Sen Thune fighting the 1,500hr rule

[denverpilot]

Is that their official position? If true, I can't believe they can say that with a straight face.

My guess is they privately understand the relative level of inexperience they have within their own flight training rank n file staff (since it's a revolving door of graduating students acting as mentors the day after commencement), coupled with a highly risk-averse approach to flight training ops in order to not tarnish the overall expectation of safety parents of these kids have when they sent them off to that 4 year extension of high school. Having young kids morting themselves while enrolled in the school is not good PR for the school, again recognizing that the college experience as a next-chapter/milestone has been greatly infantilized and thus demands the same "expectation of guaranteed safety" parents of gradeschool age kids normally do.

I can't speak for them, I can only pass on what folks I've met who go through the programs know and say about them behind their school's back (they still want the industry connections and all that, so they play along when they're at the school...).

Some of them have some really hilarious requirements on the flight hours in their 141 programs that are approved also, that'll just flat out rip the kids off... some get smart and do ratings elsewhere under Part 61 during breaks (at the ones that'll let you show up and hand them proof of a rating to skip those flight courses) and get around it, but that depends on how the school plays the game... with a few schools now qualifying for lower mins on ATP... sometimes that also comes with the "must have followed their exact curriculm"... which is essentially FAA handing them a cash-money printing press, when coupled with student loans.

It can be INCREDIBLY scammy. It's just wrapped in a layer of legitimacy by the names of the places, compared to the fly-by-nights in Florida that take kids money and then close their doors without refunds. The theft is much more subtle at the big names.

 

[jordane93]

The state school that is at my field won't let their students fly in >25kts of wind. That was like a year ago. I'm not sure if that is still true.

 

[MooneyDriver78]

The restrictions could be coming from their insurance company. I know my school would not let us fly IFR when I was training to get my IR, because of insurance. But in S Florida IFR usually comes with thunderstorms anyway.

 

[MauleSkinner]

The restrictions could be coming from their insurance company. I know my school would not let us fly IFR when I was training to get my IR, because of insurance. But in S Florida IFR usually comes with thunderstorms anyway.

Or it could be that they SAY it's the insurance company restricting it.

 

[denverpilot]

The restrictions could be coming from their insurance company. I know my school would not let us fly IFR when I was training to get my IR, because of insurance. But in S Florida IFR usually comes with thunderstorms anyway.

Or it could be that they SAY it's the insurance company restricting it.

I'd ask to see the printed policy before claiming that. I've heard a lot of people tell me "it's an insurance rule" at clubs and what not over the years, continued by years and years of nobody actually reading the policy, when it was just club policy.

Insurers are often used as "the excuse" not to have to explain a policy decision in the aviation biz. Sometimes it's true (light twins, for example) and often it's just smoke being blown up your butt.

Even more fun is after you see the policy and it does have a limitation, talking to their insurer and finding out the cost difference to remove it is marginal. Which can indicate just how close to the ragged financial edge the organization is operating.

 

[starglider]

The restrictions could be coming from their insurance company. I know my school would not let us fly IFR when I was training to get my IR, because of insurance. But in S Florida IFR usually comes with thunderstorms anyway.

Not trying to be a jerk, but that is almost certainly BS. Ask to see the policy, and if it says that, scan it, and I'll wire you $100. More importantly, that makes me have a VERY low opinion of that school. Not training in IMC is like not training in an airplane for your PPL. Sure, you can learn the rules and procedures under the hood but any instructor or school who signs a student off for the IA ride without actual is absolutely negligent. I still can't believe the FAA allows this.

 

[ARFlyer]

The state school that is at my field won't let their students fly in >25kts of wind. That was like a year ago. I'm not sure if that is still true.

Hahaha I can up you. My university is any winds above 20kts is no go and crosswind above 13kts is a no go. Most of the time the DO won't let guys do much more then 15kts as it's "too risky".

 

[MooneyDriver78]

Not trying to be a jerk, but that is almost certainly BS. Ask to see the policy, and if it says that, scan it, and I'll wire you $100. More importantly, that makes me have a VERY low opinion of that school. Not training in IMC is like not training in an airplane for your PPL. Sure, you can learn the rules and procedures under the hood but any instructor or school who signs a student off for the IA ride without actual is absolutely negligent. I still can't believe the FAA allows this.

Wasn't that important, we just cancelled the flight and did simulator instead, but I did find it humorous.
It would be almost impossible to do real IFR here in S Florida or in the southwest for most if the year.

 

[oregonboy109]

Here it's 30 knots for Seminole and Archer...25 for Cessna. Nothing about IMC...got 15hrs or actual in commercial/instrument training...which is hard to do in winter.

 

[mtuomi]

Wasn't that important, we just cancelled the flight and did simulator instead, but I did find it humorous.
It would be almost impossible to do real IFR here in S Florida or in the southwest for most if the year.

Summertime on the east coast FL, fly early in the mornings, lots of smooth morning fog IMC.

 

[James331]

Hahaha I can up you. My university is any winds above 20kts is no go and crosswind above 13kts is a no go. Most of the time the DO won't let guys do much more then 15kts as it's "too risky".

That's bad instruction IMO.

I never put limitations on my students, I just had them call me and brief me on their plan before any solo flights, funny becuse I don't recall ever having to tell one to scrub a flight, the few bad ideas they scrubbed on their own.

 

[MooneyDriver78]

Summertime on the east coast FL, fly early in the mornings, lots of smooth morning fog IMC.

Not in SouthEast Florida, may be some spotty ground fog, but that's no good for IMC practice since it's well below decision altitude.

 

[denverpilot]

So going back to the premise of the post ... did the Senator win? LOL.

Not gonna happen. Too many of the schools mentioned above lobbied and paid way too much money for their lower numbers below 1500.