New airline pilot licence cheaper but has less ‘real-life’ flying time

AIRLINE pilots could be taking their place in the right seat after just 70 hours of ‘real’ flying time when the new Multi-Pilot Licence (MPL) is introduced next month.

The rest of the training - 250 hours - will take place in flight simulators, which will allow train organisations to slash actual flying hours in a real aircraft by more than half.

The MPL is the result of two years’ work by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). It adopted the licence provisions in March and they become applicable on 23 November 2006. ICAO is currently drawing up programme standards and regulations, which could be ready in mid-2007.

The MPL is in response to requests by airlines for a fast-track qualification. They face a worldwide shortage of pilots. Already, the American FAA has moved to work out its response and the UK CAA, a prime mover in favour of the MPL, isn’t far behind.

The MPL is designed specifically for airline flying. It means flying training organisations will be able to take a person off the street and train them on simulators for between 12 and 18 months and then move them into the right-hand seat of a airliner as co-pilot.

The MPL course will entail just 70 hours of flying time in a real aircraft as opposed to the 200 flying hours required at present. MPL graduates would only be able to fly in a ‘multi-crew environment’ for their first few years of employment.

One organisation with concerns about the MPL is the European Cockpit Association (ECA), representing 29 professional pilots’ associations across Europe.

The ECA says the new licence risks downgrading the standards of commercial flight training at a time when aircraft are becoming increasingly complex and air traffic is expected to rise substantially.

W: www.eurocockpit.be