Originally Posted by
HermannGraf
...Just because the min for the FAA is just to have an ATP does not cut it. If they would only follow that and something happens the FAA will make them explain what they were thinking hiring a pilot with a trend of failures and a record. We have seen what that can cause in the past...
It cuts it for the the FAA though. I never said industry cannot choose who or what they want, all day every day. They can choose only space shuttle pilots with PhDs if they can find them and they are willing to work for nothing. But getting back to the prime rib example, if you cannot afford to buy prime rib, that does not indicate a shortage of prime rib in the grocery store.
...I hope as a "Professional pilot" that we never hear that it is ok to hire pilots with DUI, criminal records and a trend of failures just because we have a shortage of pilots. I know some places will eventually because they are getting desperate.
I wish the Regionals would instead increase the pay and use that to attract enough "Professional" pilots instead of lowering the bar.
There are a lot of pilots outside the profession without any problems or records that are doing something else because the Regionals do not pay enough.
Agreed, they should just pay a wage competitive with other similar occupations, problem solved. But there is no pilot shortage.