Originally Posted by
wally24
I think its a good idea to raise minimums, but up until recently didn't most airlines hire with close to ATP mins? I think an artificial minimum in this case may not help as much as people would think. 1500 TT in a C-172 does not raise the bar to much, after all you can get a single engine ATP. The airlines could just convert that to ME ATP.
I have a hard time believing there is much difference in skill/experience between a 900 hour and 1500 pilot who has only flown 172's. Shouldn't it be quality not quantity.
The point is not that you are flying a 172, its how you got to fly that 172. There aren't many people out there that can afford to just buy 1500 hrs of 172 time. Therefore they are going to have to be employed by someone flying that 172. Who operates single engine props? CFI's, cargo, traffic watch, banner towing, etc
Now we can get into which of these experiences are most valuable, but the point is that the guy that got hired right out of flight school
has never had to make a decision. He's always been operating under the umbrella of his instructors CFI. Then when he gets to the airlines he'll be operating under his captains ATP. The guy with 1500 hrs has, at some point in his short, professional career, made decisions that affected his passengers, cargo, students, airplanes, and his own life. He may not be ready to captain an airliner, but he's much more prepared to be a competent FO, and he has experience that he can recall when he upgrades.