jtf,

While I agree entirely with the rest of your post, the part quoted above is potentially misleading. You can’t just take a NJ pilot one day, sprinkle holy water on them and POOF, they’re a qualified instructor the next day. It is an arduous process and would require (amongst other things like curriculum development and FAA approval) removing both potential instructors AND the train-the-trainers from the line while the process is built. This can easily take months and would do nothing for the short-term pain except exacerbate the shortage of pilots on the line. While it is an admirable goal, it should be done carefully and absent a staffing crisis such as exists right now.