F
AA Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking issued on Feb. 29, 2012, which would require that first officers
hold an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate and a minimum of 1,500 hours
flight time to obtain the certificate. Existing FAA regulations do not require
a first officer to hold an ATP certificate; only the pilot in command must meet
this certificate requirement.
Industry experts discussing
the proposed rule, tend to emphasize on being cautious in creating an unnecessary
pilot shortage and barriers to crew recruitment. Also the debate is on whether
the new requirements would help in raising the bar as far as safety is
concerned.
One notable comments to FAA
proposed rulemaking comes from Airlines for America(A4A),who have urged FAA to
significantly revise its proposed requirements for pilot certification and provide
a system that builds on the industry’s strong safety record, is recommended by
safety experts and that recognizes the quality of a pilot’s training and
experience, rather than relying solely on a specific quantity of flight hours.
