Jumpseat: The Line Check

Les Abend

Saturday, June 27, 2015 at 12:19 AM ET

Verified

Photo by Ingo Lang

Key Takeaways:

Airline pilots are required by FAA regulations (Part 121 FAR) to undergo "line checks" every 24 months, which assess their continuing proficiency, crew resource management, and operational skills during actual flights.
The author, a seasoned pilot and former check airman, views these checks as routine, non-punitive evaluations focused on ensuring safe and efficient operations, with preparation and practical competency being key.
His recent line check involved a transatlantic flight to London with a friendly colleague acting as the check airman, which was a routine and successful demonstration of skills, underscoring the collaborative nature of these evaluations.

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I scratched my chin as I tried to discern the unfamiliar code that our airline computer system had attached to three days of my reserve schedule. A call to crew schedule offered only a verbal shoulder shrug. It was suggested that I call our flight standards department. Hmm …

Flight standards is responsible for maintaining and tracking each pilot’s qualifications. When I was a check airman, I worked closely with this department. Flight standards assigned us the pilots who required IOEs (initial operating experiences) or regular line checks. I treated them like gold; my monthly schedule was under their control. Regardless, it was a great give-and-take relationship, an aspect of the check airman job that I miss.