The first six pilots to hold British multi-crew pilot licences (MPL) are starting work as first officers in Flybe Bombardier Dash 8 Q400s.
On 12 November, Roy Burden, the UK Civil Aviation Authority's head of approved training organisations, licensing and training delivered the first six UK MPLs to the Exeter-based low-cost carrier for presentation to its newly graduated first officers.
This was the culmination of 14 months of pilot training with Flight Training Europe that the six students completed in August. The training was followed by 17 days of ground schooling at Flybe in preparation for type rating training in a Q400 full-flight simulator, and finally their Q400 base training at Exeter.
 |
|---|
© Flybe |
MPL-trained pilots are not awarded their licence until they have completed all the stages of training relevant to line flying, but once in possession of their licences they are type-qualified first officers who can go to work immediately.
They will undergo normal line acceptance checks, and when they have accumulated 1,500h in their log books their MPLs will be upgraded to an air transport pilot licence, just at it would be for a traditionally trained pilot with a commercial pilot licence.
Now Flybe has six more MPL students undergoing training at Oxford Aviation Academy's Kidlington base.
Related blog:
Learmount: The Light Blues
Source: Flight International
