Originally Posted by Albief15

I know what you are trying to say, but the globe is scattered with wreckage of pilots who got one too many second chances. There is a fine line between keeping a realistic lens, and passing a problem child down the road. You may say its "just a formality" but at some point somebody has to put their name on the line. We don't want an over-zealous hall monitor type, but I also am sympathetic to the guy who does not want to sign off someone who has blundered through a 2.5 hour checkout, cannot program the GPS, gets 10 knots slow on a SE approach but says "hey--when it counts I know I can get it done..."

If you were a military SEFE, you the guys and gals you signed off probably flew on your wing in your squadron or shared a cockpit with you at some point. These guys at the ATP mills have never seen you, and likely won't see you again. They have one ticket, and everyone they sign off can put that ticket in jeopardy. I don't mean to make too much of this checkout--just pointing out there is risk to both parties with these checkrides.

And in aviation, as in life, there are times you have to get it right the first time. Its a tough business. That's what makes it so different from so many other fields...