MULTI-CREW PILOT LICENCE

As a sequel to the post on FAA Proposed Rule Making for First Officers, wherein it was commented that a competency based training of first officer will be preferred over proposed FAA rule of ATP as requirement with 1500 hrs for first officers, this post touches upon the MPL or mutl-crew pilot licence .This was established in 2006 for airline co-pilots by ICAO. The MPL initiative was seized by Germany,China,Phillipines, Canada and Singapore.

The need for MPL rose from the need to better train the co-pilots and airline accident reviews pointing towards deficit in teamwork in the cockpit. MPL is designed to develop the abilities needed to fly multi-crew airline aeroplanes.It adopts greater use of simulators,applies human factors and threat and error amangement(TEM) throughout and is competency-based training.

Regular traditional training  emphasizes independence and individual skills which is appropriate for single pilot operations, but may not be very effective for mutli crew operation. Pilots joining an airline were left in need of a bridging program to plug this gap from operating in single pilot environment to mutli crew environment. Fortunately, now with MPL, this is effectively addressed.

The emphasis here has moved from prescriptive flying hours requirement to competency-based training/assessment as opposed to the proposed FAA rulemaking.

MPL still enables pilots to be able to take the traditional pathway to qualifying to fly as co-pilot, progressing from the private pilot licence through the commercial licence to the air transport pilot licence.

Do you envisage MPL as the way forward to address the industry training needs for first officers? Send in your comments on whether you agree that MPL is the way forward or not along with the reasons thereof.