Originally Posted by
wmupilot85
I haven't read this much at all, but I will say I am a WMU grad with just over 500 hours. I have my CFI, CFII and MEI but I never used it (less than 25 hrs given). I am NOT a fan of this program at all. I never went into that whole WMU kool-aid crap either. But right now I am in training at Atlantic Southeast Airlines to be sitting right seat in a CRJ-700 in Detroit, my local area. How did I go from 220 (After CFI/CFII/MEI) to just over 500? I went out ald flew a ton of real world flying in actual, icing, flights down the east coast from Detroit to the Florida Keys, etc.
So while I have a lot less hours than others, I do have real world flying experience which these kids coming out of WMU do not with the WMU bubble. Flying down to ACTUAL minimums is what builds experience, not this 1000' minimum AGL cloud layer that WMU imposes.
"a ton" is 280 hours? Wow.
Every airline needs to secure pathways, and I firmly believe that you have to start somewhere, but "preaching" at 500 hours doesn't pass the smell test. Did I get hired with 250? nope, do I have a problem with a guy with 250 and has an opportunity of getting a job and "going for it"? nope, BUT attitude and aptitude are HUGE variables that create a "make it or break it" situation. The only replacement for experience is more experience. With the right attitude and smarts a guy can learn "a ton" from the guy in the left seat over THOUSANDS of hours.