Originally Posted by
MidnightHauler
Here we go again with blaming training departments for washing pilots out of training. Part of training's job is evaluating pilots and for those that don't meet the standards, THEY GET WASHED OUT. That's the way it's suppose to work. Be prepared, current, and proficient and there's no reason to wash out. Are the instructors d***heads? So what, as long as they're going by the book.
For the regionals washing out DECs, there's a far greater chance those candidates didn't meet the standards or flubbed up their orals or checkrides. It doesn't mean they're bad guys or pilots. However, it also doesn't mean that instructors are intentionally trying to fail pilots they need to hire. There is no incentive for that and DPEs have to explain in great detail (and paperwork) why pilots fail checkrides.
Bottom line, about 90% of the time, it's the pilot's fault for failing. Sadly, instead of learning from their mistakes and owning up to it, they choose to complain about the unfairness of the training department and how badly they were treated. Fact is, many of the washouts struggled early on in training, but managed to squeak by as first officers. When upgrade time came, they weren't ready.
There is no blame being levied. I'm well aware of how a good flight training department is supposed to run, but that certainly isn't the case everywhere. Some of the lesser regional do carry a certain reputation, whether deserved or not it's hard to say. But knowing of any potential issues ahead of time would still be valuable, especially is there is a pattern for where the sticking point lays.
The 60% washout rate at the regional I was referencing occurred during IOE. Meaning that they had passed the check ride already, but not been signed off for the fed ride. This particular regional had developed some issues with mgmt trying to rush through an applicant in training because they were so short staffed. Many times they were offering TWICE the sim time to get them through. The instructors were by in large great people, but were ridden by the head of training (who had been hired from flight safety, without airline experience). It took our IOE Captains to put their foot down and save the company from themselves. In my time there, I saw a training department go from excellent to substandard luckily the company came to it's senses and put a much more qualified person in charge of the department.