was born.

The MPL will be the equivalent of a CPL/IR with ATPL ground subjects i.e. a Frozen ATPL. Once you reach the minimum Flying experience standards you will be able to apply for the full ATPL in just the same way that you would have done if you were unfreezing your frozen ATPL on the old schemes.The only difference being that once you complete an MPL course you will only be allowed to fly the type of commercial aircraft you were trained on but as you will complete this kind of course with a reasonable chance of a job with the company that 'sponsors' you. Once you are issued with your ATPL the world is your oyster!:ok:

PS The requirements for unfreezing are approz 1500 hours experience, so no outside training would help, that said it is an experience requirement mostly so some single piston flying etc would help, check the Lasors/CAA website for full requirements.

What is the lead time for training on these MPL's? In the current climate, you might be waiting around for a while before you get on the line once qualified. Am I right in understanding that FTE have guys currently waiting to go? No new hiring from Flybe at the moment apparently.

The final half of the training is done with the airline or its trainer in the simulator, so once completed you are ready to fly the aircraft, there will more than likely be no leadtime. Jerex do have dacets ready trained and Flybe take them as they need them. Whilst Flybe are not actively recruiting publicaly there are still the odd few Jerez cadets on the courses running now and in the future.
If I was looking to be a Pilot and hadn't yet started my training I would try and get on an MPL scheme or failing that, wait a good 6 months and save like mad before starting any commercial pilot course. Pretty soon the only 'airline' (and I use that term very loosely!) recruiting will be Ryanair and lets face it, they are soon going to be relying on their type rating courses and selection costs for their profits. So unless you fancy working for that kind of outfit, wait and save!:=

I'll send some hate mail to Brussels if it's gonna be easy-cheesie to convert a MPL to a JAA CPL ME IR (aka fATPL), considering you have to go through hell to convert a FAA CPL ME IR to oh-so-high JAA standards :mad:

Good luck though to whoever gets this working, seems like the back-up may be a wee bit better than those Sterling guys had.

Thankyou, this has cleared alot up.

One question; you say you cannot fly any other type of aircraft other than that which you were trained on (in the flybe case the q400)- is this not the same as with a fATPL or ATPL where type rating is required?

Also presumably you can still fly a whole host of GA planes?

Are FTE and Flybe running this scheme simply to save money?

As far as I know, holders of the MPL (Multi-Pilot Licence) are only allowed to fly in a Multi-Crew Environment (hence the name). Therefore they will not be licenced to fly any single pilot aircraft (including most of the GA fleet), without the necessary conversions to the standard CPL.

It will be a JAA MPL ie the 14 written examinations are exactly the same for the fATPL and an MPL. It is the flying/sim time that is different (assuming that it the part you were referring to when talking about converting from an FAA CPL).

thanks. so, how many hours flight time does it take for your MPL to effectivly become a fATPL?

cant really see the MPL catching on...

There arent many airlines showing much interest at the moment apart from Flybe...

But then again, as HVE stated once you have the APTL the world is your oyster... all remains to be seen how it goes....

Malta Flyer,

An MPL holder could get a JAA PPL quite easily. They'd probably just need to do a few hours training and take a check ride. They could then take a standard 25 hour JAA CPL course and test flight, to obtain a CPL. They could hire GA aircraft for solo flying with the PPL. They could get paid to fly GA aircraft as a single pilot with the CPL. They could add an ME with a standard 6 hour course.

MPL is not hugely different than fATPL. It spends little time focusing on building competence for single pilot GA aircraft and instead focuses earlier on building competency in multi-pilot ops on turbine engine types. The main concern is therefore, the smaller number of hours an MPL student gets in the air and as PIC, since the multi-pilot training is done in sims where two students can sit front seat. The second concern is the amount of sim time will result in less air sense and air experience. I would think that by 1500 hours, MPL pilots will have all of this, but they will be leaps and bounds ahead of fATPL holders on a Type Rating course.

If they ever do find themselves seeking a second job before they get to 1500 hours, they will have to take more training, probably to get the PPL and then CPL (they'll have an IR and probably a turbine ME already). This would give them an fATPL, but due to their high multi-crew sim time and type rating, they will be extremely competent in an airline sim assessment.

Are fte just selecting 6 candiates from people who have already applied to fte or will a special application system specifically for the flybe scheme be set up ?

Special assesment. It has not been launched yet

It has just been launched.

You can apply here:
FTE::

Good luck!
(2 A Levels required)

Excellent. And, thank god, a FTO who will let you apply on predicted grades!



grrrr CTC