Aviation reaches new heights

HOURS: Students at UND are an exception to new rule requiring more flight time.

Pilots graduating from the UND Aviation Program will be eligible to fly with any public airline with less flight hours than required by a new Federal Aviation Administration law because of an exemption that UND was granted last month.

Aug. 1, a law went into effect requiring all pilots to have an Airline Transport Pilot certificate — the highest certification a pilot can receive — prior to flying for any commercial airline in the country. In order to receive this certification, a pilot must have at least 1,500 hours of flight time. Previously, it had been up to each airline to decide how many hours they required of incoming pilots. Nationwide, the standard was around 1,200 hours for any graduating pilot to be given a starting job at a regional airline.

Because of the high reputation that the UND Aviation Program has gained around the world, regional airlines started requiring graduating students to have only 400 to 600 hours of flight time before being hired. This agreement, which UND calls “Low Time Hiring” has been in effect since the mid 90’s.

But a lot changed on February 12, 2009, when a Colgan Airlines flight crashed into a house in Clarence Center, N.Y., killing 50 people and causing scrutiny of the regional airlines across America. A pilot error was determined to be the cause of the crash, and in response, Congress passed several new regulations including a law requiring all pilots to have ATP certification.

The FAA requires a minimum of 1,500 hours to receive an ATP certification and with the passing of the new law by Congress, that students to have 400 to 600 hours of flight time before being hired. This agreement, which UND calls “Low Time Hiring,” was in effect since the mid-90s.

However, a lot changed on February 12, 2009 when a Colgan Airlines flight crashed into a house in Clarence Center, N.Y., killing 50 people and resulting in scrutiny of the regional airlines across America. A pilot error was determined to be the cause of the crash, and in response, Congress passed several new regulations including a law requiring all pilots to have ATP certification.

The FAA requires a minimum of 1,500 hours to receive an ATP certification, and with the passing of the new law by Congress, that 1,500 hours is now required for all pilots being hired by any airline. But, with the exemption to the law that UND was granted in August, students graduating from the aviation program at UND are only required to have 1,000 flight hours. This exemption is available to all aviation programs around the country, and UND was the first school to receive it.

In order to receive a standard certification previously used for commercial and regional airlines, students needed 260 to 270 hours of flight time. In order to reach the previous minimum of 400 to 600 hours, students would flight instructors, something that they do more in order to reach the minimum 1,000 hours.

Another regulation passed by Congress requires rest time for crew members. This is projected to require airline companies to hire 5 to 6 percent more crew members to take on the hours current crew members are going to have to cut back.

For the airline industry though, this new law is only going to bring on more problems. The industry is facing several problems ,starting with the global growth. UND consistently has students from all around the world come in to receive their education as well as having a large number of American pilots flying around the world.

“Globally, it is crazy,” Assistant Dean of Aviation Ken Polovitz said. “They can’t get enough means to get pilots or airports built fast enough.”

On top of the growth, there is the estimation of many pilots retiring through the next 15 years and a fewer number of students going into aviation programs around the country.

“We haven’t seen a drop-off in enrollment,” Polovitz said. “We keep track of those numbers and we have remained steady in our numbers.”

In the past couple of years, regional airlines have started to partner with commercial airlines and schools to start what are being labeled as Pathway or Gateway Programs for students. Regional airlines will come into schools and meet with students in their sophomore or junior year and depending on the potential of the student will offer the student an internship with the company while they are still in school.

Once that student graduates — as long as they have met all the requirements the company has set — they are offered a job with that regional airline. The job will last at least two to three years, with the opportunity then to have an interview with the commercial airline  that the regional airlines has teamed with in the program.

These new programs are offering incentives for students to “be hired” by the regional airlines while still in school. The pay for starting pilots is very low, and after a costly education, it will sometimes turn students off to the idea of flying. But with these programs, the chance to fly for a commercial airline two or three years after graduation is an encouraging factor for young students.

More and more airlines are starting these programs to encourage students to fly because if they don’t, the airline industry will be looking at some major cutbacks in the next several years.

Polovitz said he isn’t sure what is going to happen with the huge demand and the short supply, but knows that there are going to be consequences for travelers.

“One thing is for sure: In the next 15 years, you’re going to see less flights, and you’re going to be paying more for them,” he said.

Megan Hoffman is a staff writer for The Dakota Student. She can be reached at [email protected]