Yet the University of North Dakota, who’s notorious for producing pilots who pass regional training with ease, most who eventually move on to the majors fairly quickly, failed out of the Sun country training program at embarrassingly high rates.

These Sim instructors will have no idea how to handle these amateur hours, literally, that’ll be coming their way.

You can say, “oh they’ll adjust”, but by the time they figure out how to turn these kids from CFI’s to 737, A320 ATP’s it’ll be too late, and the money that will be wasted on this experiment…. Yikes. Just ask Sunny, they decided it’s cheaper just to pay their own pilots instead so they can go back to picking off the regional pilots.

This is surprising to me. What kinds of things do these kids struggle with? As someone who skipped the regionals and is in training at a ULCC right now, nothing seems to difficult about it. I do have a corporate jet type, but still.

Majors train military guys with no clue about 121 world. CFIs will be fine…. Airbus is tailor made for the low stick time pilot

CFIs and Mil pilots are not the same. And again, it’s not about learning to fly the Airbus, it’s about everything else that comes with it. Also, the Mil guys and girls are have a proven track record. The little CFIs that went through didn’t do so hot.

Again, military guys learn all the administrative stuff for the first time too…. At the majors. Most of the real learning happens on the line…

A military pilot shows up with years of quality experience and already knowing how to fly. All the airline has to do is teach them a new airplane and company procedures. A 1500 hr CFI has extremely low experience or knowledge about high performance aircraft. Everyone was the know nothing new guy at one point, but only the regionals are set up at this point to make the transition from “zero to hero”. I haven’t met very many regional captains who are comfortable leaving the cockpit when paired with a green new hire, but it’s not an issue with someone with years of jet experience. If career airlines want to hire inexperienced pilots, they better significantly change their training programs and offer a track for experienced people, and another for those who will be exposed to high performance flying for the first time.

Military guys know how to learn admin stuff... military admin makes airline admin look like kindergarten.

Military pilots are certified grownups, they come from a later point in their professional and personal lives. Not realistic to compare them to 20-something CFI's, apples-to-oranges.


I've had noob regional FO's who needed common-sense guidance on overnights...

Dude was going to nonrev home on an 18-hour overnight. His return flight was scheduled to block in ten prior to our scheduled am departure. He wanted me to get the plane ready and he was going to sprint over, jump in, and go. I told him I'd get it ready but that it was a really bad idea. Winter. Both airports in snow country, and snow forecast. He's on probation.

Good lord…

What he’s got waiting at home must be super rated. That stuff is powerful.

Many wealthy, powerful and successful men have been taken down , reduced to zero because of the power of the P.
Its some strong stuff , if you’re not careful or don’t know how to control it instead of it controlling you ,it will have you doing all types of stupid sh!t.