ATPL and jobs

[Czar]

Hi,
I'm currently building my hours for my CPL and curious about ATPL hour requirements (aim for as much night x-country as possible).

However;
Can someone please explain to me the purpose of an ATPL. From what I gather you need to have an ATPL to be a PIC in a two crew commercial airplane. Is this correct?

Also, for medevac operations (King air or MU-2), can I become a PIC without my ATPL? Do Medevac companies hire copilots with just the 200hrs?

Thanks

[just curious]

All 705 aircraft require the captain to hold an ATPL. Many 704 operators require this as well.

Here's the rub: Let's say you were one of the fabled direct from AvCollege Jazz Hires. You possess a commercial multi IFR with total time of about 205 hours, and 100 hours of PIC. You are an apt pupil and progress quickly. You are at about the point where your time, 2800 hours or so will allow you, (since you have 205 hours which count full measure you need 2600 hours FO taken at 50% to hold an ATPL ) to hold that ATPL, and thus become a captain. During this three year period, Westjet has hired 400 captains away, and your seniority will allow you to bid on a captain's seat. The training department puts you in the Pilot In Command Under Supervision Program (Picus). This allows you to count 200 hours of your FO time to count (at 50%) towards the pilot-in-command requirements of the ATPL. You will sadly, have to rent a 150 or something totally unrelated to your present career path, to meet the ATPL command requirements.

If you hadn't built enough night during your build-up, then your PICUS would have you bidding on blocks with lots of night time, and a training captain. Training captains usually have more seniority, and wouldn't be as apt to fly as much night time if they wanted to be home most nights. One or more of your contemporaries with the requisite time might pas you by. If you were one of our FO's and flew for a while in the tropics, where there is no night-flying, then the night total would affect you.
You would be hard-pressed, given your salary (like most first officers,sadly) be able to afford this without going further into debt.

Also, for medevac operations (King air or MU-2), can I become a PIC without my ATPL? Do Medevac companies hire copilots with just the 200hrs?

Depends on the company''s feelings about the required depth of knowledge for captaincy and the contract requiremnets. Our requirements for almost all of our contracts are that you do. We like most companies have hired 205.6 hour pilots. Probably will again.

Can someone please explain to me the purpose of an ATPL. From what I gather you need to have an ATPL to be a PIC in a two crew commercial airplane. Is this correct?

If an aircraft is endorseable (big or fast) or specifies two crew, then yes.

[Czar]

Thanks JC,

So, for those pilots with 200hrs hired by your company (KB?) and the contract requirements, does this mean these pilots will have to look outside of the company to build their PIC hours? Or does the company place them where no ATPL is required?

[just curious]

Most managed to fly jumpers, and the like on the side. A couple had to rent Chrokees. All our captain slots require the ATPL, so no line flying beyond the PICUS was going to help them.

I posted on this thread so you understood the implications of not looking beyond the immediate plan. It was a good question for you to have posed.

[Starsky]

Hi,
Also, for medevac operations (King air or MU-2), can I become a PIC without my ATPL? Do Medevac companies hire copilots with just the 200hrs?

Thanks

In Ontario, one of the requirements to be captain is an ATPL for medevac. There are companies that will take people with no ATPL for charter though on King Airs, PC12s and things like that. With some multi time, you can even find Navajo jobs with 1000 hours.

Medevac companies cannot hire 200 hour pilots either, co-pilots are required to have 500TT.

Hope this helps.

[young grasshopper]

Starsky wrote:

Medevac companies cannot hire 200 hour pilots either, co-pilots are required to have 500TT.

Czar - just so that you're not confused, I believe Starsky was talking about some Ontario Medevac companies. Not all medevac companies require 500TT for an FO. Some Medevac companies do not even require an ATPL to be a Captain on a Be200 or the like. It all depends on what the government contract requires.

[Czar]

Thanks guys,
It's nice to know this so I don't shoot myself in the foot when it comes to the ATPL. Right now I will try to do 25 PIC of night x-cntry.