Originally Posted by
Bucking Bar
Freight Guy, your heart is in the right place, but pragmatically, where would a person get 1,500 hours of experience if it takes 1,500 hours of experience to get the job?
Also, what about ALPA members currently on furlough who have less than 1,500 hours?
The local flight school charges $140 for their cheapest Cessna. Of course an airline is going to want some multi time and maybe a little turbine experience. That's $300,000.
Just about every government program creates a moral hazard, since instead of doing what is "right," folks do what is "legal." This will be no difference. You and I might have played by the rules, but make the rules too hard and most will find a way around them. .. and if no one has noticed, the government is not enforcing the rules currently on the books effectively. Ask them.
ALPA (and you) want Congress to end the outsourcing monster that happened after ALPA and Management spent too many nights cuddling on the front porch with a bottle of wine. I'm with you, but using this accident for this purpose is not going to fix our problem. It could well make it worse.
How about flight instruction, that's where I got my hours back when the requirements were higher. The 1500hr rule takes the explosive growth of regionals and PFT operations off the table. Arguably, these two items have been the most damaging to the airline pilot profession.
1500hrs is no big deal, in 2.5 years I had 1300 hours of flight instruction given and I still got hired at mesaba when I was 21.