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Freelance Pilots

romansnitko.com

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Re: Freelance Pilots

#4
"Passengers more freedom in deciding what's safe for them"

This makes it seem like reasonable defaults are absent; "safe for them" is a one-size-fits-all when we are talking about air travel.

Re: Freelance Pilots

#5
post #4

"Passengers more freedom in deciding what's safe for them" This makes it seem like reasonable defaults are absent; "safe for them" is a one-size-fits-all when we are talking about air travel.

Not really. There are airlines who hire young low paid unskilled pilots, there are pilots from various countries with different English skills, there are pilots who didn't get enough sleep last night. Then there are airports that have different standards for security, different border-control waiting time, different luggage waiting time & equipment, different ground-crew serving the airplane. All this information is obscured from the passengers, but it doesn't mean it's not affecting safety, because it is.

Re: Freelance Pilots

#6
Falls apart right here: "Imagine David. David is an airline captain lincenced to fly B737, B747-400, B-747-800 and any B777" There may be pilots who have flown 737, 747, and 777 before, but there are none (or practically none) who are current in all three at once. To get your currency back in a particular airframe could be as simple as a single check ride with a qualified (and current) pilot if it's only been a few weeks since you've flown last, all the way up to a review test and multiple check rides if they haven't flown in that airframe in quite a while.

And how did David get qualified in each of said airframes? An airline wanted David to fly a different route that used a different plane so they PAID for him to get the training and get certified. That would not happen in a freelance system.

There would likely be a freelance community around each type of plane, especially the smaller commuter varieties, but each pilot would basically be restricted to a single airframe until he/she could afford to pay for certification in a bigger and more lucrative jet on their own.

Would the FAA allow such a system to arise? Probably not. The status quo of having airlines schedule crews on routes that they are familiar with (with the occasional change) seems safer than having every single flight be with a crew that is unfamiliar with their route.

Re: Freelance Pilots

#7
post #6

Falls apart right here: "Imagine David. David is an airline captain lincenced to fly B737, B747-400, B-747-800 and any B777" There may be pilots who have flown 737, 747, and 777 before, but there are none (or practically none) who are current in all three at once. To get your currency back in a particular airframe could be as simple as a single check ride with a qualified (and current) pilot if it's only been a few w…

I don't think the system where airlines sponsor pilot's education/certification is the only viable one. Other institutions, such as banks, can offer student loans. Another point you made about the fact that pilots cannot fly multiple airplanes is simply false. The older the pilot is, the more chances there are he flew multiple types of aircraft working for different companies. I know at least one who flew b737 of various models, b757, b767 and then b777 and he's nothing out of the ordinary.

Re: Freelance Pilots

#8
post #7
post #6

Falls apart right here: "Imagine David. David is an airline captain lincenced to fly B737, B747-400, B-747-800 and any B777" There may be pilots who have flown 737, 747, and 777 before, but there are none (or practically none) who are current in all three at once. To get your currency back in a particular airframe could be as simple as a single check ride with a qualified (and current) pilot if it's only been a few w…

I don't think the system where airlines sponsor pilot's education/certification is the only viable one. Other institutions, such as banks, can offer student loans. Another point you made about the fact that pilots cannot fly multiple airplanes is simply false. The older the pilot is, the more chances there are he flew multiple types of aircraft working for different companies. I know at least one who flew b737 of var…

> Another point you made about the fact that pilots cannot fly multiple airplanes is simply false.

He didn't say this anywhere.

Re: Freelance Pilots

#9
post #8
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think the system where airlines sponsor pilot's education/certification is the only viable one. Other institutions, such as banks, can offer student loans. Another point you made about the fact that pilots cannot fly multiple airplanes is simply false. The older the pilot is, the more chances there are he flew multiple types of aircraft working for different companies. I know at least one who flew b737 of var…

> Another point you made about the fact that pilots cannot fly multiple airplanes is simply false. He didn't say this anywhere.

Apologies, you're right. But I don't think he's right about the fact that a pilot cannot fly three types of aircraft either.
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