Originally Posted by
Flaps50
The only thing that is going to help pilots make better wages and require more experience is limiting the supply of pilots into the work force by making it a harder certificate and qualification to achieve in the future. This will have to be done through the FAA regulatory system and ALPA. Now is the time to start this battle with the current political environment in place.
The old rules date back way to far and are way out dated for todays complex air transport system. The ATP should require a degree and the hour levels for the professional certificates should increase and require more ground schooling that teach better, weather, systems, aviation law, regs, and of course aviation economics so the student elects to do something else for a career!
As much as this would tick a ton of upcoming pilots off ... I completely agree. Too many pilots are getting away with barely passing checkrides ... moving on to the next certificate/rating, and doing it again. I know that there's not a whole lot involved in the private pilot certificate ... but honestly, how many of the thousands of pilots who just obtain their private pilot license with 50-70 hours of flight time will be able to handle an engine failure in a single engine aircraft with passengers on board safely?
We need to make obtaining the licenses and ratings of becoming a professional pilot much more challenging and demanding. We professional pilots work damn hard for our money, and the simple rule of supply and demand takes over.