All those kids looking for the shortcut into this career are getting their just desserts. As for those who didn't know what they're getting into, I do feel sorry for them. Snake oil salesmen are alive and well in the 21st century.

That me me me now now now attitude is what got us into this mess. Educating our future ranks could seriously limit the growth of alter ego carriers and make some airlines improve their treatment of pilots to attract quality applicants. We are ALPA. If you dont like it then volunteer and change it.

Yup. It is very detrimental for us in the industry when uninformed youngsters (or not-so-youngsters who should damn well know better) get sold a bill of goods by some shortcut zero-to-hero program.

Then they show up on our doorsteps falling all over themselves to pay their dues (at our expense) so they can move up to the heavy iron and the six-figure salary...in 18 months or so :rolleyes: Once they get disillusioned, lose interest, and wander off we then have to contend with the next batch...who perpetually drive down the lowest common denominator.

About half of the recent entrants that I see don't really belong here...they would be better off and we would be better off if they were in another line of work. I'd like to educate them before they waste their time and money and become our problem.

Wow, furloughed by their school....I guess that pretty much makes this industry awful for literally EVERYONE...not just the front liners.

This is a great point and drills down to one of the two primary causes for MAPD's closure. The other was the obvious declining enrollment there.

The 1500 hour rule is really too bad. Why was this even adopted? The Colgan crew had well over 1500 hrs. total time. In addition, some of the best pilots I've ever flown with had under 1500 hours when I flew with them. I feel terrible for the younger pilots coming up through the ranks who were blind-sided by such inept legislation. They deserve to have the chance to get on without an ATP and 1500 hours. We're depriving ourselves of some worthy talent with this new rule.

Duke your typical posts are usually informed and well thought out. Either you are being sarcastic or you have fallen off your rocker on this one.

A 1500 hour rule is one of the best things that could happen to this profession.

ABSOLUTELY AND TOTALLY AGREE!!!!!! I wish more of the younger generation of pilots would understand that not only will this legislation put higher experience in the cockpits but lives will be saved as well!!!

They didnt loose the money. (on student loans). The students obligation to pay the loans was terminated.

A guy I work with got all his ratings there and was really upset that he had one more course to go when they went under. About 6 months later he was notified that he didnt have to repay the loans.

Arrrgh, if I had only known that, I would have helicopter ratings as well!

Oh well, I guess paying off Riddle is all I get......

I appreciate your compliment and I do think there may be some advantages to the 1500 hour rule, but I'm being genuine and not sarcastic when I say I don't like it.

I can't say that I got into this industry w/ 1500 hours or more. I had less than that total and know a number of others in the same boat. I have done a fair amount of IOE on the Dash 8, to this day the best FO I have ever flown with, in and out of the Rockies in all sorts of crap weather, was a kid who started out w/ 500 hours on the Dash. He was 22 years old and his pure flying skills, attention to detail, and great personality still blow me away. He was unique in his abilities, but I can't say that he was the only sub-1500 hour pilot that I have flown with...I have flown with quite a few, generally I was pretty impressed with their flying and CRM abilities.

I believe the Colgan crew, from left to right seats, had about 4000 and 2600 hours or so respectively, so the current legislation requiring 1500 hours and an ATP would not have prevented, in my opinion, the Colgan incident.

I could be off my rocker though. This wouldn't be the first time.

I have flown with some pretty good fo's with less than 500hrs tt, but at the end of the day I think having an ATP from the start makes a better 121 pilot and less work for the CA. This is not true in Every case, but overall it is. Now on the flip side, forcing pilots to become CAs right out of the gate (we know who came up with this idea) and busting checkrides and failing IOE-was and is plane stupid and dangerous.