Inexperienced Regional Pilots
 

Sad, but true. I question the experience and safety of many of today's Regional Airlines.

http://kstp.com/article/stories/S331920.shtml?cat=1&v=1

Hmmmmm..... Deja vu? At least once a week this still comes up.

I'd say at least twice a week :p

And planes still aren't falling out of the sky.

This week is a banner week though, I am sure more people are talking about this than the Super Bowl . .. ..:eek:

This news story may have been posted here before in another link. However this news story in only 1 week old. It was produced 31 JAN 2008.

well you don't pay cut-throat rates for the "most experianced surgeon". That guys an clown btw.

What kind of turd would compare flying an airplane to brain surgery? Both can be complex and definitely require a lot of skill but I think surgery is a lot less forgiving than flying. Bust an altitude, slide off a runway, or even land on the wrong runway (all pitfalls of inexperience) and you get your wrist slapped or sometimes your ticket revoked but for the most part no one dies or even gets hurt. As far as a surgeon goes all you have to do is make an incision an 8th of an inch to far to the left and little joey is going to be in a wheel chair for the rest of his life. Im sure someone sees this differently than me but hey, gotta vent sometimes.

Im not sure but other than the Pinnacle accident were the other ones even linked to inexperience? Even with the Pinnacle accident I think the outcome of that flight would have been slightly different had there been passengers on board.

I agree this guy is another clown from the media.

I can vouch from assisting with brain and spine surgery for 5 years, that it isn't brain surgery. I've seen alot of mishaps, accidents, things done the wrong way, and "incisions an 8th of an inch too far to the left." Just like flying, 99% of the time things turn out ok. When they don't, doctors are also usually only subject to getting "slapped on the wrist," or do a bit of supervised work. Not that it is insignificant, but when a doctor really messes it up, usually only one person dies. When pilots really mess it up, they take an airplane full of people with them. At least the doctors have malpractice insurance. Pilots are subject to having their estates picked apart by hundreds of angry family members with no insurance provided by the carrier.

I just love the quoted Pinnacle mins. 1000 hours? Where did they get that number from?

Well thats what flying public gets for pushing for all those 49 and 59 dollar fares to be flown 1/2 way across the country. Besides who cares what the flying public thinks anyways. Its not like they are going to not travel because of this information coming to light.

It kept comparing who you would want a new surgeon out of school or an old pro. Well at least in aviation you kinda get both. Most airlines wont fly green on green lines so atleast if there is a new guy learning the Captain has the flight covered for the most part. I'm sure a new surgeon gets to try out a few jobs with the more experienced surgeon watching over him. Everyone needs a start and the minimums are set low to pick up tons of cheap pilots right now. Hopefully with a crew of two, most minor mistakes can be corrected.

Will raising pay entice more "experience" pilots to apply to regionals? Why would people that are "experience" want to leave their current gig and start at the bottom only to deal with the bs schedules(reserve)....

Evidenced by the job market, it seems like QOL/work rules/company outlook/bigger aircraft seem to outweigh payscales...companies like RAH and Skywest have plenty of 121 guys willing to jump ship on their current employer, but they don't necessarily have the best pay or upgrade times. If it was only about pay, ASA and Eagle would have no trouble finding pilots. If it was only about upgrade, Pinnacle and Mesa would be sticking to their 1000 hrs TT....but the only places out there requiring 1000 hrs+ still are RAH and Skywest, I think mostly b/c of QOL and because there are several guys who illogically chase the EJet and the 900, even though it will probably delay their career progression for a number of reasons.

My two favorite quotes:

The FAA’s minimum historically is for a pilot to have 2,000 to 2,500 hours in order to apply for a job flying for a carrier.

I was unaware that the FAA set hiring minimums.

Big Sky requires 450 hours and is partnered with Delta.

When that article was published, Big Sky was no longer operating. I guess reporting the news is kind of like reporting the weather: you don't actually have to know what you're doing!

Not entirely accurate the facts in this post are.

Haha i know... what a joke! There was a chick with 300 hundred ours in my new hire class at AWAC and she washed out after 80 hours of OE! Pinnacle offered here a job the next day! They are bottom of the barrel.

How the heck do you make it that far, need 80hrs of IOE, and then wash out?

with all this hiring going on is AWAC doing any serious hiring right now??

Historically these types of incidents/accidents rarely related to inexperience.

In all my years of ATC I have had the most problems with majors.. Especially wrong entry to holding patterns.. "George" can't be blamed everytime.