Ahhh....NOPE! You're right on one thing, you're not ready ;)

With the 1500 rule and the lack of a grandfather clause (for the time being) 500 is the new 250. The only argument right now for the jet bridge programs is if one were to drop $5k to boost their hours, get an interview, and get the job, then they at least have some seniority over the rest of the floodgate hiring that is to come.

Hours dont make a competant pilot, experience does. That being said, the Nall report and other studies can tell you a pilot is more a risk factor with under 500 and over 5000 total time. Its a trust factor in a 2+ pilot environment and if it is not mutual, issues will arise.

Analogy time...this is just like boarding a commercial flight. The announcement comes that hiring 'will' happen, everyone is up and ready to go. Move past the people who can get on with a wink and a nod, then its time for the real boarding. There are some who will pay that extra money to get on the plane first...because people want that instant gratification that comes with a price. But after that, the boarding begins, and with a little waiting and patience...you are on the plane heading to the same place with a couple extra bucks in your pocket.

If that is the case I don't care so much about hours. I want the guy with the most actual IMC approaches flying me down to mins. With that way of thinking the Regional CA/FO doing 5 TO/Landings a day would be more qualified than a FE Captain flying from here to Hongkong with only 1 landing.

Hmmmm my guess is that more than half of the Active Duty F-15 pilots out there have less than that magic 1500 hours. I know that after 23 years in the Navy it was only the senior guys that I knew that had those kind of hours. Most of the senior LTs had less than 1000.

And how long has that Regional CA/FO been doing those actual approaches that you are hanging your hat on and how many do you think the FE (I assume you are saying FedEx) CA has done to get to the position that he is in? Statistically speaking of course. ;)
I'm thinking that the FE CA has done his time in the barrel (whether it be up through the regionals or the military) and then YEARS spent as an FO again.

USMCFLYR

With your military experience you should know that comparing a tactical pilot's hours with an airlines pilot's hours is a poor comparison. There is a great thread suggesting that sortie count might be a better apples to apples comparison, and then of course what is happening during the flight.

USMCFLYR