Originally Posted by
de727ups
I'm with Slice. It's sad that the standards to be a jet F/O are so low now. Nobody with 250 hours has the experience to bring the necessary level of competence to the right seat. Yeah, they get through ground school and the sim, maybe, but they will be an unnecessary burden on their Capts for the first two or three hundred hours.
It's sad to see how low the bar has gone. It's easier to lower the bar than raise pay, which would raise standards, which would bring a more well rounded new F/O to the shiny jet.
I agree with most of your points. But does a 1000hr CFI (single and ME piston) have more competence in a
JET than the 250hr pilot. Both have ZERO experience in a jet. Either way, any first time regional new hire is going to be a challenge. I wouldn't go so far to say they would be a burden; If the captain feels that way, maybe he shouldn't be flying with IOE FOs. It takes most FOs about 50 - 100hrs to feel comfortable in the right seat of an RJ. But that's a very subjective thing as one pilot may feel more comfortable and confident than the next.
Where are you going to find that many well rounded FOs to fill those seats? There's simply not enough of them. The airlines dug a hole for themselves by making their companies look so unattractive to potential employees; now very few want to become a pilot because of this.
De727, I am with you all the way on most of your points about todays industry. Even though I didn't get to experience it first hand, I have a passion for the way things WERE done in the good old days. But the fact of the matter is things have changed. Nobody has to except it or like it but that's just the way it is now. Things may, and probably will change to bring the standards back up to par.