Originally Posted by
bedrock
Nobody really wants to pay for experience. The MPL proves that. I wonder how much PIC time the crew of Air France 447 got as well. From the data it doesn't seem like much. It's not just matter of learning how to operate an aircraft, it is having to rely on oneself, scare oneself, and make sole decisions which prepares you. Being a CFI helps a lot too, because you learn to communicate clearly, how NOT to micromanage, yet still stay in command, how to build cockpit rapport--in short CRM. These MPLs go straight into an AirBus having never even flown as PIC in actual. That is what the bottom feeders were doing; recruiting 250 hr pilots with inadequate experience.
Originally Posted by
pete2800
If we force people to do CFI work, or banner towing, or aerial survey, or pipeline patrol, or whatever else for that time gap between 250 and 1500 hours... the experience they'll gain will be important. It's time spent having to fix your own problems and errors, or perhaps fixing both yours and your students errors.
Originally Posted by
rickair7777
I actually subscribe to this theory. People who were trained in a canned curriculum (some of which do not allow students or instructors to ever enter IMC) and then went directly to the right seat of an airliner never had the opportunity to kill or scare themselves in general (or military) aviation. They had essentially never had the opportunity to be fully responsible for a flight until they were released from IOE after upgrade...all or almost all of their previous flights were as SIC, dual received, or under the supervision of a CFI (even when doing student solos).
1500 hours means there's a high probability that airline new-hires will already have significant PIC experience.
ABSOLUTELY SPOT ON, gentlemen.
I was one of those who had to wait a little longer to reach my 1500...whoop-de-doo. I was much better off for it, and so is everyone else. Nothing teaches like experience. NOTHING.
While some are naturally more skilled...from hand/foot/eye coordination, understanding the aerodynamics of flight, highly developed 'tactile feel' skills (at the primary level)...to division of attention, multitasking, being able to orient one's self in space, maintaining a high level of situational awareness (instruments)...and finally, decision making, being able to understanding things good enough to teach it well (commercial, cfi)....EXPERIENCE has NEVER hurt a pilot.
I got my initial training at a mom and pop school before transitioning to and instructing at one of the big corporate-type 'fast track
' program...but I absolutely REFUSED to sign off instrument students without AT LEAST a few hours of actual time....I think it's absolutely essential.
The point is, 1500 hours like the guys above have said, all but forces you through either instructing, time building, towing banners, flying divers, building time on your own dime, etc....to gain some PIC time where YOU make the decisions, you're in charge, and scare yourself and learn from mistakes as well as non-mistakes. Things you should NOT be learning in the left seat of a part 121 operation.