Career Pilot: True Blue For You, too?

Dan Akins, an aviation economist and consultant, said that after 35 years watchdogging the industry, he has never seen anything like the increasing disruption of flights because of pilot staffing—and it’s going to get worse. “Everyone knows the house is on fire and no one can find the hose,” he told the New York Times.

JetBlue is addressing the issue with an innovative idea, at least for a domestic airline. The company calls it Gateway Select.

The industry terms it ab initio training—Latin for “from the beginning.” In order to develop its own pool of pilot talent, JetBlue will recruit individuals with exceptional academic and interpersonal skills, even those with zero hours, and train them in a rigorous four-year program that culminates in a pilot position with JetBlue for those who complete the program successfully. The intent is solely to prepare participants for a flight deck position with JetBlue.

Foreign airlines, most notably Lufthansa, long ago adopted the ab initio idea. In the United States, Mesa’s now-defunct Pilot Development Program had some good results taking zero-time pilots to
an airliner in about 350 hours. The major U.S. airlines last employed a similar concept for low-time pilots in the 1960s, when large companies such as United were recruiting private pilots with only 250 hours. The airline took pilots through the advanced ratings on its dime.

The Gateway Select program is, however, funded by the applicant: $125,000. That seems pretty stiff. But, compare that to an investment made for a professional career such as medicine and law or an advanced degree, and the sum is reasonable for a four-year, multi-phase program. Include transportation, housing, and some meals, plus a guaranteed salary in time, and the price tag gets very appealing.

PHASE ONE—CORE FLYING SKILLS. After the foundation course, trainees report to Falcon Field near Phoenix for about 13 weeks of flight training and advanced academics. The flight training focuses on cockpit procedures, principles of flight, basic instrument flying, and solo flying in Diamond aircraft. The academics include crew resource management, threat and error management, and other concepts. JetBlue’s training partner, CAE, arranges for transportation, a two-bedroom furnished apartment, training materials, and an FAA medical exam.

PHASE TWO—BASIC FLYING SKILLS. Building upon the core flying skills, night, instrument, and cross-country training are given with special emphasis on multi-crew competencies, including roles and responsibilities of the pilot flying and pilot monitoring. At the completion of Phase Two, which takes place over 14 weeks, the trainee will complete a three-week course in preparation for earning a private pilot certificate.

PHASE THREE—INTERMEDIATE TRAINING. The objective of this phase is to transition to highly complex, transport category aircraft. It emphasizes air carrier operations, advanced avionics, automated flight, intricacies associated with increased aircraft speed and performance, and exposure to high-density airspace. Phase Three concludes with the ATP Certification Training Program (ATP-CTP) as a requisite for taking the ATP knowledge test.

PHASE FOUR—ADVANCED TRAINING. This training at JetBlue University introduces the student to the Embraer E190 systems, procedures, and flight in simulators.

ABRIDGE COURSE AND CAE EMPLOYMENT. After Phase Four, the trainee returns to Phoenix to complete the 12-week Abridge Course, where the candidate completes the requirements for the instrument rating, commercial pilot certificate, CFI, and CFII. Also included are approximately 50 hours in the Diamond twin. Ultimately, CAE will employ Gateway Select participants as instructors for 24 months or until 1,500 hours is accumulated, whichever is longer.

NEW-HIRE TRAINiNG AS A JETBLUE FIRST OFFICER. After successfully completing all phases, the participant enters E190 new-hire class, which takes approximately six weeks. In the process, the ATP certificate is earned.

So, how is the program going?

After the initial announcement, JetBlue received nearly 1,500 applications in fewer than three weeks. Individuals who already have an FAA airman certificate are not discouraged from applying, but they must complete the entire Gateway Select program at the published fee.

JetBlue says that in the first qualifying round, 500 candidates were tested. Of those, 120 to 150 top scorers were interviewed at the JetBlue Long Island Support Center, and 24 finalists were enrolled in four classes of six students each, with the first class scheduled in August.

