Originally Posted by
WAFP
You can't honestly tell me that "testing standards" are any different than a method of skill level? They are one in the same. If you fail a test, you don't move on. If your skill level is ready to move you along the progression chain, then you can. I can cheat on a test just the same as someone can study their ass off and pass. College taught me that!
You can't cheat flying a sim and handling all of the emergency situations. You can't cheat the profiles or memory items.
Testing standards set the bar. You either pass or you fail. I am no more qualified than any other FO at my airline because we all passed the same test. That is all that needs to be known. We all perform the same maneuvers and do them within certain test standards. We are all qualified to do the job. To actually state one pilot is better than the other could have serious problems. Like I said what if that SWA that skid off the end of the runway at ORD happened and the media found out there were different levels of qualifications and the guy landing was of the lowest qualification? Can you imagine how much they could blow things out of proportion?
I can see it now, "Ladies and gentlemen I'm standing here tonight in front of a SWA 737 that slid off the end of a runway causing a fatality. We just learned that the pilot landing the aircraft was not of the highest skill level. The question now is why are airlines letting pilots who aren't of the highest skill level land aircraft let alone in stormy conditions? Why are the airlines willingly risking the lives of all those on board, and lastly, what legal actions do the families of those injured plan on taking to ensure the airlines take the safety of those on board seriously?"
Or we could just leave the current system in place where any and all that prove worthy are in face worthy to fly the aircraft to it's fullest extent.
The senority system does NOTHING to prove that you are more qualified than anyone else.
That's because you aren't more qualified than anyone else. It's simple.