Originally Posted by
rickair7777
It's probably more about being the PIC and command mentality than it is about stick-and-rudder skills, although both matter.
If the economics don't work, then the airlines can pay for time-building. They're pursuing waivers for the 1500 rule simply because it's cheaper than time building.
Our system in the US is very safe, and is not comparable to most foriegn systems. Look at accident stats over the last 10-20 years, especially the last decade... those numbers paint a stark picture, way too stark to write off as statistical anomalies. I can count on the fingers of one hand the foriegn carriers who I would consider to be equivalent to US safety. And our regionals are our soft under-belly as it is.
I get the feeling 1500 hours was an arbitrary number and most guys learn more about being an airline pilot from sims and OE than all of their 1500 hours combined, so there must be a faster way to condense that experience. But you make a good point that our safety record is significantly better than most overseas airlines and everybody I fly with uses autopilot because they're lazy, not because they have to, so the process is working.