Training schedule once hired

Once hired by a regional carrier as a FO (without ATP), I understand you have 6-12 months to select a ‘start’ date.

What happens once you ‘start’? How long is that process and what is the time commitment before you get your first real schedule as a new FO?

Ty!

Jay

Jason,

While many Regionals will give you time to select a start date most want you to start ASAP. Newhire training is approx. 2 mos and you should plan on being FULLY committed and busy during that time. The transition from CFI to airline pilot is not an easy one.

Adam

Thanks Adam.

I have been flying for 13 years and have 1900 hours and all the other qualifications for hire except ATP.
I’ve just flown for my own business and personal use but now have the opportunity to make the jump.

So I have other things to unwind and needed to know ahead of time how much time to expect full time training and for how long so I can make plans.

I think I have a handle on possible schedules once working mainline or reserve and I can manage my business around that schedule, but I figured after hire that my schedule would be full time for a while with training.

If you could give me a bettter understanding of what that looks like once I sign-on that would help me plan.
I don’t want to have to ask that question once I interview.
Since I’m not entering through the typical civilian CFI timebuilding pathway I don’t have the benefit of being around people that have all these questions available to be answered as easily.

Jayo

Jason,

Why wouldn’t you want to ask that question when you interview? It’s a good one. Training schedules can and do vary from airline to airline and aircraft to aircraft. Some may have a larger footprint than others. The Regionals are aggressively hiring and are more than willing to speak with any potential new pilots. I recommend you contact the Regional(s) of your choice and they can give you a very specific timeline.

Adam

Jason,

Once you interview with an airline and are offered a position, you will be expected to start within just a few weeks. Training is full time and so is the job, so you need to wrap up all of your loose ends before you get serious about interviewing.

Chris

Chris and Adam,

Ok. Good to know!

Thank you Adam very much. I’ve already reached out to the pilot recruiter for a few of the regional carriers in my area.

Thanks so much!

J

And thank you Chris!!

J

I actually have an additional question regarding this topic.

I understand that airlines will assist you through the process of actually getting your ATP, but do you have to be beyond the 1500 hour threshold before you start training with them or would you start training just shy of 1500 with the new hire training including enough hours to pass 1500 as you work towards the ATP? For the mentors on here, I’m curious what that transition process looks like and how many hours you actually had at the time of starting new hire training at your first airline job.

Kyle

Kyle,

Take a look at the hiring mins for ALL the Regional airlines. They all clearly state 1500hrs required. That doesn’t mean 1499, it doesn’t mean 1501, it means 1500.

I was very fortunate since there was no 1500hr Rule when I started (it became law in 2013). I was hired with 540hrs but that was then. HOWEVER, the rules still apply. ExpressJet required 500hrs and you didn’t apply with 499.

Adam

Hello Kyle,

There are a couple of different ways this can go down. The simplest way is
to meet all of the minimum requirements per FAR 61.159 (1500 TT and all of
the other requirements).

Or you could meet the requirements per FAR 61.160 for a restricted ATP, but
that requires you to go through either the military or the part 141
requirements, including approved aviation college courses. The specifics
are listed in the regulation.

Or you could start no less than 25 hours shy of 1500 hours. According to
FAR 61.159(a)(3) it is acceptable to credit up to 25 hours of full flight
simulator time towards the 50 hours of flight time in the class of airplane
for the rating sought (multiengine). This only works if the regional
airline’s training program includes at least 25 hours of full motion sim
time. Check with the airline to see how many hours of sim time you will
receive before your ATP/Type Rating check ride. A buddy of mine is actually
doing this. His last day at ATP as a CFI is tomorrow. He’ll be going to
Envoy with approximately 1475 hours. I don’t recommend this route since
it’s only a difference of 25 hours. He’s an anxious person, and he couldn’t
be talked out of it.

Transitioning will look different depending on which airline hires you, but
a lot of them are moving towards computer-based training(CBT). There will
still be face-to-face classroom time (ground school), but you will most
likely be expected to show up having already known most of the information
since you will have already completed the CBT. I don’t want to even try to
tell you how long the process takes, on average, because I would be
guessing. Save that question for your interview. All I can say (without
looking at the program) is that I had 2 weeks to complete my CBT, 1 week of
ground, 1.5 weeks of VPT (virtual procedures trainer), and 2-3 weeks of
sim. After passing the check ride IOE (initial operating experience) took 1
month. Then, I was released to fly the line.

It was a long and grueling process. We worked late hours and for long
periods of time. Our time slots for VPT and sim is based on seniority and
age. Since I was the youngest my time slot was 00:00 - 04:00. Obviously I
got through it. I am thankful that I had just come from ATP’s environment.
Although the information being learned was new, at least I was acclimated
to the overwhelming amount of information that had to be learned.

Tory

Kpounder https://airlinepilot.life/u/kpounder Kyle
https://airlinepilot.life/u/kpounder
December 31

I actually have an additional question regarding this topic.

I understand that airlines will assist you through the process of actually
getting your ATP, but do you have to be beyond the 1500 hour threshold
before you start training with them or would you start training just shy of
1500 with the new hire training including enough hours to pass 1500 as you
work towards the ATP? For the mentors on here, I’m curious what that
transition process looks like and how many hours you actually had at the
time of starting new hire training at your first airline job.

Kyle

Visit Topic
https://airlinepilot.life/t/training-schedule-once-hired/10781/8 or
reply to this email to respond.

Previous Replies
jsigmon https://airlinepilot.life/u/jsigmon jason
https://airlinepilot.life/u/jsigmon
December 31

And thank you Chris!!

J
jsigmon https://airlinepilot.life/u/jsigmon jason
https://airlinepilot.life/u/jsigmon
December 31

Chris and Adam,

Ok. Good to know!

Thank you Adam very much. I’ve already reached out to the pilot recruiter
for a few of the regional carriers in my area.

Thanks so much!

J
Chris https://airlinepilot.life/u/chris
https://airlinepilot.life/u/chris Pilot Mentor
December 31

Jason,

Once you interview with an airline and are offered a position, you will be
expected to start within just a few weeks. Training is full time and so is
the job, so you need to wrap up all of your loose ends before you get
serious about interviewing.

Chris
Adam https://airlinepilot.life/u/adam
https://airlinepilot.life/u/adam Pilot Mentor
December 31

Jason,

Why wouldn’t you want to ask that question when you interview? It’s a good
one. Training schedules can and do vary from airline to airline and
aircraft to aircraft. Some may have a larger footprint than others. The
Regionals are aggressively hiring and are more than willing to speak with
any potential new pilots. I recommend you contact the Regional(s) of your
choice and they can give you a very specific timeline.

Adam
jsigmon https://airlinepilot.life/u/jsigmon jason
https://airlinepilot.life/u/jsigmon
December 31

Thanks Adam.

I have been flying for 13 years and have 1900 hours and all the other
qualifications for hire except ATP.
I’ve just flown for my own business and personal use but now have the
opportunity to make the jump.

So I have other things to unwind and needed to know ahead of time how much
time to expect full time training and for how long so I can make plans.

I think I have a handle on possible schedules once working mainline or
reserve and I can manage my business around that schedule, but I figured
after hire that my schedule would be full time for a while with training.

If you could give me a bettter understanding of what that looks like once
I sign-on that would help me plan.
I don’t want to have to ask that question once I interview.
Since I’m not entering through the typical civilian CFI timebuilding
pathway I don’t have the benefit of being around people that have all these
questions available to be answered as easily.

Jayo

Visit Topic

https://airlinepilot.life/t/training-schedule-once-hired/10781/8 or
reply to this email to respond.

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