Originally Posted by
Packrat
The alternative would be to completely remove the Age-65 restriction and allow pilots to continue Part 121 flying until they could not pass a flight physical. After all, fractional/corporate pilots don't face that restriction. What's the difference between operating a 737 to Hawaii and a Gulfstream? Answer: The Gulfstream is a higher performance airplane.
This differences in performance between these two examples is negligible and irrelevant. This is simply another example of the interests of big business trumping safety in this industry. The 1500 hour rule if reduced to say 750 won't solve the shortage, because it isn't the core cause. It might allow regionals to kick the can down the road another year or two, but the core cause is the disparity of economic reward for resources invested (both time and money) and the corresponding lack of interest in being piņata for unsympathetic maximum profit oriented capitalist businesses when there are more financially rewarding career options that require a fraction of the investment.
I'm sure the fix is in and then until the next accident related to training and experience occurs and more human hamburger is presented to the corrupt fat cats in D.C., it will remain.