Originally Posted by
NineGturn
Isn't it though!? But...unfortunately, it's totally true and that's the way it is...sometime's when you put your point in a different context people understand it better.
Why is it that pilots begin their career as captains in a large jet (after a very very short stint as a first officer for a few years) so they can get enough experience to become a first officer in another large jet? Finally, they become a real captain with half their career (15 or so years) behind them.
Seven years as a captain is experienced only if he had ten or fifteen years of co pilot experience first...otherwise he's just being used by the system for cheap labor at co pilot pay when he should be spending the first half (approximately) of his career as a first officer.
I'm not judging this individual, I'm just pointing out how stupid and backward the whole system is. It's ironic though that this happened at Buffalo.
Originally Posted by
RV5M
No, it absolutely isn't true. Hiring minimums don't equate to qualifications. If United hired at 1,500 hours, many regional first officers would be just as successful in their first year. It's the exact same job. Unfortunately, screening at the regional level isn't as rigorous.
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RV is correct. Qualifications matter not, I would argue that once you've been on-line in the 121 world for about 6-12 months then you've got the qualifications to do the job whether it's a regional or a major. Majors just have the luxury to be selective whereas regionals don't. When UA began their big hiring boom we were seeing average hours for new hires north of 10,000, now it's probably 6,000-7,000 and dropping.
Additionally, you go from the left seat of an RJ to the right seat of a 737 or Airbus because that's what your new seniority can hold. Sure you went from the left seat back to the right seat but chances are you'll be making more in the right seat of major than the left seat of a regional. Starting pay at UA is $70/hr 1st year and jumps over $100/hr 2nd year. Not to mention the work rules, retirement, etc.
I will agree that it is backward, and I'm all for the flying done by regionals coming back to the mainline. In fact, it slowly is. The 319's at UA are moving in to cover what the 70-76 seaters are doing, and the 70-76 seaters are moving to cover the 50 seaters that are getting parked. Word is DAL's TA lowers the cap for DCI from 450 hulls to 425, and UA is next up at the plate so we'll hopefully drop to 425 or better.