Originally Posted by
symbian simian
None of the EU legacy carriers are p2f. Even Ryan doesn't charge the full cost anymore. (and no one in the EU requires a useless 4 year degree.)
Restricting entry to increase the wages? Not very American....( Free market and all)
The only reason we have 1500 hours is because a 5000hr pilot crashed a plane. He failed every possible check ride multiple times. Better training and checking improves safety much more than an hour requirement, but yes, if you are only interested in keeping your pay, by all means, support 1500hr.
No one in the United States REQUIRES a 4 year degree but certainly you need one to be competitive. That's life. US companies find value in their pilots having a college education, much to your chagrin.
And while a pilot had 5000 hours, he lacked basic airmanship skills that he would have learned if he hadn't stepped into the right seat of a passenger operation with a wet commercial. While an hour requirement is a broad net, even ignoring the wage pressure, it is a good requirement to mandate anyone stepping into the right seat of a transport category jet have a few years of experience as a commercial pilot.