I helped develop the sim prep and probably bought more DC-10 sim time than anyone else in the country for several years. The idea originally was to help the "toads" like me who came from a fighter background or that young RJ pup who never flew a round dial jet to work on a basic cross-check and get the feel of the a heavier aircraft.

In 2004-06…most guys did a sim prep. One. The evaluators were supposed to be able to tell if a guy had a good cross check, and I think they probably graded on a subjective scale based on a guys background…but I cannot be sure.

The issue was as everyone started doing preps…even the heavy drivers, I'm sure the "average" performance started to creep up. I know the evaluators probably tried to be objective, but when 9 out of 10 guys have gotten some practice I'm sure the 10th guy who didn't' probably stood out.

When the 2011 hiring came back, after a 4-5 year hiring wait, most guys said "screw it" and did 2 (or more) prep sessions. I think the bar was progressively inched up higher and higher. A few did 3. One guy--out of the cockpit a while--did 10. I think getting hired without doing a sim prep became a big crapshoot, and I don't think that was the company's intent. It certainly was never mine…I just wanted to help a few fellow toads. But change is inevitable, and nobody wanted to be left behind, and thus I think a sim prep became dang near a requirement to effectively get hired.

So--the elimination of the process…while eliminating one of my business interests, was not all bad news to me. We want a fair process, and I think a guy having to spend 2-3k to prep for the sim ride was a tough nut. Would I have done it in 2001? You bet! Its been worth it. But the price of admission to FedEx just went down a couple grand, and that's not all bad. Honestly, with the legacies hiring I also think a few good pilots out there when faced with a Delta or American interview without a sim and a FedEx sim with one might even skip the prep these days… For more than a decade FedEx could pick who they wanted. They are now going to see a more 1998 type environment where a few guys hired never show up for class but instead go elsewhere. I also expect we'll see a few guys leave their first year after some A reserve in the 757 when Delta or AA give them an offer…but that's a different subject.

What does need to happen, however, is that schoolhouse IPs need to call it like they see it and if someone isn't capable of flying then use the probation period for what it is designed for. Nobody wants to see another pilot lose a job, but none of us here--especially those of us on the cusp of captain--want to see another mishap on our watch. Even a good pilot can have a bad day, but we don't need anyone who cannot get the job done putting the rest of us at risk or into the spotlight again. The consequences of any mishap are bad, but in our situation it could be even more detrimental to our long term careers.