A question for dispatchers on Autopilot MELs (Airlines)

[Flagship_dxer]

There might actually be something to that. The regionals aren't getting the seasoned pilots they used to get. Now they get a bunch of 1500 flight instructors who haven't flown anything larger than a Seminole. Requiring the autopilot to work adds a layer of safety.

I imagine though with a one leg placard being so restrictive especially when compared to the competition, the airline was forced into doing it either by the Feds or something in their business model. I doubt many airlines will voluntarily make a multi-day MEL a one leg MEL because it will no doubt lead to cancels and delays. An airline is conservative safety wise until it costs money. Why would an airline voluntarily kill a plane at a hub or maintenance station at the start or middle of the day with an autopilot placard that could be routed over the rest of the day or several days until it finishes the day at an hub or maintenance station unless it was forced to? If it was just a company policy to voluntarily fix it after one leg, it would likely be ignored as soon as it caused problems operating the schedule.

Inexperienced pilots in and of itself wouldn't likely cause an airline to make an autopilot a one leg placard. However, inexperienced pilots doing something stupid could cause the Feds to add a safety layer wherever possible and force the airline to fix it after one leg to get it to a maintenance base.

 

[A1TAPE]

So with the adding of the more restrictive MEL by the Feds it would be similar to when OO got too many low speed incidents so they were restricted to lower altitudes?

 

[who'swho]

So with the adding of the more restrictive MEL by the Feds it would be similar to when OO got too many low speed incidents so they were restricted to lower altitudes?

More like when a certain JC user got banned from JC.