Indeed. Too many forklift drivers although their ranks are small thank goodness.

 

Yep, this "wisdom" ****es me off a little too. At my large airline, time gets you the opportunity to apply for the 4th stripe. However, they do not give it away. You are going to have to get past the gatekeepers who diligently make sure you have the goods to sit in the left seat. It is earned even if you are so good that you make it look easy. You weren't born good. You worked to get good. That means you earned it.

 

I'll walk back my post a bit as is seems to have come across wrong...especially my last sentence.

My intent was to say that getting the opportunity to be the captain takes time. The opportunity isn't anymore merit based than your qualifications to be FO. If you are able to hold captain after the latest bid and you bid it, you will be scheduled for training. The earning of that opportunity is the time you put in. Even if you are the most dangerous FO on property, if you are free and clear of any issues, you will go to training to be a captain. That is the earning and merit I was speaking to.

That being said, your progress through training and subsequent check ride are obviously based on knowledge and performance.

No attitude here gentlemen. I'm just pointing out the interaction of time/seniority and contractual entitlements as they relate to upgrading. I apologize for the confusion caused by my previous post.

 

Getting a type and upgrading isn't that difficult it's a 4 week crash course. We're not talking about OCS here, it's airline training.

 

You certainly can go buy a type rating. My airline had a guy who did just to move from the 727 panel to MD F/O. He still couldn't make it through the airline's F/O training. When the last 727 was gone, so was he.

"Captain" isn't earned? YGBSM.

 

Saw an article in the WSJ about a forklift driver shortage

 

When I got my fourth stripe it wasn't, as you refer to it, as a "crash course". The examination process consisted of a one day written exam, one day oral, four hour sim check, and the easy part... bounces in the jet. Back in the day, you had to know details as the manufacturers of the CSD, Generators, Nav systems. One had to explain the ratio of the lockout of the outboard ailerons whilst the flaps were extending and retracting on the old 727 during the walk around. OCS training? no. Know your aircraft? You bet!

 

Can we get on with tool of the day instead of tool measuring?

 

Thankfully those days are over and knowing what kind of blots hold the engine on the pylon is useless info. Training is more practical in this day in age and not ego driven by a few eggheads in the training department.

 

OCS wasn't that hard either Einstein. You really need to learn when to stop digging.