Jumpseat: The Line Check

Les Abend

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

Verified

Photo by Ingo Lang

Key Takeaways:

Airline line checks are mandatory FAA proficiency evaluations conducted every 24 months for captains, assessing operational skills, crew resource management, and adherence to procedures during a regular flight.
The author, a seasoned pilot and former check airman, recounts his routine line check experience, emphasizing that while preparation is helpful, these evaluations focus on demonstrating safe and efficient flight operations rather than rote knowledge.
The philosophy behind these checks is supportive, with check airmen aiming for pilots to pass by ensuring competency and maintaining high standards within the airline's flight training program.

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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.