October 19, 2009
What’s At Issue
The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3371, the Airline Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act of 2009 on October 14, 2009.
Why It’s Important
The bill was introduced in response to a hearing held by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure regarding the crash of Flight 3407 in Buffalo, New York. Although additional safety measures are included in the legislation, NATA is concerned that some of the bill’s requirements aren’t adequately addressing the safety concerns of regional airline pilots, which is the bill intention.
Major Provisions
The legislation would:
- Require the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ensure that pilots are trained on stall recovery and upset recovery, and that airlines provide remedial training.
- Require airline pilots to hold an FAA airline transport pilot (ATP) license (1,500 minimum flight hours required). Under current law, first officers need a commercial pilot license, which requires 250 flight hours.
- Require the FAA to raise the minimum requirements for the ATP certificate. The pilot must receive training to function effectively in: an air carrier operational environment; adverse weather conditions, including icing; high altitude operations; and a multi-pilot crew.
- Enable the FAA to consider allowing certain academic training hours that may increase the level of safety above the minimum requirements to be counted towards the 1,500-hour ATP certificate requirement.
- Establish comprehensive pre-employment screening of prospective pilots, including an assessment of a pilot’s skills, aptitudes, airmanship and suitability for functioning in the airline’s operational environment.
- Require airlines to establish pilot mentoring programs, create pilot professional development committees, modify training to accommodate new-hire pilots with different levels and types of flight experience, and provide leadership and command training to pilots in command.
- Create a Pilot Records Database to provide airlines with electronic access to a pilot’s comprehensive record. Information will include a pilot’s licenses, aircraft ratings, check rides, notices of disapproval and other flight proficiency tests.
- Establish a rulemaking on training programs consisting of an expert panel to review Part 121 and Part 135 training hours to assess the optimal time needed for flight crewmembers to master aircraft systems, maneuvers, procedures, and take offs and landings.
- Direct the FAA to update and implement a new pilot flight and duty time rule and fatigue risk management plans to track scientific research in the field of fatigue more adequately. It also requires air carriers to create fatigue risk management systems approved by the FAA.
NATA Position
NATA is concerned with the arbitrary number of hours (1,500) established for a pilot to work for an air carrier. The number of hours a pilot flies does not constitute a safer, more experienced pilot in commercial aircraft. In addition, the concern remains that the number of new pilots at flight schools other than accredited universities will decrease significantly.
Status
U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) recently introduced S. 1744, the Enhancing Flight Crewmember Training Act that requires an applicant for a position as a crewmember of a Part 121 air carrier to obtain an airline transport pilot certificate. If the Senate introduces a similar bill to H.R. 3371, NATA will notify its members.
Staff Contact: Kristen Moore
Director, Legislative Affairs
kmoore@nata.aero