I'm a huge believer in highly structured, mission oriented training programs like Lufthansa's direct entry program or those used by the US military. Every flight is specifically designed to train, evaluate, and provide experience that closely simulates what those pilots will experience on a daily basis. The academics are of a much higher caliber and far more comprehensive than the jokes that are the ATP written (or Inst., Commercial Pilot, CFI, etc.). In this sort of program candidates are ready to be co-pilots on day number one, regardless of actual flight hours.

I'm less impressed with a totally arbitrary 1500 hour requirement as some sort of litmus for ATP's and regional/major carrier employment. The 1500 hours most CFI's scrape up are of varying utility, and certainly not standardized in any fashion. Pilots get flying wherever and whenever they can, which is fine, but hardly structured or supervised. The "crew concept", checklist discipline, use of high performance aircraft and jets/simulators, exposure to truly high density airports and operations, formal recurrent training, etc. etc. are all going to vary very, very widely.

1500 hours is a blunt instrument that tells a carrier almost nothing. Why not 1000? Why not 2000? Why not 10,000?

It does have the "advantage" of being easy to legislate and costs the airlines and the FAA nothing, which is why it will pass.

Personally, I'd rather see a formula that takes the type of training history into account and formalize minimum hiring requirements on that basis . . . not unlike the JAA, which has something like 14 pretty difficult exams plus sim rides to get fully checked out. Coupled that with a mentoring program mandating new airline hires fly with a highly expereinced captain and you'd actually improve safety. This will never, happen, of course.

Sigh...

This BS question again? Seriously? If you don't have one, get one. If you have one and you still have to ask, you should have paid more attention.

Wow! I just heard about this 1500hr minimum on the news. I wonder what the long term affects will be if this gets into law? Personally, I think it will cause a pilot shortage because there will be a lot of competition for the low time guys with fewer options, so a lot of them will quit in frustration. It might be good for the 1500+ guys as the employers will have to pay more to attract pilots from a smaller pool.

Sorry I didn't mean to come across as thinking I was too good to be a CFI. I'm instructing right now and I have several hundred hours of dual given already (most of it from before my regional job and subsequent furlough). I was just stating a fact that I would need to get a couple hundred more to get to the ATP mins or else possibly lose my recall rights. I'm not sure if I'll get there before this bill gets passed given the state of the economy, but that's life.

Gotcha. Keep plugging away. They will pile up fast. Sorry about the furlough. It's a shame what they are doing to you ASA guys. Keep positive...get the hours and let's hope for a quick recall for all of you.

Yep, pilot shortages are good !

Low supply and High demand helps increase attractive compensation.

Could we lose recall rights?

I'd be interested in hearing that as well. Kind of stinks that I would easily be over 1500 hours if I hadn't been furloughed. Someone a few numbers higher will have had over a year of "endangering the public" by flying their last 500 hours as an FO to qualify under the proposed rules.

However, before anyone happily jumps on me with their "pull up the ladder behind them" mentality, I support this nonetheless.

On just an opinion, I seriously doubt it. I know, on one hand, the airlines would love to just hit the reset button on those furloughed that don't meet the new requirements because the new guys will be cheaper.

On the other hand, I don't see any possiblity that they won't, AT THE VERY LEAST, let you keep your number and let you come back when you have the time.

Personally, I'm seeing grandfathering language that will protect most (ie. if you currently have 500hrs or more as SIC in type before a certain date.)

So what are the few like myself supposed to do? I will be a senior this fall in college, I currently have 1900TT 350Multi, CFI and part 135 current. I will not be 23 until I am a year and a half out of school. I will graduate when I'm 21 and 1/2. So for all my hard work teaching since I was a freshman, I will not be able to be hired for a year and a half after I graduate?