JetBlue is a great organization with which to develop a flying career. The Gateway Select program is a unique and expedited way to go blue; with apologies to University of Michigan fans for pirating their prized slogan.

Is there an MPL in your future?

A fast track to the airlines, if you’re willing to travel

By Cass D. Howell

You are probably acquainted with the basic certificates and ratings of traditional flight education. But did you know an alternative path exists for those who desire to fly “the big iron”? It does: the multi-crew pilot license (MPL).

The MPL seeks to maximize recent advancements of simulator technology, and to minimize unnecessary maneuvers and flight hour requirements found in traditional flight training. It was introduced by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in 2008, and was designed narrowly to produce qualified air carrier first officers.

As simulation grew ever more sophisticated in the last 30 years, especially the early 2000s, it became evident to airline officials, regulatory authorities, and aviation training professionals that commercial aviation was ill-served by the traditional stepping-stone approach to flight training. The present MPL structure emerged after much debate and deliberation.

ICAO developed the framework to guide member nations, but each country has the latitude to develop its own variant. However, there is no requirement for any nation to build an MPL program. Nations such as Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Philippines, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Sweden, Thailand, Hong Kong, Norway, Switzerland, Ethiopia, and the United Kingdom have MPLs or are developing programs.

ICAO-conforming MPL programs have the following characteristics:

They are competency based. Attainment and demonstration of prescribed skills and knowledge are emphasized, not the accumulation of hours flown.

They are ab initio programs, designed for students with little or no aviation experience.

They are simulation intensive. In-flight training is less than in traditional syllabi.

Extensive multi-crew human factors training is built in, especially threat and error management and crew resource management.

Some light aircraft maneuvers might be left out of MPL training. If the goal is to put pilots in the right seat of a Boeing 737 with as little as 79 aircraft flight hours, there is little time to master chandelles, turns around a point, or spins. Instead, expect more scenario-based flights with an emphasis on crew coordination training.

Another important characteristic of almost all MPL programs is that they are air carrier sponsored. Airlines typically either train students to MPL standards or pay an approved training organization (ATO) to conduct the training; as payback, the student is obligated to fly for the sponsor airline for some period. With big-ticket simulation, heavy jet operations, and one or more type ratings, MPL programs are quite expensive. Therefore the initial selection process is extremely rigorous. The payoff for the air carrier is a steady, dependable supply of pilots trained exactly as needed, on the equipment the airline uses.

Some observers were cautious about putting low-time pilots into first officer jet seats. However, it appears that because of the selective nature of initial screening, the success rate is remarkably positive. One large approved training organization reports that while only 9 percent of MPL students make it through the selection process, 96.7 percent of those make it through the four phases of training, and only 0.5 percent wash out in line training of initial operating experience.

Reports from air carrier management and training captains have been favorable. In fact, the ICAO-sponsored MPL Symposium in 2013 found that captains at one major airline generally preferred to fly with MPL first officers. However, no program is perfect. “ATC English skills are a problem, more so than in traditional pilot training programs,” said Nicole Barrette-Sabourin, a training officer in ICAO’s Air Navigation Bureau.

Is the MPL for you? Maybe, if you have an adventurous spirit and like to travel. The United States does not have an MPL program and is unlikely to have one soon. The Colgan Air Flight 3407 crash in 2009 took a lot of steam from any movement toward fewer hours in airline cockpits, and led to a U.S. requirement that first officers have airline transport pilot certificates. However, as U.S. airlines face the prospect of parking airplanes because of a dearth of pilots, the MPL looks increasingly attractive as a supplement to traditional flight training. In fact, the MPL concept fits neatly into the advanced qualification program used by many U.S. air carriers to conduct company-customized training.

For the immediate future you might want to consider one of the many foreign carriers that train by MPL procedures. The selection process is daunting, but if you are relatively young and a quick learner, with excellent hand-eye dexterity and a passion to fly, you might make a very good candidate. Plus, if you’re reading this, your English proficiency sets you apart from many MPL candidates. The MPL is here to stay, and may be coming to you.

Cass D. Howell is associate dean of the College of Aviation at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.