Youngest B747-400 Captain
 

Hi, I'm a journalist doing some research on the B747-400. Can anyone tell me who might be the current youngest B747-400 Captain. I have a list of a few airlines that fly this aircraft, but need some help on the crews from these airlines and any others that might fly the same aircraft. United Airlines, Northwest/Delta, Polar, Atlas, Kalitta Air, Cathay Pacific, Great Wall, Lufthansa, Emirates, and any others you might think of. Thank you for any help you can provide.

Emirates have 747s? Someone better tell them because their website seems not to know.

Hi Jim,

Just being curious: If you are doing research on the 744 as such, where does age of PIC come into the equation?

No harm, just honestly curious.

Cheers,
redbar1

SQ
 

I'm curious as to know why you want this information as well.
But for rumor sake. Years ago I was introduced to a SQ B747-400 Captain.
He was 27 years old at the time.

Interesting TWNPPL. A Singaporean used not to be able to join the airline until he was twenty six! Had to have completed National Service first, then he would have had to amass the hours and sectors necessary for a first command, usually on the smaller fleet, the A310 in my day. A non-Singaporean joining younger than 26 would have had a time penalty attached to their TCOS to ensure they didn't get an advantage over a Local.

The youngest ex-pat B744 captain I knew in SIA was in his late thirties, about the same age that a Singaporean would hope to make it.

Wrong.
I flew with many of 'em who had joined at age 24....and long before any A310's were on the property.

Emirates operate 747-400Fs. Not sure if there flown by TNT, Atlas or Emirates pilots though.

This research has to do with the cycles of the economy and the upgrade expectations. I happen to be centering my article around the B747-400. No offense to any other type aircraft operators. Is there any SQ Captain (on the B747-400) currently 27 yr old?

Most outfits operating the B747-400 will be reputable and seniority will be observed. Therefore any upgrades can take time. Air India have and had, a few late 30's early 40's IIRC.

However there are one or two outfits who have got their hands on 744's now, where seniority does not exist. AAI for example, where there are probably individuals (with little conscience, let alone experience) have "jumped the que". Try them as there maybe some surprises.

Is there any SQ Captain (on the B747-400) currently 27 yr old?

Not a hope.

I made MD-11 captain at 35....

With ref to SQ ages...If you were Singaporean you had to wait until your were 26 (see above posting) and do your service to your country... But if you are Malaysian there is no service required...and I remember a 21 year old FO...but as far as a 27 year old B744 skipper? Unlikely unless he was an expat with a lot of "time" in his log book...but knowing how the recruitment gang worked... seems like a rumour. the other question here to the journo is why is it important?

Jim

It would be interesting to know what angle your research is coming from in a little more detail. Whatever information you get for the 744 is likely to not be statistically relevant. The sample group of pilots and airlines for the 744 is simply too small (probably a few thousand pilots globally compared to several tens of thousands each for the 737 and 320s).

With 651 aircraft in service between 66 operators, that is just under 10 aircraft per operator. Hardly sfficient to base any meaningful statistical analysis with regard to upgrade potential in the light of any particular economy, and local influences will cause too much fluctuation between airlines and regions to not be taken into account.

Are yo sure you have though this through from a research point of view? The 747 may be the one that the public know and love, but if you base any statistics on this aircraft alone without taking the huge number of variables into account, you will have invalid data and therefore you will have a misleading (and inevitably "spun") article.

I know of a couple of guys who made jet skipper before reaching mid 20s, but all on narrowbody. Until recently 744s were mostly the domain of the legacy carriers most of whom operate (or operated) a strict seniority list as pointed out by Joe.

RIX

R-I-X

How would you like a journo to tell you how to do your job?

He said he's doing research on the 744. Give him what he wants to know or leave it be :ugh:

Good luck Jim :ok:

No 411A, not 'wrong' 100% right in fact. You left SIA long before the B744 came on the scene and the question relates to the B744 when the A310 was most definitely around and the joining age for a Singaporean was 26, (see post #12). What pertained when you were in SIA is irrelevant to this thread. RTFQ.

27 yrs old
 

They introduced me as the youngest in SQ or may be the youngest in the world.
Perhaps he was a Route Captain, RCA Relief Captain, IRF International Relief First Officer or F/O A. I don't know.
He was sitting on the left; approximately 19 year ago when I visited the flight deck during cruise.
Over and Out.

Malaysians can join SIA at 19 - I flew with a 29 yr old 777 Capt

Sorry, parabellum, you are sadly mistaken.
Long before you joined, Singapore nationals could indeed join the airline younger than age 26, with a proviso that their national service was deferred for a period, until they reached age 33, at which point, it was considered duly served....and this policy had absolutely nothing to do with 744's, nor any other airplane in the fleet.
In fact, one local First Oficer who was terminated due to a duty time dispute prior to his 33rd birthday, promptly found himself back in the military service as his deferral was canceled when he no longer worked for the airline.

