Beech Dude

I just can't...

https://www.forbes.com/sites/benbaldanza/2022/07/11/the-1500-hour-rule-has-broken-the-pilot-pipeline-in-the-us/?sh=17d7f8826a0a

Another misguided article to John Q.Public. Yes BB, we all know the "1500 hr rule", as you so ineptly call it, had nothing to do with Colgan...because it didn't exist yet of course. People being "forced to gain experience" prior to being hired at a 121 gig, OH! THE HORROR! "Hot air balloon time counts towards 1500"...um it may be numbers in the book, but not going to do squat for getting that phone call. "Most people being closer to 500 hours" prior to getting hired at an airline; now it was before I was flying but, I've heard many and read about the "pay to play" days and guys/gals needing 2000+ TT before even getting an interview, let alone a job...at a regional...flying a Saab or a 1900, but yeah BB, closer to 500 is waaaaay better to hop in the right seat of a CRJ/ERJ. And of course, to top it all off, "European airlines fly into the US everyday with 250 hr apprentice program pilots"; so it's safe, we should do it too! Yeah ok. Guess BB just didn't want to talk about GermanWings, LionAir 610, Ethiopian 302, PIA 8303 to strengthen his argument for low time/questionable experience pilots. Sorry yall. These ones just boggle my mind. Fly safe.

Halon1211

I like how in the article the author had to go and check off the racist and sexist box for the 1500 hours rule. Seems like a liberal “go to” these days.


you could argue anything these days is sexist or racist.

threeonefive

I don’t have a problem with the 1500hr rule, in fact I generally support it. But if it were so important to have 1500hrs, why is it reducible based on what school the pilot attended? Part 141 programs may have more similarities to airline training programs. But as someone who taught in a part 141 program as a 250hr CFI, it doesn’t make sense that a part 61 student who likely learned from an experienced instructor who instructs because they enjoy it, has to sit in the traffic pattern for 500 more hours than someone who learned in a very sterile, restrictive, 141 environment from a 250hr CFI. If 1500hrs is important, less experience shouldn’t be.required based on the institution to whom one pays tuition money. (military trained pilots—different story)

CBreezy

The most outrageous lie is that he says it costs $250k to become a pilot. Why not just choose $1M if you're going to choose an arbitrary figure?

Halon1211

gone are the days of honesty with journalists. Everything has to be a misrepresentation to help with your narrative.

CBreezy

Gone are the days of media literacy and you are the prime example of that by claiming that article was written by a journalist

RJSAviator76

It also costs 250k to become a barista at Starbucks once you graduate with a gender studies degree as well.

While he's right in that no one in the world has followed our 1500 hours example, it is also true that in this country, we have a very robust and active general aviation sector. Historically, we've also had a continuous supply of pilots separating or retiring from the military to draw from to fill the airline ranks. Amazingly enough, and I don't know how true it is, but I was told that Lufthansa, British Airways and Air France for example do not hire their military pilots. Go figure...

In Europe, their general aviation sector is taxed to the hilt so it's a rather exclusive club. They have their ULCC's that fly 737's and 320's that require applicants to pay for their type rating and "line training" which effectively means that the FO is usually the highest fare-paying passenger onboard, and people like BB would love nothing more than to have us return to those days.

The whole liberal BS about "women and minorities being affected" is actually getting entertaining at this point. They wore out this card to the point that the chip and the strip are no longer usable.

Excargodog

All depends, I guess. 100LL is currently $8.50 a gallon times 8 gallons an hour for a 172 is $102,000 in fuel expense alone for 1500 hrs. That’s before instruction, maintenance, insurance, or other aircraft ownership costs. Toss in a four year degree and you are probably getting pretty close. Are there other ways of getting there? Sure, some cheaper, some even more expensive but not necessarily paid by you (military for instance). And remember, costs are currently increasing at an 8% annual rate.

rickair7777

The rule was a good idea, the most straightforward way of addressing the problem within practical limits. Other solutions would require expensive and/or complex training systems or draconian standards. At least with 1500 hours the noobs can still get paid while building experience.

But politics and pork, there's always special interests and pork, welcome to real life. The universities did have a very *slight* point in that their academics are more robust than what you get at a mon n pop school. But most of us professionals don't think academics can replace much real experience. Don't get me wrong academics is good, but it's not a substitute for experience. Other parts of the world are very big on academics, but some of their pilots still can't fly so hot.

Yes. Mil pilots get extra credit because they get some really good airplane flying skills, in addition to their academics and are subject to stiff standards (maybe a bit less today than a few decades ago).

Myfingershurt

Who the hell is paying for 1500 hours of flight time. There’s still plenty of flying jobs you can get at 500 hours to build time AND get paid. Sheesh. Hyperbole much?