1200 hours as a VFR only CFI doing touch and goes for all private pilots, vs a 400 hr pilot that has 200 hrs flying as an SIC on a turbine aircraft can't be compared. A 400 hr UPT candidate is more likely to have a wider variety of experience than a 1200 hr part 91 "podunk" candidate.
While the CFI might have had more opportunity to experience the "unknown", the 400 hr pilot is probably more likely to succeed in a high altitude environment with less supervision.

At the end of the day, 1200 hrs or 400 hrs, they both pass the same checkrides and I'm still the captain. As such, I still anticipate a need (as well as a desire) to mentor/oversee any new first officer. Likewise, I'm not going to shut down an opportunity to learn from another crewmember and utilize the best of their own experiences- regardless of how many hours or the type of experience they may have.

 

Best response so far............

 

Do the airlines really look at where your time came from or do they just look at how much you have? Just about all of mine is as a CFI doing both touch and goes and also lots of instrument work. My only problem is I'm short on the multi because I haven't had very many multi engine students.

 

Great response. Captains like you are the best out there because you do offer tips/advice and answer questions. Flying with the guys who are quiet all the time, aren't standard, and seem to know little about the airplane, SOP'S and the rules is not a whole lot of fun.

 

I think they absolutely look at where your time comes from.

 

Exactly...

An airline is going to favor a 100ME hour MEI who taught engine cuts on takeoff, after liftoff, and full feather shutdowns..over a 100ME hour pilot, who went to florida, rented a plane and did lackadaisical VFR cross countries from Ocala to JAX to the keys for 3 weeks. Not saying that block time is always like that, but let's be real.

 

It's not how many hours a pilot flys a twin with both engines running, it's how well he flys a twin with only one engine running! (ie. single engine multi)

 

How about a 100 ME hour pilot flying around building time vs a 50 ME hour MEI?

 

50 hour mei, hands down, I did that route and I can say I was a new 22 hour MEI, I SUCKED at it. My first students where Chinese, they sucked too, pretty scary at times. At 50, I felt good, 100 I could relax and at 150 I started having fun.

 

You're exactly right but pilots fly planes with both engines running into the ground all the time. That's why I'd take the more experienced guy. Sure experienced pilots get into accidents too, but the 400 hour guy is more dangerous than someone with 1200 hours.