What is the 1500 hour rule in aviation?

Although, everywhere else in the world, you only need 250 hours of flight time to become an airline pilot. Therefore, students enrolled in a pilot training program can't become Airline First Officers until they've completed this requirement for 1,500 hours of flight training with a certified flight instructor.



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Prior to this legislation, First Officers (co-pilots) were only required to complete a minimum of 250 hours of in-flight training. The 1,500-hour rule significantly increased this standard and as a result, there has not been a fatal crash on a U.S. carrier in 14 years.

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The so-called 1,500 hour rule was passed after the fatal Colgan Air crash in February 2009 in America. The crash also led to new requirements for a minimum rest period for pilots before a flight. The official National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) website report can be read here.

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This authority is distinct from the ATP CTP, and allows for pilots with fewer than 1,500 hours of flight time to obtain a restricted privileges ATP certificate. A restricted privileges ATP certificate allows a pilot to serve as a co-pilot until he or she obtains the necessary 1,500 hours.

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Flight Duty Limitations As a hard answer, the maximum number of hours a pilot can fly in a year is 1,000 hours. European airline pilots (and pretty much every airline pilot) abide by very similar rules. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) stipulates its flight duty limitations in Regulation 83/2014.

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Flight times within the duty periods are restricted to a maximum of 8 hours for flight crews consisting of one pilot and 10 hours for flight crews consisting of two pilots.

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After learning to fly and getting their initial licenses, ratings and certificates, many professional pilots continue to earn hours working as a certified flight instructor. From there they may also augment hours by flying cargo, charter and private operations or ferrying aircraft.

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Daily. An airline transport pilot can fly up to 8 hours per 24 hour period and up to 10 hours if a second pilot is aboard. Pilots are required to rest a minimum of 16 hours postflight.

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They're not glamorous, but they're very comfortable, with padded bunks and sometimes even in-flight entertainment! With 14- to 18-hour flights no longer unusual, pilots and cabin crew have legally mandated rest times —and airlines also realise that a rested, refreshed crew member is a happy crew member.

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Years ago, piston engines were undependable. Because of this, twin-engine aircraft were required to fly in range of a suitable airport for landing. In 1953, the FAA imposed what is known as the “60-minute rule” on two- and three-engine airplanes, disallowing them to fly more than 60 minutes outside the closest airport.

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The TSA and airports want you to get there earlier, each for its own reasons. The agency does not like to be rushed with screenings, even if there's a long security line. Airports want you to take advantage of their incredible shopping and dining facilities, which you can't do if you're rushing to the gate.

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A restricted ATP certificate does allow a pilot to act as a co-pilot, however you cannot act as pilot-in-command (PIC) until you log the required 1500 hours and get the full (unrestricted) ATP Certification.

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Unfortunately, some medical or health issues may cause you to fail the extensive medical examinations required to become a pilot. This includes certain heart diseases, conditions such as epilepsy, poor hearing, bad vision, and even common allergies, as certain allergy medications can make you drowsy.

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What if an airline does not have enough flying for a pilot? Fortunately, most pilot employment contracts and CBAs include a monthly hour minimum. This minimum requires the company to pay its pilots for a minimum number of flight hours, regardless of whether those hours are flown.

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Not too many people are aware that pilots in the U.S. must retire at age 65, due to federal regulations.

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