Originally Posted by
Duksrule
Understood but you have to have the hours. I would bet my next paycheck that there are guys out there with less hours that can pass the checkride to get the ATP. It is all about building up those hours to get to the checkride and whether said hours some how make you a better pilot or not.
Do you know what an ATP checkride consists of? As an individual you are often faced with a series of situations that require quick, decisive decision making. It's not just some commercial checkride where you do some maneuvers and divert. It really is more complex then that.
I'd compare it to professional sports. When a serious prospect is drafted he usually doesn't go right to the big time. Why? Because even though he has the skills, he still needs EXPERIENCE to play in the big leagues. You learn things through experience that you CAN'T learn through training. Checkrides can become very 'canned' and very predictive. Most CFI's signing a student off for a checkride know exactly what the student will be encountering. The gouge is out, & that makes it much easier to pass a checkride.
Just because one has the skills to pass an ATP checkride does NOT mean one is ready to operate in an ATP level environment.