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Old 03-08-2009 | 10:43 AM
  #118  
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SkyHigh
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From: Corporate Pilot
Default I agree

Originally Posted by HercDriver130
No doubt that the right training program can train pilots to high levels of proficency in say 1 year and 200ish hours. and NO I am not talking about flight schools where the students money is the factor. The military has for many many decades taken students with very little flight time.. some as little as 10 hours.... put them thru training programs that in 12-18 months produce pilots capable of flying multi-engine transport/bomber/tanker aircraft not to mention the guys selected for fighter tracks. the caviate that the student must ALWAYS be in constant jepardy. The mantra can not be... oh..I will get it tomorrow... or the next flight... or anything like that. Military flight training has very very detailed performance standards which have to be met on each and every flight. Not up to the required proficency on that flight... HOOK!!! Do that three or four flights in a row and you find your self on the outside looking in. Low time flight programs CAN NOT succed with out such consequences. THAT in a nutshell is the ONLY difference in military training and civilian training. In a civilian training program there is ALWAYS tomorrow... you can ALWAYS go up and do it again... not so in a military training system. That said I in NO way suggest that military pilots are better than civilian pilots. But I do believe that they are ready for much more complex aircraft quicker in their flying lifetime than the normally trained civilian guy. At some point the playing field levels .... wherer that is varies probably from person to person.

Yes... I do believe some american carriers might start true ab-into training programs in this country in the future. And I personally believe they can be succesful at it with the right training standards.
I agree and can also envision a future where the airlines adopt a military training style of high wash out candidate programs that produce focused, well trained and educated first officers with very little actual flight time.

A mission specific approach to training would eliminate a lot of what pilots currently have to learn and will never use as an airline pilot.

Skyhigh
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