There were plent of pilots getting hired with under 1000 tt in the 90's, perhaps not the entire decade, but this arguement by current airline pilots that todays mins are absolutely ridiculous is just that, ridiculous. With it taking 5 years and up to upgrade, its far harder nowadays to get started in the business than before. If you really want to look back in time, you could get hired at a major shortly after college. The 500 hour wonder pilot is nothing new. Also I think mins are simply just an arbitrary means of choosing pilots, that may have some meaning but isn't everything. I was in class at TSA who's known for having tough training, I watched a 300 tt 25 multi pilot with no CFI background breeze through training like it was nothing, and in the same class an older man with over 3000 tt and over 1000 multi washed. It's probably an exception to the rule, but it does prove hours aren't everything. The only reason anyone is mad about it is because their timing was bad and they didn't get the same opportunity. But I say, if the company is willing to take a chance and pay for their SIC, who are we to ***** about it. If they can pass their sim check and their ground, they have every right to be in the right seat.

SkyWest only needs 1000/100 along with 100 instrument. Lots of people get hired with these mins.