11/19/13 WATS 2011: Cathay floats cruise co-pilot MPL

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Cathy Pacific Airways is trying to build support for a "cruise co-pilot" multi-crew pilot license (MPL) under ICAO rulesas another solution to meeting pilot demand.

At the World Aviation Training conference in Orlando, Florida on 19 April, Cathay manager of flying training AlanWilson, who has 21 years experience with the airline, listed "lowering of experience and age in our cockpits andreactive regulation" among current industry challenges to staffing cockpits. To mitigate pilot experience issues, hesays, "Let's get down to competency-based training," referring to the MPL.

Wilson says Cathay was not involved in discussions that led to the creation of the MPL in 2006, and the current MPLprotocol is a non-starter for a long-haul carrier due to the number of required landings in the actual aircraft. Wilsonsays new pilots at present do takeoffs and landings in the actual aircraft when upgraded to first officer, typically after 2-5 years of service. Under current MPL rules, the pilots would have to perform actual takeoffs and landings at both thecruise co-pilot stage and the first officer transition stage, possibly doubling the training budget. "I cannot justifydoubling the aircraft-based training to my CFO," says Wilson, adding that "Not being active in the development [of theMPL] has left us hamstrung".

Cathay for the past 22 years has successfully turned out pilots in its "fairly conventional" ab initio pilot training. Theprogramme runs 15 months long and consists of 200 hours in light aircraft and 60 in jet transport simulators. Threatand error management and crew resource management competencies are embedded throughout the course.

"MPL competency-based training would allow us to deploy a number of training devices appropriate to the phase oftraining with the aim of producing a competent first officer in a wide body aircraft," notes Wilson.

The MPL is also a plus in that it is heavily weighted to the multi-crew environment and focused on core competenciesrequired, adds Wilson.

"Our [Cathay's] set of core competencies - and where I expect the MPL would deliver a better pilot to us are in aviationknowledge, aircraft control, leadership, flight management, communication, monitoring, situational awareness,problem-solving and decision-making, and professional responsibility," says Wilson.

He describes Cathay's operational environment as "quite difficult", one in which pilot candidates with low time andexperience can develop flying skills. The reason is that Cathay predominately flies wide-bodies on ultra-long-hauloperations. And a typical crew of four must share landing and other opportunities to maintain and improvecompetency. Ab initios act as co-pilot when the co-pilot is resting, a role the cruise-copilot MPL would focus on as agraduated step in an aviation career.

WATS 2011: Cathay floats cruise co-pilot MPL

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By: John Croft Orlando

10:04 20 Apr 2011

Source:

Cathay A330 turns back after engine stall warning

(16/05/11)

Cathay traffic down 1.6% in March

(15/04/11)

Dragonair appoints OAA for MPL training

(04/04/11)

AirAsia MPL cadets pass third gate

(10/03/11)

UK's first MPL pilots join the line at Flybe

(15/11/10)

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11/19/13 WATS 2011: Cathay floats cruise co-pilot MPL

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