Admittedly, we are off the subject of the original post, but it's an interesting topic nonetheless. We already know SkyHigh is pro-pay-for-training, so of course he will side with the SWA prerequisite. It is obviously used as a discriminator in the hiring process used to weed through the thousands of applicants for the handful of available positions, much like a college degree, or a preset number of PIC hours...all of which are determined by the employer. Insurance discounts aside, how does a pencil-whipped 737 type rating (the variety any pilot with 6,000 bucks in their pocket can get) make one candidate more "qualified" than someone without it? The washout rate in initial training at an airline at this level is extremely low, including those that have not not previously qualified in that specific type. I would much rather see an airline require a sim ride to their company's standards of proficiency in the type of aircraft to be flown than support these type rating QuikiMarts. Does SWA have an ownership stake in Higher Power?