(I know it's not backcountry, but...)

I was at a conference this week with some muckety-mucks and was a bit shocked when they unveiled the new proposal.

Curious as to what all you guys think about the FAA announcement that they are lowering the ATP requirements from 1500 hrs to 750 as well as lowering the age down to 18. Looks like it would be possible for a kid to get their private at 16 and in two years be sitting right seat? The R-ATP are even more shocking...

I am all for promoting flying to younger folks, but I'm not sure I like the idea of a 750 hr 18 year old flying my family on the regional smoker.

I guess we should just all strap in and see how it plays out? Yikes!

Greg-

Just before I started college at 18 yrs old in 1965, one of the airline owned schools in Texas sent me a letter trying to recruit me. I had PPL and nearly 180 hours then. They basically said they were going to replace all the old guys when they moved to all jet aircraft. In the 70s Mesa offered me a job at $750 per month. Their requirement was 750 hours, but I had much more including Military.

So the kick the old guys out before age 60 didn't happen, but they were interested in youth. I can see the same thinking with the move, already happened, to go completely computerized airplanes. The problems with computers crashing airplanes makes us old guys go "see, see," but they crash fewer airplanes that humans do.

I don't even want to instruct instrument anymore because computer competency is absolutely necessary, but I feel pretty safe with geeks like my sons managing the computers as long as the old guys are showing them how to disengage and hand fly if things don't look right. I expect reboot will get quicker, but some decisions will have to be made. I flew in a WestJet Max 8 in Canada, but I expect those guys turned the computer trim off if it gave problems.

For perspective, for those who don't remember the 60's, I rode Ozark Airlines DC-3s to Columbia, Missouri to attend Missouri University.

Bigrenna wrote:(I know it's not backcountry, but...)

I was at a conference this week with some muckety-mucks and was a bit shocked when they unveiled the new proposal.

Curious as to what all you guys think about the FAA announcement that they are lowering the ATP requirements from 1500 hrs to 750 as well as lowering the age down to 18. Looks like it would be possible for a kid to get their private at 16 and in two years be sitting right seat? The R-ATP are even more shocking...

I am all for promoting flying to younger folks, but I'm not sure I like the idea of a 750 hr 18 year old flying my family on the regional smoker.

I guess we should just all strap in and see how it plays out? Yikes!

Greg-

Ahhh April fools is a fun day hahaha nice try [emoji1787]

Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk

Happy April first Greg.

Nice April Fools thread, Greg!

As little as 8 years ago the total time requirement was only 250 hours for ATP so...

contactflying wrote:I rode Ozark Airlines DC-3s to Columbia, Missouri to attend Missouri University.

There's a decent chance you rode along with my grandpa. He was qualified on the -3, the F-27, and the martin at Ozark in the 60s, and flying all three in the same month.

Cool AEROPOD! Ozark started in Springfield Missouri around the time I was born there in 47. Steve Palnick called Pollock (I'm sure I spelled the name wrong) was FBO at Springfield Flying Service when I got my commercial through ROTC Flight Program out there in 69.

18 year olds used to fly combat in P-51’s and B-17’s, so why not? Oh yeah, never mind.

WO-1 Turner, one of my Loach pilots, was 17 in Vietnam. That was after Basic and Warrant Officer program.