Originally Posted by
Southerner
I have good knowledge of each of the Gateways. You only assume that I don't.
Instructors go through Gateway 4, but they aren't the people I'm talking about. I'm talking about guys who work as instructors on the side and build flight time until they meet the 1500 hour minimum and then come to work here through 3 or 4. (3 goes straight to the line, 4 stay in their current position and fly 2 days per month) The fact that they are JetBlue employees already is irrelevant when we are discussing their flight experience.
Again, my point is that we already hire inexperienced people. Gateway 7 people will be heavily screened, fully qualified pilots with 1500 hours and an ATP. I was a recruiter at my last airline involved with a very similar program that we had with a prominent flight training organization. Those candidates were hired with 180-220 hours TOTAL directly into the right seat of a CRJ. They almost never required extra training or extra IOE. I'm willing to bet this will be just the same. The screening will be thorough, and the training will be directed towards airline flying. Plus, they will have 6 times the flight experience of the pilots I just mentioned.
I didn't assume you were wrong about gateway 6 or 7. You were wrong about gateway 6 and parts of what you said about 7.
The gateway 7 guys will have 1500 hours because the FAA requires them to. They will all be instructing hours. But let's eliminate the lack of experience part of the argument for a second and just look at one fact. This gateway is not, and never will be, necessary to staff this airline. We are flushing money down the drain to satisfy what?
If you want to argue that gateway 6 wastes money as well, I'll agree. But those Cape Air guys are coming here with a wealth of experience compared to G7 guys.