FAA NPRM - Pilot Records Database

[Stan Cooper]

An FAA NPRM was published in today's Federal Register. I'm not sure what to make of it.

FAA Notice of Proposed Rulemaking - Pilot Records Database (PRD) to be used to facilitate sharing of pilot records

The FAA is proposing to require the use of an electronic Pilot Records Database (PRD) and implement statutory requirements. The PRD would be used to facilitate the sharing of pilot records among air carriers and other operators in an electronic data system managed by the FAA. Air carriers, specific operators holding out to the public, entities conducting public aircraft operations, air tour operators, fractional ownerships, and corporate flight departments would be required to enter relevant data on individuals employed as pilots into the PRD, and this would be available electronically to those entities.

 

[Doc Holliday]

It's a part of PRIA (Pilot Records Improvement Act)

 

[MauleSkinner]

I didn’t read the whole thing, but would it include data on “pilots” who drop out of or are removed from air carrier training prior to a checkride?

 

[James331]

I doubt anything good will come from it, but insert the word “safety” and all those same people hiding in their toilet paper forts with their rubber gloves and masks on will love it.

 

[hindsight2020]

Sounds like fallout from the Atlas FO not getting flagged due to some of his multiple preceding regional employment departures walking, talking, and smelling as tactical departures so as to not pop as training failures in PRIA. Essentially the inference is that PRIA as it stands didn't have the time granularity to catch people tactically quitting so as to not pop up as Renslows (Colgan CA).

No idea if these additions will have the desired effect.

 

[tonycondon]

Sounds like fallout from the Atlas FO not getting flagged due to some of his multiple preceding regional employment departures walking, talking, and smelling as tactical departures so as to not pop as training failures in PRIA. Essentially the inference is that PRIA as it stands didn't have the time granularity to catch people tactically quitting so as to not pop up as Renslows (Colgan CA).

No idea if these additions will have the desired effect.

I think the issue with the Atlas FO was that the training that he had washed out on was technically pre-employment. So he had washed out of training, so they didn't hire him. Hence there was nothing for those carriers to report on a PRIA request because technically he never worked for them.

 

[MauleSkinner]

I think the issue with the Atlas FO was that the training that he had washed out on was technically pre-employment. So he had washed out of training, so they didn't hire him. Hence there was nothing for those carriers to report on a PRIA request because technically he never worked for them.

And/or the pilot doesn’t report employment with the three or four carriers with which he’s “washed out” of training. I can’t imagine that companies would hire someone if they knew the full training history, but in today’s market (or at least last month’s market), who knows.

 

[hindsight2020]

And/or the pilot doesn’t report employment with the three or four carriers with which he’s “washed out” of training. I can’t imagine that companies would hire someone if they knew the full training history, but in today’s market (or at least last month’s market), who knows.

Atlas argued they didn't know the training history relating to his tactical exit from one of the regionals (one he didn't complete FO training, on the other he couldn't hack CA upgrade and executed the same "exit for personal reasons"), and had they known, supposedly they wouldn't have hired him. Here's the synopsis as provided by folks on the pro pilot board.


Suffice to say, PRIA wasn't gonna be able to keep up with that much tactical notching. Perhaps this is one of several attempts at making the product more granular

 

[MauleSkinner]

Suffice to say, PRIA wasn't gonna be able to keep up with that much tactical notching. Perhaps this is one of several attempts at making the product more granular

That was my thought as well...I'm willing to bet this is nowhere near an isolated case.

But in the case of the Atlas FO, there were enough red flags in there for me. Of course, in the hiring environment of the time, who knows what companies are willing to accept. The other problem is once they're invested to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars, it's also tough to scrap that and start with somebody new when "a little more training" will get them through a checkride.