Originally Posted by
DMEarc
Be carefull what your saying sir...
Have you ever heard that the Instrument Rating is just a "License to learn instruments"?
To get an instrument rating all you need to do is demonstrate sucessfully those areas of operation prescribed in the PTS. If you demonstrate them correctly and to standards you get the OK to fly in the clouds as PIC, even though you don't know jack about instrument flying. I think we all know that we didn't know anything about instrument flying until we actually got out there and did it.
So are you telling me that you didn't fly on instruments until after you got your cert? Certainly all your licenses are licenses to learn, but the skills you had to demostrate to meet the mins for the PTS satisfy the FAA that you have enough skills to be safe, and for the most part, I have to agree.
Originally Posted by
DMEarc
With the being said...
Let's say a guy with his ink still wet on his COMM-AMEL ticket goes to Mesa Pilot Program and gets hired. He is trained to pass the ERJ sim. Boom- he's got his SIC in Type. However he doesn't have any real world experience doing anything but training (a little time building during his COMM). Does this give him the right to fly around 50 paying passengers- considering he hasn't even been a true decision maker of an airplane...ever?!
Well, he's still not a decision maker, he's an F/O. I'm not saying this is the best pilot in the world, or that he's gonna have all the experience one would ever need, but you can't lump all guys into a basket as bad, simply based on the number of hours they have. Hours of total time are a very poor indicator of pilot skill, that's all I'm saying.
Originally Posted by
DMEarc
What would be better a ERJ SIC type on a guy who was a flight instructor for 500 hours or an ERJ SIC on a guy who didn't even study for his initial CFI?
Look, airlines should implement a 500 hour DUAL given rule prior to letting guys interview. This would destroy these pay to play programs, etc. This wouldn't raise pay, or improve QOL, but it would increase the competency and capability of the first officers in the cockpit. I too believe that the captain on a ERJ has 51 people to worry about and take care of- why in the hell should he take on one that is going to need the most attention.
Unions are going to have to sooner or later put a clause in the scope saying captains won't fly with any first officer with under 500 hours total time.
Flight instructors make great first officers...19 year old 300 hour wonders (ALLATP guys) belong nowhere near an airliner...hell they can barely fly a 172 straight and level.
Stop the bus, cause this is where I get off. While I'm not 19, I did attend ATP and can attest that upon finishing that program, you can fly a plane straight and level. Furthermore, you'll have a lot more instrument skills than most "seasoned" CFI's who trained at an FBO and then spent their CFI career flying mid-lifers in the pattern doing touch and go's. Contrast that to a guy who did all his training in a multi and spent hour after hour in a sim practicing every concievable failure in situations that you could not duplicate in an actual plane (much like 121 training), and tell me who's more ready?
I'm not saying that everyone is ready for an airline straight out of ATP, or any other school. Being an instructor gave me the opportunity to learn an immense amount. But total hours doesn't reflect pilot skill. Quality of training and natural ability do.