Originally Posted by NCR757dxr

So what...... this type of talk is the real issue. 9.9 times out of 10, check ride busts are not indicative of the quality of the pilot. The problem that many with bust(s) run into is the blatant ignorance from HR departments and the media fueled by public opinion.

I have been called a great pilot by all of my CFIs (sunshine up my butt, maybe) but I also had commendation letters from the Chief pilot, a standards capt, and a few other guys indicating my skill (so maybe not sunshine). I've had others approach me in the halls at my old flight school saying they've heard good things about me as well. Guess what? I've busted a few rides. I hate it since I'm a perfectionist too. Who cares man! If the regional airlines want to block many great pilots from joining their company because of a stupid, unwarranted, stigma then forget em'..... much greener pastures are out there.

I have loads of 121 experience, extensive 757/767 knowledge (I bring this up only as an example of complex aircraft experience vs. a CFI with 0 busts and 1400 hours in a C172), and a clean record of air carrier checkrides (135).... if they want to hold a private pilot oral and a CommAMEL practical bust against me, let them! I don't want to work for you anyway if all you do is look at me as a number. In fact, I had the DPE telling me how sorry he was to have to bust me, on the last item of the CommAMEL ride, all the way back to the airport (I did make a minor mess up, I'll admit it but learned a great lesson from it also). All the HR person sees is that number, however, because that is how they're programmed. Just like the nursing programs that only benchmark GPA as a factor (and colleges wonder why cheating is so problematic these days). I'd rather have a nurse who tired, failed, and then re-learned the correct way to administer an IV in training over a nurse who passed all of their tests because they knew how to cheat and boost the Almighty GPA.

And don't give me that "we need a way to weed out pilots" malarkey; if this was the case, then we wouldn't have Eagle giving a $5000 sign-on bonus. There is a true shortage, whether people want to believe it or not, and keeping an entire group of pilots out because of a "number" is just going to feed it.

I get on my soapbox because bonehead comments like that lead to the stigma and ultimately to the desperate actions taken by some (e.g. this topic).

To be clear though, I'm not condoning the action of lying by the person involved. I'd rather get passed over, because of this unfair stigma, then always look over my shoulder and wonder if today is the day they find out.