The Spirit training program is subpar at best. When I went through the program 7 months ago, we had low time, no experience guys teaching classroom and procedures. Their comments were all, "Well the guys on the line say they do it like this or like that." In fact, one of these low time instructors was teaching one of our CSI or whatever it was called, while being "observed" by a check airman. The check airman had to intervene so many times because my partner and I kept telling the instructor, that's not what the book says to do. Eventually the check airman finished the lesson. Instructor's reply was, "thats how we were told it was done on the line."

I know some of you here woke up with a magical 4000 hr experience overnight and can't remember when you were a heavy C172 Captain. But the short comings of the Spirit training program is the training departments fault. Most of the inexperience instructors are young guys taking an opportunity that was given and making the best of it. They are doing the best they can with the training and the tools they are given.

Yes, the candidates pool has seen a decay in experience. But to label a 2000 hr pilot as not capable is unjust.

As far as the training program. I found the program to be lacking in every since. I received my "link" with cpat and all the required reading material 2 weeks from ground school. No panels, no paper anything. I am not sure how many of you had 2 weeks off from current job, to sit at home for 8 hrs day to complete this cpat. But you know what I found more incredible than anything, the fact that there was NO requirement to complete the cpat before showing up in class. In fact, we had 2 guys in my class, that never finished the cpat.
Even when you show up for a home course at a 142 school, you must show with your computer based training completed and a test taken.

First week is basic indoc from 8-6 pm, 6 days a week. How much study time you have left over after leaving at 6 and waiting to take van to hotel, shower and dinner? Be realistic fellas.

Second week, 4 hrs of indoc 4 hrs in front of a paper trainer learning flows and the MCDU.

Then you move to CSIs where you are supposed to learn "SYSTEMS". Other than 2 of these sessions with the same instructor, check airman, we had a different instructor every day that was more interested in showing us how to fly than teach systems. The 2 little monitors on the side that showed the schematics, where turned on for 2 lessons.

Meanwhile, you were on your own to learn systems and limitations and prepare for the Oral with the Hatchet.

We got to the sim. 1 session was a rush with a check airman that wanted to show us so much in one lesson, that we were in awe. First time we experienced engine out stuff was on sim 3, then sim 4 and a check ride.
The emphasis was learning on when to do something and pass the checkride, not teaching you systems or why you are doing this or taking that action.

As far as the training environment, I found it all depends on the attitude of the candidate. There were a few guys that came in with a "teach me" attitude and lacked the discipline of a self study course. Guys that complained about the "system" or argued the the instructors were labeled whiners. Guys that, very politically, asked for another session and had the right attitude, were given the session. It all depended on "your" attitude. We all know this is a "cooperate and graduate" world.

I expect as the candidate pool continues to diminish, the struggles are going to continue to increase.