Briefing: September 2013

Anyone looking for a career in an airline cockpit will be affected by the FAAs new ruling on first officer requirements. The 2009 Colgan Air crash prompted Congress to demand the new rules. All first officers who fly for passenger and cargo airlines now will be required to hold an aircraft type rating, plus an ATP certificate, which requires a minimum 1,500 hours total time and a minimum age of 23, with several available exemptions. Pilots may be able to qualify for restricted privileges if they are at least 21 years old and have a military background or a bachelors degree from an aviation program. The rule also requires all ATP applicants to have logged at least 50 hours of multi-engine time and to complete a new FAA-approved training program.

Editorial Staff

Thursday, July 31, 2014 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The FAA has implemented new requirements for airline first officers, mandating an ATP certificate, aircraft type rating, and 1,500 hours of flight time, with some exemptions for restricted privileges and new training program completion.
A significant overhaul of FAA Part 23 rules for general aviation aircraft certification is underway, aiming to streamline the process, reduce costs, and accelerate the market introduction of new GA products by adopting ASTM consensus standards.
The NTSB has made general aviation safety a priority, releasing a series of online videos to address common and preventable causes of GA accidents, such as risk management, maintenance issues, and flying in challenging conditions.
Two significant acquisitions occurred in the aviation industry: Continental Motors acquired Thielert Aircraft Engines, and Dynon Avionics acquired Advanced Flight Systems, signaling consolidation and strategic expansion within the sector.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Anyone looking for a career in an airline cockpit will be affected by the FAA’s new ruling on first officer requirements. The 2009 Colgan Air crash prompted Congress to demand the new rules. All first officers who fly for passenger and cargo airlines now will be required to hold an aircraft type rating, plus an ATP certificate, which requires a minimum 1,500 hours total time and a minimum age of 23, with several available exemptions. Pilots may be able to qualify for “restricted privileges” if they are at least 21 years old and have a military background or a bachelor’s degree from an aviation program. The rule also requires all ATP applicants to have logged at least 50 hours of multi-engine time and to complete a new FAA-approved training program.

An overhaul of Part 23, the FAA rules that address the certification of general aviation aircraft, is in the works. Now a bill in Congress aims to set a deadline of December 2015 for those new rules to take effect. GA manufacturers are anxious for the change, hoping that the new rules will let them bring new products to market more quickly and at less expense. A joint industry-government committee has completed an 18-month review of the current rules, and recommended a change to ASTM industry-consensus rules, similar to the system now used for light sport aircraft.