Originally Posted by kevin18

I think you donned a storm trooper helmet and missed my point. Marg was saying that the young pilots today have it so much easier. Claiming people don’t have to be CFIs or, gasp, fly single piloted in IFR. I wasn’t saying that isn’t the case. I was saying that’s the way it is. Especially in wrt aviation things have gotten easier as technology progresses. That’s the point of innovation. I then went on to point out that it’s like that through history in almost every aspect. I can’t think of something that’s harder to do now that was much easier back in the day.

I would question the intelligence of a person who insists on using paper charts these days more than be impressed by their ability to do so. Thumbing through those things was a pita and even more so when you had an airport in a completely different place than where you expected it to be because the name of the airport put it in x instead of city b.

Originally Posted by SonicFlyer

Except that the 1500 hour rule for 121 FOs was never about safety. This was known since the day it was implemented.

Originally Posted by kevin18

Its more of a supply and demand thing driving those. It’s easy to get in to a law school. However, getting in to a top tier law school not so much. As for medical schools the number of applicants far exceeds the seats available. If that were not the case the entry requirements would be significantly different.

I get it, it’s a tale as old as time, the older generation had it harder than the younger. It’s the same thing people in the generations before you said about you. That’s the thing about progress, it is supposed to make our lives easier. Don’t denigrate the younger ones simply because they have it different.

I know of people who held on to their paper charts until the last moment because they refused to go to an iPad. Does that make them better?

Originally Posted by ZapBrannigan

Sounds like some people here want FOs to be the equivalent of vo-tech graduates. Anybody who passes a drug test can be a pilot in just a few short months...

That'll put the pattern bargaining ball back in managements court for a generation.

Originally Posted by Slick111

I think this thread is getting twisted.

The Wall Street Journal article is NOT about aspiring pilots complaining about the 1500 rule. It’s *AIRLINE MANAGEMENT* complaining about the 1500 hour rule. If you watch the video edition of this article, you’ll see Scott Kirby testifying before Congress and complaining that United has grounded 100 jets because they don’t have enough pilots to fly them. And I’m quite sure he’s referring to R.J.s, not 737s or Airbuses.

And as a secondary issue and unintended consequence, (although it should be vividly obvious), giving-in to management’s wish and lowering the minimum flight experience requirement to, say 500 hours, would ultimately be devistating to the airline, (and 135), industry. If minimums were lowered to 500 hours, every C.F.I. would immediately get hired at a regional airline, leaving no one to train the next generation of pilots.

Here’s a link to back it up:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/new...cid=uxbndlbing

Originally Posted by CFIsoonToBeFO

If Congress doesn’t drop the 1500 rule, which I think they will, then the airlines are going to just have Congress approve single pilot 121 operations on planes that have automation (aka autoland). Worst case scenario if something happens to the pilot, ATC can tell the F/A how to program the autoland. End of story. Pilot shortage resolved.

Originally Posted by CFIsoonToBeFO

If Congress doesn’t drop the 1500 rule, which I think they will, then the airlines are going to just have Congress approve single pilot 121 operations on planes that have automation (aka autoland). Worst case scenario if something happens to the pilot, ATC can tell the F/A how to program the autoland. End of story. Pilot shortage resolved.

Originally Posted by Blue Dude

ATC is going to tell a F/A how to program the autoland? Uh, what?

Originally Posted by CFIsoonToBeFO

...Worst case scenario if something happens to the pilot, ATC can tell the F/A how to program the autoland. End of story. Pilot shortage resolved.