The United States’ aviation transportation system is an important component of
the U.S. economy and one of the safest and most efficient systems in the world.
However, the continued integrity of this system depends in part on the roughly
3,400 U.S. pilot schools providing well!trained pilot candidates for airlines. This is
particularly true for regional airlines, which hire and train pilots from these
schools, whereas large mainline airlines tend to hire and train pilots who already
have experience at regional airlines. Although the large mainline airlines have an
unprecedented safety record, in recent years regional airlines, which account for
about 53% of the nation’s commercial flights, have experienced a number of fatal
accidents; specifically the last six fatal commercial airline accidents involved
regional airlines. This book discusses the various types of U.S. pilot training
organisations, how they compare, and issues associated with training. Also
discussed is to what extent the FAA carries out its oversight role of pilot training
and certification.