Originally Posted by BobJenkins

All of this. 250 or 1500 hours, the "magic" has moved over the years. Some people have the maturity to lead at a young age. Some people, no matter their experience, will never be leaders. Likewise, some people are better PICs at 250 hours than others at 1500 hours. Unfortunately, there is no way to quantify this ability, and no way to quantify it during an interview.

1500 hours means a person has more stick time. Does it equate to problem solving, and mature decisions? Sometimes, yes. From the viewpoint of the FAA, or anyone who is mandating the "magic", more increases the likelihood of being better. Since no one has the time nor the resources to sit down and figure out the maturity level of every pilot, they set a number and hope for the best.

Logically, a 1500 hour pilot has the POTENTIAL to be a better candidate for a high-risk position than a 250 or 500 hour pilot. It's the best measure they probably have at their disposal. Having two pilots in the cockpit increases that safety margin exponentially. Hopefully, the training department has the time to weed out the knuckleheads, and the intestinal fortitude to prevent those who shouldn't be in the left seat from ever getting there.