The FAA has released a new proposal designed to enhance the professional development of airline pilots.
The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking notes the FAA wants to ensure that pilots adhere to standard procedures and prevent behavior that could lead to pilot errors.
The rule would require leadership and command training, and mentoring training for pilots-in-command.
It would also require each air carrier to establish a committee to develop, administer, and oversee formal pilot mentoring programs.
“Pilots have an enormous responsibility for the safety of their passengers and crew,” said FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. “We have some of the best pilots in the world and should take full advantage of our pilot’s wealth of experience to raise professional standards and cockpit discipline.”
Following the Colgan Air Flight 3407 accident, air carriers and unions responded to the FAA’s Call to Action and pledged support for professional standards and ethics committees, a code of ethics, and safety risk management meetings.
The new proposal responds to the Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010, which directed the FAA to issue a regulation to address professional development, leadership, and mentoring of air carrier pilots.
It also responds to National Transportation Safety Board recommendations on pilot professionalism, leadership, and adherence to the sterile cockpit rule. The sterile cockpit rule prohibits pilots from engaging in any activity during a critical phase of flight which could distract or interfere with his or her duties.
The proposed rule incorporates the work of the Flight Crewmember Mentoring, Leadership, and Professional Development Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC), the Flightcrew Member Training Hours Requirement Review ARC, and the Air Carrier Safety and Pilot Training ARC. All three ARCs were comprised of labor, industry, and FAA experts who provided recommendations to the FAA.
The FAA also analyzed recent changes to pilot certification and qualifications to serve as an air carrier pilot-in-command.
The comment period will close 90 days after publication in the Federal Register.
A command pilot, no matter what rating, ATP or Sport Pilot, is not a Dictator. An ATP is called Captain by custom south of Texas. The airline PIC used to be a dictator and expected the co-pilot to do only what they were told, otherwise, be quiet.
A number of years ago I flew a trip for a company that had just bought a factory new King Air 300. Their regular pilots had both failed their FAA checkride. {To be fair, the FAA was learning how to grade pilots with new electronic flight displays. The failure rate was extreme, often for no pilot fault.]
I flew the new airplane, about a week after I passed my BE300/BE1900 type rating, solo from Wichita to Chicago where I was to pickup company executives for a flight to Virginia.
The very professionally run flight department cleaned and detailed the airplane while I met my co-pilot. He was a qualified BE200 pilot.
I made a crew briefing very simply. “I am not God or perfect. If you think I may have made an error, speak up. You won’t hurt my feelings. If you let me make a mistake, we won’t get along.”
The trip to Virginia dropped off several passengers and we immediately departed to pick up more passengers in Maine for a trip to Alabama.
I asked my co-pilot if his company had communications so we could reach our passengers waiting at Portland, ME. I told him to let them know we were going to RON at Portland because I was tired, having already been on duty 12 hours and we were just passing NYC.
My co-pilot said, with a big sigh of relief, “Thank you, I’m tired too.”
On the other hand, I’ve known pilots who tell their co-pilots, that the seat belt switch and the coffee are all they are to do.