My 2c,

The reason behind the push for 1500 hour pilots to occupy an airline cockpit = is the FAA and Federal Government's knee-jerk reaction to the Colgan Buffalo Q-400 crash. This is the way the Federal Government can satisfy the general public's concern over low time airline pilots.

The reason that most pilots are behind the push is every pilot that has over 1500 hours, this = job security, and perhaps the potential for a higher paying private or corporate job in the future.

I've flown with 250 hour wonders that can fly the wings off any plane they fly, as well as 10,000+ hour pilots I would not trust to fly me or my family around. However, when it comes to the statistics concerning Total Time and accidents, the numbers speak for themselves. That being said, the number of 250 hour wonders that can fly the wings off any airplane, that I have seen, are few, and the amount of 10,000+ hour pilots that I would not trust to fly me or my family, are far between.

The 1500 hour mark for ATP minimums, is not an arbitrary number. Like everything else involved with the FAA or government, there was a committee, a sub-committee, contractors, etc.. that statistically came up with this number. 1500 hour pilots are indeed safer than lower time pilots.