Question about being a pilot.

[pkonowrocki]

Ok I can't find an answer to this one so thought I would ask it here. You know how when you are a pilot you slowly "advance" from smaller palnes to larger. Like lets say you first fly on A319 then you advance to A320 then to A330 and then to A340. My question is what will be first ? Advancing to a B747 or B777 ? They both seem to be very complex aircrafts, however they differ in size and range. So which one will be first ? My guess is the T7. Am I right ?

[Bok269]

I know for example UAL has them on the same payscale. So, they may be equal. But if they weren't, Id say 777 first.

[E-Diddy!]

It probably depends on 1- the airline and 2- the aircraft's type certificate data sheet, as that's what will give the type ratings necessary to operate the aircraft, for example all the 737's share the same TCDS, as do all the A32X's, the 752-3 and 762-3, the DC-9 md80/90 and 717, and IIRC the 764 and 772. From that, any pilot who is type rated on say, an A320, is type rated on an A318 and 319 (and 21), so the airline can schedule pilots throughout the fleet. An A320 pilot might start the day on an A318, then fly an A320, and finish off the day with an A319 leg. Whether or not the airline chooses to schedule that way is up to the airline, I'd imagine some do for ease of scheduling, but some don't maybe because their unions don't allow it.

[Colin Parker]

There are so many answers depending on which airline as there are many ways to do it.

In my airline you start off as a Second Officer (Cruise pilot) on either the 744, A340 or shortly, the 777. After doing this for 3-4 years you become a Junior F/O and for this if you were on the 744 you go to the 777, if you were on the 340/330, you fly the 330 exclusively. I suppose if you were on the 777 you remain so.

You then become a First Officer, and if you were on the 330 you now fly both the 330 and 340. Traditionally, if you were on the 777 you could volunteer to go back to the 744. Now that our 777 fleet is expanding, future 744 FOs will be volunteers (or not!) from the Airbus fleet. Confused yet?

You then become Senior FO and prepare for command. If you were on the 744 you will go to the A330 or 777. If you were on the 330/340 you can choose to stay, or go to the 777. If you were on the 777 you can also choose to go the the 330 but everyone chooses to stay on the 777.

Once you are senior captain, you can then choose to go onto the 744 from either fleet, or if you take a basing, get converted over to whichever aircraft serves that basings city.

So basically, the Airbus and 777 fleet are regarded similarly, whereas the 744 is not a training fleet so tends to have the more senior FOs and senior captains and of course second officers.

In my airline pay and conditions are dependant on rank and not aircraft type (Unless you are flying the freighters which is entirely different), so there is no sense as though you are advancing onto a different aircraft type as they're all the same.

Clear as mud?