International Ferry & Flight Test Group

Although no minimum number of flight hours is required, the average pilot comes to IFFTG with approximately 17,000 hours, and extensive international experience. Other credentials of significance to the consideration process include flight instructor licenses and instructing experience, check airman experience, flight experience in a broad variety of large and small airplanes, and experience in non-scheduled operations.

Applicants are evaluated by IFFTG flight operations management, interviewed and tested. Successful applicants fly for a minimum of 9 months and 30 sectors with the check airman cadre before release to fly as second -in-command with pilots-in-command in the ferry and fight test groups. After a minimum of 18 months and 60 sectors, some are offered assignments as pilot-in-command. Others continue to be offered assignments as second-in-command or flight engineer, based on their own progress in training and the requirements of IFFTG. A variety of considerations affect offers of assignment as pilot-in-command.

It is normal to be offered assignments in different crew positions from one flight to the next. All airplane commanders work also as co-pilots, and most work also as flight engineers. On Boeing 727, Boeing 747 and DC10 types, it is quite normal for all three seats to be occupied by commander-qualified crewmembers.