I don't think anyone opposed to the ATP porposal is advocating that it's a good thing for a 250 hour pilot to be hired. The question is should the government mandate a hard and fast rule. I say no, but I'm not opposed to the theory. I certainly don't think there's a magic number, but if I were going to pick one 1000 looks interesting to me.

As for the two bills, the Senate has it's own bill and will not take up the House bill. The Senate will pass it's own bill sometime this year and then the two bills will be sent to a conference committe of both House and Senate members. That is where the real negotiating will take place and likely where the RAA and airlines will exert their influence.

The bill that emerges from the House/Senate conference may look nothing like the two bills either body passes. The ATP rule could be totally gone, or it could be enhanced to 2000 hours as well. Who knows. My money is on the FAA and the airlines winning the battle by instituting their own tougher requirments and nullifying the government's ATP requirement.