JetBlue Airways Corp., breaking with historical practices at U.S. airlines, plans to recruit potential pilots with no flight experience and provide its own training under a proposal awaiting approval from federal regulators.
JetBlues approach is known as ab initio -- Latin for from the beginning. One point of emphasis: More time in simulators for exposure to scenarios involving bad weather and mechanical failures. Recruits also would take academic classes at JetBlue before moving to a partner company to gain the required 1,500 hours of flying time. They then would return to New York-based JetBlue, or could apply at another airline.
Were opposed to it, said Captain Jim Bigham, chairman of the Air Line Pilots Association union at JetBlue. We think there are thousands of pilots available that have higher qualifications right now than any pilot coming out of an ab initio program.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-25/jetblue-to-shake-up-hiring-on-start-from-scratch-pilot-training?cmpid=yhoo.headline
JetBlues approach is known as ab initio -- Latin for from the beginning. One point of emphasis: More time in simulators for exposure to scenarios involving bad weather and mechanical failures. Recruits also would take academic classes at JetBlue before moving to a partner company to gain the required 1,500 hours of flying time. They then would return to New York-based JetBlue, or could apply at another airline.
Were opposed to it, said Captain Jim Bigham, chairman of the Air Line Pilots Association union at JetBlue. We think there are thousands of pilots available that have higher qualifications right now than any pilot coming out of an ab initio program.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-25/jetblue-to-shake-up-hiring-on-start-from-scratch-pilot-training?cmpid=yhoo.headline
