I know exactly what you mean. I think the thing that scares everyone most is the fact that after all this long hard work they could still end up without a job. Back then the industry was constantly growing and now there's always the talk of bankruptcy from someone.

 

[QUOTE=Kill Bill]no, not you (cool avatar, BTW... i'm a huge hitchcock fan...)

it just irks me that these guys come out of PFT with a couple of hundred hours thinking they actually know what they're doing.

QUOTE]

Bill ,

The military takes only a few hundred hours before a new pilot is released into the pool. Back in the 60's it was common to hire guys with less than 400 hours. I wish I could connect accident rates to inexperience but it seems that it has little effect. The airlines are so canned, automated and dialed in that you could almost put a monkey in the seat. Sometimes it seems that too much experience can be a detriment. Perhaps you just don't like the idea of PFT? Sometimes money is the only advantage a person has. You wouldn't want to cheat them out of an opportunity would you?

SkyHigh

PS I caught a Ferrell cat in a live trap this morning and in honor of you have named it “Kill Bill”. I will take it into the pound so it can be adopted by a loving family.

 

yeah, and compare the accident rate for the military and the airlines. plus the military has a bit more stringent screening standards than the local flight school or PFT outfit.

back in the 60's the airlines needed warm bodies and were willing to take a chance. not very smart in my view but they were flying with experienced guys who probably watched them like hawks. i just had a line check a couple of days ago. the line check airman warned me that we had a lot of guys coming out of training and they've seen some pretty stupid stuff and this is from guys who had LOTS of experience prior to being hired. so, yes, i'd say inexperience is a factor.

you also say you can't connect accident rates to experience??? jesus h. christ. i have an idea; why don't you go to your local aviation insurer and tell them you want to be insured in a lear or citation or even an aerostar with 100 hrs, ok? thurman munson ring a bell?

one good thing; at least the monkey is out of the seat in your case.

 

Bill,

I meant low time at the airlines. There is little connection to accidents and low time in regards to the airlines.

SkyHigh

 

So I guess the question remains, is going to a PFT outfit like Gulfstream a career killer? I have considered it and after reading so many posts bashing PFT, not sure if its a good idea. Anyone have any experience with PFT grads like those from Gulfstream?

 

You have to remember that back in the 60s the right seat was merely a gear jockey too. From accounts of people I have talked from "back in the day" the captain rarely let the co-pilot touch the controls for quite a while.

PS: Accident rate was higher then too.