The job carries significant responsibilities putting at risk human life and millions of dollars that can be obliterated in the blink of an eye due to a slight miscue, technical error, judgement lapse, or simple lack of attention to detail. The fact that anyone with enough effort (read money) can buy all the qualifications needed to check the boxes on the application doesn't imply they are up to the task day in, day out spanning a full career. Some people should not drive cars! The military pilot has been through a vetting process the civilian pilot has not. Does that make military pilot A better than civilian pilot B? No. It simply means from the military pool many (but not all) of the less desirable candidates have been eliminated. The pool of civilian trained pilots will contain very capable individuals to the not so capable. The people who do the hiring have to make the call. It's very hard to look someone in the eye and tell them they are not good enough. That's why they send a letter.

As both groups become aware the rewards for the career are evaporating, the most capable among them will find their talents recognized and rewarded in other lines of work.

How poetic it is that an airline calling itself "Pinnacle" would be the first to demonstrate the results who should and who should not be on the flight deck. If you have not read the whole thing, you should.


http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?e...15X01633&key=1



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