Great Circle Mapper

Friday, April 13th, 2012

Here is a useful website for calculating distances for long flights. Click here for site.

Harry’s Lomax

Thursday, April 12th, 2012

Changes in ATP Training

Wednesday, April 11th, 2012

The FAA is proposing to make sweeping changes that you should plan for in case they go through.  Please read the FAA document available at the link below.  Bottom line is if you do not yet have your ATP rating, you best hurry and if you teach ATP students under Part 61, the FAA may not permit it under Part 61 in the future.

All of this is preliminary and still in flux, but this is a heads up of what direction they are looking at.

 Here is the link

New ATP Rating Requirements and Instructional Requirements – In brief, this may mean the “recreational ATP rating” will be going away.  Here is a summary:

They want to require passing an “Approved Course”.  Note “Approved” implies not Part 61. In fact it specifically prevents Part 61 ATP instruction.

1. The FAA proposes to require first officers to hold an ATP certificate or “ATP certificate with restricted privileges” and a type rating. No longer just a Commercial MEL.

2. It appears the FAA envisioned this course to be taught by the airlines employing the pilot or by a flight training organization such as “those big sim schools”.  

a. The proposed course would contain a minimum of eight hours in at least a Level 4 Flight Simulation Training Device (FSTD) and eight hours in a Level C, or higher, device.

b. Flight instructors in this training course must have at least two years of experience in any combination of Part 121, 91.1053(a)(2)(i), and 135.243(a)(1) operations.   

On page 94 of the above mentioned document, it specifically states:

 “……. The FAA is proposing a structured ATP certification training program that includes training in FSTDs under parts 121, 135, 141, or 142 rather than permitting instruction to be accomplished by certified flight instructors (CFIs) under Part 61. Typically CFIs do not have air carrier experience and are not required under current regulations to have the knowledge that teaching the required concepts demands. As such, the FAA would have to modify the requirements for CFIs in addition to modifying the ATP certificate requirements to enable CFIs to teach the proposed course. The decision to propose the structured ATP Certification Training Program rather than permitting instruction to take place in actual aircraft under part 61 was also based on the fact that the areas identified in the public law are complex and involve difficult operational conditions including icing and high altitude operations. These complex environments are most safely trained through flight simulation. ……”