How does a pilot become certified to fly a new plane like the Boeing 787?

Since it's a new plane, I'm wondering how one becomes type-rated on a completely new type of aircraft. I know there are similarities to the Boeing 767 and other planes but the 787 is a different aircraft entirely.|||Boeing says it expects its 787 will handle so like a 777, and the cockpit interfaces will be so similar and intuitive, that a five-day differences course and some time in a fixed-base, touchscreen simulator will suffice for converting 777 pilots to airline operations in the new aircraft.





Speaking at the UK Royal Aeronautical Society, Boeing's 787 training director Capt Al Nader revealed for the first time the company's training programme for the new aircraft that is being submitted to the US Federal Aviation Administration for approval.





Nader says that Boeing is making a case to transfer 777 pilots to the 787 without training time in a level D full-flight simulator, but he admits the FAA may not agree to that.





Pilots from non-Boeing types would need a 20-day course to win their type rating, including time in a FFS, the company estimates, whereas pilots from Boeing types other than the 777 would need a 13-day course.





Nader says Boeing is flying a leased American Airlines 777 "wired up" to fly like the 787. This is being used to develop the 787 control software to ensure handling commonality between the two types is so similar as to make a common type rating possible.





Working with Boeing's training company Alteon, Nader says the company has already defined the pilot training requirements for the 787, and is close to finalising the syllabus - what it calls its pilot qualification plan. Meanwhile it is designing a computer-based training system that will make the whole training course paperless and fully interactive.





A key tool in Boeing's 787 training inventory is the Thales-built training suite used to prepare pilots for the simulator at a relatively low cost.





It consists of a flat-panel fixed-base simulator developed jointly by Thales and Boeing, but it is more than a procedures trainer because its flight and engine controls are physically the same as they will be in the aircraft.





As well as the systems being fully interactive via its touchscreen interfaces, the mechanical controls allow the simulator to be "flown" using a traditional Boeing control yoke, rudder pedals, power levers, flap and spoiler levers as they will be in the 787, and an autopilot mode control panel with conventional knobs and switches as planned for the 787.





The simulator includes Class 3 electronic flight bag displays outboard of each pilot's main flight displays.





The external visual display is limited, however, to a pair of small screens, one located above the cockpit coaming in front of each pilot's position. Boeing concedes that these are really intended only to enable pilots to train for the head-up display that will be standard on 787s. But this is the machine from which Boeing hopes 777 pilots can graduate direct onto the 787 in line service.





Thales's market director civil simulation Mark Dransfield says more than 80% of the software in its simulator is the same as in the aeroplane itself and the full flight simulator, with software updates being only about three days behind the latest developments for the real aircraft.





Alteon says Boeing already has a Thales 787 FFS at Seattle, which is being developed in parallel with the aircraft's preparation for its test flying programme, and will deploy a second to its training base at Miami complete with the full pilot qualification plan suite by 2010.|||From the cockpit mock-ups of the 787 that I have seen, it looks nothing like the cockpit of a 777. Further the systems differ significantly so I agree with you that the 787 is a different aircraft entirely. However, I麓m sure that ultimately the FAA will bend to the wishes of the airlines and allow these two fleets to be flown by a single group of pilots saving the airlines millions in staffing and training costs.





As for the type rating, usually the first group of pilots go to Boeing for type-ratings using Boeing simulators which are sufficiently sophisticated to allow pilots to obtain type ratings without ever having actually to fly the physical aircraft.|||Great Question!!!





I think that you are asking how does the first pilot get the first type rating. Sort of a chicken and egg question.





Don't know for certain, but will take a stab.





1) While the airplane is in flight testing, before certification, it is probably flown on an Experimental Airworthiness Certificate. The test pilot(s) have letters from the FAA authorizing them to fly the aircraft.





2) All during the process that I mention in number 1 above, they are being closely watched by a team of FAA Inspectors (Ops and Mx), and pilots and mechanics from their launch customer(s).





3) When the airplane receives its Type Certificate, there are a whole host of pilots, mechanics, and FAA Inspectors who are experts on the airplane. At the same time, another, probably fairly large team, is creating and testing a simulator for that aircraft. When the simulator is ready, the FAA will issue a Letter of Authority (LOA) for the simulator and its use.





4) I'd bet money that, when the time comes for the first type rating, the FAA issues a Letter of Authority (LOA) to one of their inspectors authorizing that person to perform Practical Tests in, for instance, B787 type aircraft. I'd almost bet that the actual first type rating is actually done in the simulator.





5) At the same time, a team is in the process of approving Boeing's FAR 142 school, its syllabus, etc.





6) Once there is a cadre of pilots who are type rated, and the 142 school is approved for the airplane, then they, the type rated pilots, can be authorized to issue type certificates for that aircraft to graduates of the 142 school.





I may have the ordering wrong, and I may have made some incorrect assumptions, but I'd bet that the gist is reasonably accurate.





BTW, I hear the Boeing is trying to get the B777 and B787 to be a common type rating; but also hear that it will be a real uphill battle for them.|||the 787 is basically a 767 with new engines, hull and wings. the 787 would probably handle differently from the 767 but they're about the same size.


to fly a new aircraft like that would probably need some kind of experence and training on the 787. other than that, i cant really think of anything else that would restrict you from flying a 787 besides a flying licence.|||simulator time and then seat time in aircraft