Flight engineer type rated?

flyboy04

flyboy04

Well-Known Member
This may be a dumb question buy i really dont know. When someone becomes a flight engineer for an airline are they type rated to fly the aircraft, on one hand i think they would to be so in case of some disaster they could take over, but on the other hand it seems like it would expensive for an airline to give a type rating to a non flying pilot.
 
Doug would know exactly, but I don't think the FE is typed as a pilot in the aircraft they fly on. Keep in mind, most FOs aren't even formally typed in the jets they fly, though obviously they're fully trained on them; they just don't hold the type on their certificate. Still haven't figured out why the airlines do business that way. FEs normally just have their FE certificate with appropriate category and rating, ie- airplane- reciprocating, turbopropeller, or turbojet.
 
Most airlines only type captains in equipment becuause type rating = money. When my husband went to 767 school with TWA they typed him in the 757/767 (common type) because all 75/76 crews did international, and they needed type ratings for the long-haul routes. I think he said it was about $10,000 worth of type ratings TWA paid for. It would very expensive to type every pilot.

FEs are trained as Flight Engineers on whatever aircraft they're going to be an FE on, not as first officers or captains, or given a type rating. Again, any additional training = more money to spend. Nobody hires PFEs anymore, so if someone is a flight engineer, s/he's a pilot, and if the sh#t hit the fan, I have no doubt the FE could land the plane. Engineer school is tough, a flight engineer has to know the aircraft's systems very in depth. I remember Bill studying in TWA and Delta new-hire schools when he was checking out on the 727 panel, and thinking "damn! this is a LOT to learn!".

Sorry to ramble, hope I shed a bit of light on things......I'm sure Doug will have more specifics to add!
 
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Most airlines only type captains in equipment becuause type rating = money. When my husband went to 767 school with TWA they typed him in the 757/767 (common type) because all 75/76 crews did international, and they needed type ratings for the long-haul routes. I think he said it was about $10,000 worth of type ratings TWA paid for. It would very expensive to type every pilot.

FEs are trained as Flight Engineers on whatever aircraft they're going to be an FE on, not as first officers or captains, or given a type rating. Again, any additional training = more money to spend. Nobody hires PFEs anymore, so if someone is a flight engineer, s/he's a pilot, and if the sh#t hit the fan, I have no doubt the FE could land the plane. Engineer school is tough, a flight engineer has to know the aircraft's systems very in depth. I remember Bill studying in TWA and Delta new-hire schools when he was checking out on the 727 panel, and thinking "damn! this is a LOT to learn!".

Sorry to ramble, hope I shed a bit of light on things......I'm sure Doug will have more specifics to add!

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Makes sense, but sounds like standard airline "got to save a buck" everywhere but in the CEOs pocket.
laugh.gif
 
The F/E rating wouldn't be aircraft specific and is not a "type rating". It would just read..Flight Engineer-Turbojet Powered.

Specific aircraft "Type ratings" are required by the PIC for any jet or any turboprop over 12,500lbs. Some airlines type rate their f/o's if they are used in an IRO (international relief officer) capacity. This f/o can relieve the Capt during his/her crew rest time. An IRO is used with two man aircraft for flights exceeding 8 hrs.
 
BTW, few places hire PFE's as stated before. They hire "Second Officers". PFE's were usually airframe/powerplant mechanics who were required to work on the aircraft on the ground in addition to any inflight FE duties. This was important in the "old days" but not anymore. S/O's are pilot qualified FE's who will eventually move to a flying seat.
 
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