Flight Training - December 2014 - 43

just so you don't get too comfortable.
At the end of the LOFT stage, you'll
get validated on the LOE, which is an
oral examination followed by a simulated
line ﬂight-again, expect an emergency
or abnormal situation. As expected, the
LOE will draw upon all of the knowledge
you've learned since you set foot on the
airline's property.
You're also being evaluated on your
decision-making skills. Prior to the LOE,
any of the validation exams could be
passed or failed on an individual basis.
But the LOE is considered a team effort.
If it's determined that the crew put the
"passengers" at risk during the LOE,
the crew fails together. This could be a
simple mistake made by one pilot that
isn't caught by the other. Once the LOE
is complete, you've earned your type rating and are cleared to advance to Initial
Operating Experience (IOE).
In IOE you ﬂy regular multiday trips

with actual passengers in the back of the
airplane. Yes, you ﬂy the real McCoy for
the ﬁrst time with paying passengers. It
sounds scary-especially for the unknowing passengers-but you're paired with
a company check airman who likely has
more time in type than you have total time.
Length of IOE depends on the airline.
Most will have you wrapped up in 25
hours of ﬂight time. You can request more
IOE hours for your own conﬁdence or, if
your check airman determines you need
more, it will be assigned. In general, IOE
is the most enjoyable experience of the
whole training process. It brings together
all of your knowledge up to this point,
and it occurs in a real-world environment
rather than the sterilized torture chamber
that the simulator can be.
Once your IOE is done, you're officially
an airline pilot. Life after training will
slowly calm down, although being at the
bottom of the seniority list is bound to

get you plenty of ﬂying. You'll
likely be on call as a reserve
pilot, which means your newfound knowledge will quickly
be etched into your brain.
But once the ﬂying becomes
second nature, you're free to
learn all of the many other
features of this unique lifestyle.
Seniority, crash pads, union
contracts, upgrades, schedule
and vacation bidding, quality of life versus pay-the list
goes on. Soon, however, you'll
be spouting the acronyms and
jargon just like your thousands
of airline colleagues out there.
Welcome aboard.
Pete Bedell is a pilot for a major airline and holds type ratings in the BAe
Jetstream 41, Canadair RJ, Boeing 737,
and Airbus 320.

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Flight Training - December 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - December 2014
