Originally Posted by
milky
This reporter mostly got it right. I hope the flying public finally understands what most of us here know (whether you are experienced enough to understand it yet or not): Regional pilots are less experienced than those at the majors/legacy/big boys. Most of the time, I don't think it matters much since the autopilot works well with an inexperienced pilot as well as with an experienced pilot. The issues come when there are emergencies and when headwork comes into play. Pilots that are willing to fly severely fatigued the way many regional pilots are forced obviously don't know enough yet to know better. You can flame away regional guys, but I know that young pilots always think they are better than they really are.
Maybe the flying public will start demanding airlines to hire experienced pilots. Not likely, but maybe. If so, the scope issues you guys at the big boys complain about would be fixed since the regionals would have to disappear.
From all that I've read, it turns out people like their pilots seasoned by things like military flying. Now the question is whether or not they will pay for it.
While I can see your point I dont think it will make much sense since there are a few varibles that need to be looked at. Number One, military aviators are staying in the military longer and flying less. In the 70's returning military aviators would come home from Vietnam with thousands of hours of combat time and would have that gray haired experience. Now the military is cutting back flying to a minimum to keep within there budgets. Number Two, young airline pilots who got hired within the last few years at the regionals come in all shapes and sizes. Some are two hundred hour wonders from Jet University and others spent several years working on the licenses and instructor certificates while getting a college degree, and then there are some with a few thousand hours and have a few gray hairs. It still doesnt matter though because we all go through the same training program and the same PC's and Oral exams. If we dont pass we are kicked out, if we do pass we then go onto OE and then start our real experience building. We all have to start somewhere. Number Three, Back in the 60's and 70's, Major Airlines like Northwest, American, United, and Delta would hire off the street guys with just there Commerical Multi-engine. In fact they youst to advertise in magazines about becoming a airline pilot in just a few months and flying a 727 right off the bat. Now in todays world we get hired off the street to a regional and are flying Saabs, Dash's, CRJ's,ERJ's, and ATR's. So I dont find the argument about us not getting experience because what happened to the guys flying the 727's and 737's back in the day. They too had to gain experience and so will we.
Rant Over back to spongebob with the kids.
-Farva