Originally Posted by
ksuav8r
So I guess the question remains...how do you get that experience?
The answer is not by getting an ATP. Rather, it's by flying with seasoned captains. I think that's where the focus needs to be. Look at Europe. Pilots for BA, KLM, AF, Lufthansa, etc. either come from the military or through an ab initio program. The latter may only have 300-400 hours when they start. It works because they are trained to proficiency and they gain the experience by flying with captains with years of airline experience.
Originally Posted by
ksuav8r
... Or, god-forbid, they will have to continue their training through their CFI and get their experience by keeping their students from killing them.
Which is what the majority will do, especially now that jobs like check-hauling are going away. 1,500 hours as an instructor doing the same thing over and over is not exactly an experience builder, IMO.
Originally Posted by
ksuav8r
No. As long as you are trained well and are paired with experienced captains who can walk you through these types of situations the first time you encounter them, then you will be fine. Which brings up another issue...
6-Month upgrades. What?
Exactly. Perhaps there needs to be another standard in place to act as Captain in a 121 world, other than an ATP. Maybe require 1,500 hours of Part 121 experience. That would get rid of the 6-month upgrades and perhaps force the regionals to improve wages and work rules in order to attract and retain pilots.
Originally Posted by
AXE758
I think the ATP requirement is a great idea, not just for the check ride alone, but because it would cause people to have to slow down and take some time to develop. Rhino Driver also gave some other good reasons for raising the requirements that I will not re-hash. Would an ATP requirement automatically make every pilot safer? Probably not for “GOD’s gift to aviation” types. They will be good from the get-go. But for most of us folks with average ability (like me,) I believe it would make a difference. In the big picture, the overall odds would move toward the safer side. JMHO
Again, I respectfully disagree. An ATP only proves that you can pass a check ride (and an easy one at that) and doesn't show what experiences you've had leading up to those magical 1,500 hours that made you eligible for the thing. Referencing my analogy in a previous post, the 750-hour pilot who somehow managed to get quality real-life experience is more of an ATP than the 1,500-hour CFI who has spent his entire career in the traffic pattern.
We all agree on this: You've got to get the experience somewhere. The answer lies with having Captains in the left seat only after they have the experience and the hours so they can transfer that experience to their FOs.