Tuesday April 3, 2012
Volume CXXXIII Issue 9
Quality versus Quantity: The first officer qualification debate
Costas Sivyllis
Editor-In-Chief All aeronautical science students have a chance to have their voice heard on a law impacting their future! There will be a highly anticipated meeting lead by Dean of College of Aviation, Dr. Brady, tomorrow, Wednesday, at 5 p.m. in the ICI gymnasium. Attendance is strongly recommended so everyone is aware of this law’s impact. In 2010, the president signed the FAA re-authorization bill, which included a new law for pilots—in order to be a first officer of a part 121 carrier (any airline), you must possess an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate. The ATP requires 1,500 hours total time, of which 500 must be crosscountry (to a point greater than 50 nautical miles), 100 hours of night, and 75 hours of instrument time, simulated or actual. The applicant must be 23 years of age, and be of good moral character. In the past, airlines could set their own minimums for hiring above the legal minimum of having a commercial certificate with an instrument rating. Now, all airlines must comply with public law 111-213, requiring all pilots to have an ATP by
Hadrien Van Steenbergh/Airliners.net
THE COCKPIT OF A regional jet, which currently will only be accessible as of August 1, 2013 to those who are 23 years old and possess an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate, with no grandfather clause included. August 1, 2013. There is no grandfather clause. Thus, in recent months, airlines have started to raise their minimums to guard themselves against taking a pilot who may not have 1,500 hours by August 1, 2013. Applicants who will not be 23 years
of age by August 1, 2013, are also being rejected from the current hiring pool. The current law presents a major problem for regional carriers: as their pilots move on to bluer skies at larger airlines, they need pilots—of which historically have had any-
where between 500-1000 hours, and have been usually 21 years of age and up. This law creates a massive shortage that would put a chokehold on the industry because entry-level pilots simply do not historically meet ATP minimums. To guard against this, the FAA at the end of February published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), which would give academic credit to graduates of approved flight universities, and allow them to attain a new “restricted ATP” at 21 years of age, 1,000 hours total time, 325 cross-country, 100 night, and 75 instrument flight hours. The applicant must have achieved at least their instrument and commercial ratings at the flight program associated with the aviation university. This NPRM is currently out for public comment, and is what Dean Brady will be addressing Wednesday evening in the ICI gymnasium. This law affects everyone’s future for those looking to become an airline pilot. Come out to Dr. Brady’s briefing and see what we can do as a university to try and give credit to quality flight applicants from schools like Embry-Riddle, and have the best pilots at the right seat of an airliner.
Greek Row Breaks Ground Boyd Kelly
Alumni Correspondent On Saturday, March 24, the university held a ceremony for the first fraternity house to be located on campus for the Delta Chi Fraternity and for the future expansion of an Embry-Riddle Greek Row. The event was held in conjunction with the local Delta Chi fraternity chapter as part of their 40th anniversary celebration at Embry-Riddle. The final plans for the house design and the location of the Greek row are expected to be released this year as a part of the university master plan. U.S. Congressman and Delta Chi member John Mica, Volusia County Council member Joie Alexander, University President Dr. Johnson and representatives from the local chapter’s housing corporation gave brief speeches to the crowd of over sixty alumni, undergraduates and their guests. University President Dr. Johnson spoke
about the benefits of a Greek life and the co-operative work done with Delta Chi and their alumni and current undergraduates. Many of the speakers told of the benefits of Greek life in their life and how statistics show that students involved in campus activities like Greek life have higher grades and graduate at a higher level than other students. The Delta Chi fraternity has been working with the school since the early 1990’s to address Greek housing concerns and the future of Greek life on campus. Several fraternities at the school have had houses in the past but they were located well off campus on Ridgewood Ave. The previous Delta Chi fraternity house was in need of extensive repairs and was demolished in advance of the plans for building at a site on campus in conjunction with the schools plan for a Greek row. In a time when many schools across the country have been questioning the future
Sun N’ Fun Airshow Feature: Page 6 http://www.kriyayoga.com/wallpapers/dual_monitor/sky/sky-dual-screen.html
PHOTO COURTESY BOYD KELLY
DR. JOHNSON AND UNIVERSITY administrators broke ground for the highly awaited Greek Row, giving fraternities and sororities an area of their own for housing. Delta Chi, and integral part of the effort to create a greek row, will be the first to be housed and was on hand for the ceremony. of Greek life on campus, Embry-Riddle has made another ground breaking step in its future growth and development of a world class University. Video and photos of the event are available on YouTube and the Delta Chi fraternity website.
- Boyd Kelly (DB’92) is a former Avion staff member and editor. He is currently a pilot for Delta Air Lines and maintains the aviation video website AIRBOYD.TV and was recently featured in the History Channel special Most Extreme Airports.
Caffeine: The blood of college students Page 8
http://www.thekitchenhotline.com/nutritionist/caffeine-quirks-and-perks/