And I was a check pilot for a large 135/91k operator. I’m not worried about any of my former colleagues coming here and struggling with the training. No one was taking 50 minute coffee breaks there, and you had better know your stuff in the oral, in the sim, on the line and during line checks. Frankly, that training is among the best I’ve been through, and that’s a common refrain for former coworkers who’ve moved on to the 121 world at all manner of operators.

121 isn’t special. It sure as heck isn’t hard. Spirit’s training is difficult because of its footprint, but pilots coming here with a history of non-vendor training won’t have a problem. Ones who flew 100 hours a year with a nodding acquaintance with flows and procedures might.

Flows, memory items/limitations and familiarity with normal procedures isn’t some majic dope reserved for the airlines. In fact, the burden is considerably less now that you don’t have to deal with all the ancillary stuff that large corporate operators consider common.