Yep, with instrument students, that's where I got a lot of XC time. I logged less air time with instrument students due to so much time in the flight training device. However, once we got to the actual flying, the flights usually took us to at least 50NM without dead time where you feel unethical.

I do realize what JetDoc is saying about about going 50 NM to do stalls. You might not get that done on every flight, especially in something slow like a 152. But if one or two flights later in their private training can integrate a touch and go 50NM away, that can add up. Ditto commercial and multi training given you should be in something that flies faster.

I don't want to act like getting 1500 hours (etc.) is easy, because it's not. Like Jamesnobrakes said, increasing minimums increases the chances that a given pilot actually is more "well rounded" than the pilot who has way less flight time. There may be cases where a 1500 hour guy would be consistently smoked by 250 hour guy when pitted head to head in a competition of flying skill, knowledge, procedure, and judgement. I'll go out on a limb and say those cases would be the exception, not the rule.

It seems Eagle and now SkyWest are doing sponsorships to help pilots get through training. Disappearing are the days of using and abusing the pilot workforce and expecting to still have a stack of resumes ready to go. I think that airlines are starting to take more seriously how they train and compensate their pilots, which is likely a result of the 1500 hour law. I believe both of those objectives were reasons for implementing the rule in the first place.

I also appreciate the Led Zeppelin fans of the forum!