So, your stand alone statement is in error.

A thing you learn about airline websites is that they are often written by those who know even less about aviation than journalists :)

Photos: Boeing 747-4HAF/ER/SCD Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net

The technical detail behind the operational arrangements is incidental.

http://www.pprune.org/questions/1797...e-captain.html

According to that someone did it at 22!

Perhaps of more importance might be the result of a younger guy in command of a B747 with little experience...and not paying attention to details.

Example.
Circa 1977, ex MEL, SQ service, MEL-SIN, local Captain in charge.
The crew boards the aircraft, does preflight checks, and completes a takeoff briefing, departing runway 34.
After engine start and pushback, the airplane is instructed to taxi to runway 27, whereupon the FD crew does as instructed, no further briefing as to the suitability of runway 27, nor the SID required.
The aircraft is cleared for takeoff on runway 27.
As this runway is rather short, said 747 rotates in the very end, drags the tail through the weeds beyond, and descends, out of sight from the tower (in the valley beyond the end of runway 27) until it is seen once again, climbing...slowly.
The aircraft proceeded to SIN at normal flight levels, and landed uneventfully, with bits and pieces firmly lodged in the extreme aft lower fuselage.
The Captain.
Suspended from duty and downgraded to First Officer, where he remained for a very long time.
His age at the time of the incident?
29, as I recall.
SQ (Capt SK 'Charlie' Chan, DFO) had a very big rethink after this very near disaster, and experienced expat Captains were recruited poste haste, including yours truly.

All above is factual, parabellum's obtuse opinions notwithstanding.

You could try that guy off the ITVV video, I believe he was 30 when made a B747 Captain with Virgin Atlantic. You can try looking him up on Facebook.

WHBM:

You might just have noticed that the three 744Fs which are at the moment wet-leased to Emirates are Belgian-registered. They are owned by TNT Airways SA based in Liege. They are flown by TNT crews and are on the TNT Airways AOC.

They are operated by TNT and not by Emirates but then, I don't have to tell you what a wet-lease is do I?

I have a friend of mine who made Captain with Virgin Atlantic at 28 years old ! These days it would probably take 28 years in the COMPANY to make Captain.

Jim

Emirates does not operate the 744. They are in Emirates livery, but operated by Atlas on a wet lease scheme to handle cargo only.

Good luck with your survey. :)

k-o-t-s

Now who is being obtuse!!! My statement is very obviously relative to the B744 as that is what this thread is all about and therefore totally accurate.

It is?
Really?:}
Could have fooled me...:rolleyes:

To digress slightly.

The youngest heavy jet Captain I met was a 21 year old B707 PIC, civilian, during GW 1.

Obviously not a lot of experience but must have been quite sharp.

A British Airways F/O got his command on a 744 at age 28.

lol
 

try not to kill each other:=

28
 

i second capain aircles that A British Airways F/O got his command on a 744 at age 28

-all credit to him-

What a great place for journalists to research - on an anonymous forum with the following at the bottom:

Thanks for the advise, but it's sometimes easier to start with rumor and then the easy part is to verifying the facts. Send me a message if you need advise with your job.

Scott

I see no reason why journalists shouldn't use PPRuNe for research, especially if they are honest and declare themselves.

The 28 year old completed his command course to a very high standard and has operated for several years in the LHS. (forgot to mention that it was a 744F). He's now about 31 or 32.

Dave

Wow ! 27 yrs old SQ B744 Capt. Even the youngest B777 capts I've come across are in their mid 30s. Just a theory, but if he was a Singaporean, my guess is that he could be someone well linked to the higher ups. Any idea what his surname was ? Just a theory, so please don't shoot me down.:\

On an interesting note, I've seen a Asian female FO in her late 20s early 30s flying a B744F. Never seen any other female cockpit crew in an Asian carrier's B744 yet.

i made Capt on the B747 in JAL at 29 and B744 at 34

"Of Numbers". EK Gann. :ok:

Are you currently 34? So far I have found a Captain on the B747-400 at Polar Air Cargo that is currently 36. I am taking a snapshot of today's market and not a history of the B747-400. I still have a lot of work to do, but if someone knows of a younger captain on the B747-400 let me know. I have found that there are a lot more airlines operating this aircraft than I first thought.

It looks like Lynn is now 52. Thank you for the info and keep it coming. I have possibly some Japanese 744 captains in there 30's, still looking.