The Regional Airline Association (RAA) is backing Republic Airways’ request for exemption from a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirement that new first officers have at least 1,500 flight hours.
Exemptions already exist for military pilots, who must have a minimum of 750 flight hours, and Republic based its request on the contention that its restricted air transport pilot program (R-ATP) would “resemble … military-based pathway training, as applied to civilian pilot training for [U.S. Federal Aviation Regulations] Part 121 operations.”
In its assessment of Republic’s request, submitted to the FAA just before the July 19 deadline, the RAA said that the airline was proposing to “create an additional structured pathway for credit toward the air transport pilot (ATP) flight hour requirement.”
The RAA added, “The specific proposal submitted by Republic will offer a higher level of safety and relevant training for an airline first office…
