what is real world policy regarding pilots flying in one a/c type? what im trying to ask is;is it realistic in the real world to have a pilot who flies a 737ng to then do some flights in say a ER4 or BE1 or ?? etc, 767, 747 etc? or would they just stick with one type for a long while before going to another?please give examples, thanks if applicablethanksciao!Brian S

>what is real world policy regarding pilots flying in one a/c>type? >>what im trying to ask is;>>is it realistic in the real world to have a pilot who flies a>737ng to then do some flights in say a ER4 or BE1 or ?? etc,>767, 747 etc? or would they just stick with one type for a>long while before going to another?>please give examples, thanks if applicable>thanks>ciao!>Brian SCorporate pilots do it alot, but airlines do not do this. At one point TWA had DC9-10, -30's, -50's, B717, and MD83's - all the same type rating, but the FAA made them split it up to DC-9's, B717's, and MD83's.

At most places there's two sets of rules which govern who flies what type of aircraft: the FAA rules, and the union/company workrules.As far as the FAA is concerned as long as you are current and qualified in an aircraft, you can fly it.The other one is the union/company workrules - seniority plays here in determining what equipment you can hold and fly. Let's say you are the #1 pilot in the company - this means you can bid and hold any airplane you want. However since the cost of training you to fly a single type is usually expensive, the airline is going to want its investment in you to pay off, so will probably impose something called a "seat lock" which stipulates that you need to fly what you were trained to fly for a minimum length of time (say a year or maybe as long as 3 or 4 years) before you can successfully bid, be awarded and be trained to fly another type of aircraft that the airline owns.Usually different rules apply when just laterally moving from one type to another - captain in one jet to captain in another jet. as opposed to upgrading - FO in one jet to captain in another or same jet. Depending on the company upgrading is a little more liberal, meaning you can upgrade before your seat lock is up, but once you're upgraded, then you will need to wait the minimum length of time before you be a captain in another type aircraft.It all depends on the airline.