Originally Posted by
Sniper
Honest question for current Spirit pilots. Should Spirit be hiring pilots who've never commanded a crew or flight of aircraft when there are plenty of applicants that meet this very basic qualification?
If you don't have turbine PIC, then you never flew in the military (military AC time assures you exercised leadership and command of either an aircraft crew, or as a flight lead) or, as a civilian, you likely last exercised PIC leadership of a team as a CFI in a piston with a student, hardly the same. This civilian will be almost a decade removed from that experience, minimum, when they first have an opportunity to command a mainline jet with passengers.
Do current Spirit pilots really think that it is in the best interests of the company and the passengers for a pilot to sit left seat in an Airbus (minimum 150 souls on board) as their first attempt as an aircraft commander of a crew?
I seriously have no clue how your post fits into this thread. But two honest questions for you:
1. In your opinion who determines Spirit Airlines' min qualifications? The pilots?
2. At what point should we let anyone fly a jet airliner as a PIC? This is a very valid question since most people exit the womb without jet PIC. At the regionals you will do the exact same thing but with only 50 passengers. Is that OK? So where is the line? 70 pax? 120? You tell me.
Bonus Q:
How does flying an F16 for 2000h prepares you better for part 121 multi crew into ORD on your initial OE vs a CRJ guy who has done 3000h of that in the last 4 years, sometimes 7x a day.