July 23 2007
The following dialog is extracted - in most cases word-for-word - from an Aviation News Network
Analysts say recent airline accidents are a troubling sign that a worldwide shortage of experienced pilots is starting to
affect flight safety
The shortage is the result of extraordinary air traffic growth in the Persian Gulf, China and India
- the rise of lucrative low-cost carriers in Europe and Asia - and the sustained recovery of the US airlines from the industry
recession caused by the September 11 2001 attacks
Figures released by International Air Transport Assn show that global air
travel will likely grow 4 to 5 percent a year during the next decade although the aviation boom in India and China is expected
to exceed 7%
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Traditionally new pilots come up through flight training academies with a strict regimen of classroom training
and 50 to 60 hours flying for a Private Pilots License - It takes an additional 250 hours flying plus a battery of tests for a Commercial
Pilots License which then allows the pilot to fly on instruments rather than only visually and on airliners with more than one engine
A total of 1,500 hours of flight time is required for a license to co-pilot a commercial jet
The critical shortfall has led the Montreal-based International Civil Aviation Organization to introduce a shortcut --
the Multi-Crew Pilot License -- where a trainee supervised by a pilot and co-pilot will fly a wide-bodied jet within 45 weeks
- about what it takes to obtain a driving license in most European countries
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