The Great Experiment

Alexis de Tocqueville, a 19th-century French historian, described the United States as a great experiment. He called it an attempt to construct society upon a new basis, founded on theories previously unknown or impracticable. Another great experiment is occurring, this time in aviation.In 2006, ICAO quietly passed the Multiple-Crew Pilot License (MPL). ICAO recognized that many countries trained airline pilots using ab initio programs. These zero-to-hero courses put people with no previous flying experience into the right seat of an airliner in the shortest time possible. The MPL-supplanting the normal path through private and commercial licenses-replaces most piston flying with advanced simulators.

Frank Bowlin

Wednesday, September 09, 2015 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The Multiple-Crew Pilot License (MPL) is a new international pilot training program (passed by ICAO in 2006) that prepares airline pilots via *ab initio* courses, largely replacing traditional flight hours with advanced simulator training, sometimes involving as little as 80 hours in an actual plane.
This MPL approach stands in stark contrast to the US, which, following the Colgan Air crash, significantly increased its airline pilot requirements to 1500 flight hours for safety reasons.
Early findings on MPL pilots reveal concerns about radio communication and potential challenges with pilot-in-command decision-making due to limited real-world and solo flight experience.
The article frames the MPL as a "great experiment" in aviation, questioning whether this revolutionary training method will prove safe and effective or lead to dangerous outcomes.

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In 2006, ICAO quietly passed the Multiple-Crew Pilot License (MPL). ICAO recognized that many countries trained airline pilots using ab initio programs. These zero-to-hero courses put people with no previous flying experience into the right seat of an airliner in the shortest time possible. The MPL—supplanting the normal path through private and commercial licenses—replaces most piston flying with advanced simulators.