Another "wrinkle" in this whole discussion is the simple fact that not every pilot has the ability to be an effective instructor. Just because some guy has the $$ and time to get through this ATP program doesn't mean he should instruct when he comes out the other end. He may be a fine pilot but turning around an immediately becoming an instructor seems like a bad plan.

Part of being an effective instructor is having some experience and just simple repetitive exposure to the things you'll be instructing. Watching someone else and then telling them what they did wrong isn't instructing - anyone can do that. The skill comes in several key spots:
Before the flight - be able to describe, in detail, how to fly a particular maneuver (pitch, power, hands, feet, the feel of the aircraft, etc. - you don't know that unless you've done it a LOT).
During - anticipate common mistakes (so your student doesn't kill you), know how to offer in-flight instruction, when to ST FU and when each is appropriate
After - most importantly, to be able to ID all errors (and good stuff) AND to find out why they did what they did. You can't offer instruction on how to fix errors if you don't know why a student is making the errors.


Being good at this doesn't just happen because some pilot paid enough money and made it to point "X" in some pilot mill's syllabus. There's no substitute for experience and that's what's going to help make a good instructor, IMO.