I know plenty of capts that sit in the left seat texting will taxiing. Saying checklists are for newbies.

You have heard or witnessed? violations from the friendly folks at the FAA in cases like that come in pairs

I have known of several violations for electronics/sterile cockpit, and only the guilty pilot got violated.

I have seen CA's text too. One guy was so bad (missing turnoffs) I told him to knock it off.

It's funny how everybody talks about how, "in my day we had to have 2million hours and we flew single pilot through rain, sleet, snow, thunderstorms, before I could even sit in the right seat and raise the gear of a 121 airplane blah blah blah" Sorry, but where are all these freight jobs today? Most of the companies you flew freight for "back then" are either out of business, or downsizing today. If I could have flown freight, or some other 135/91 op believe me I would have. But at the time (a couple years ago) 121 regionals were the only flying jobs I could get other than a couple crappy CFI jobs (135s were much more selective when it came to hours than 121)

Today is not much different, in fact worse when it comes to hiring prospects with CFI and 135 jobs. So my question is how are pilots supposed to build hours after getting their CFIs (250-400 hours) to get to that magic 1500 that everybody wants when there are few CFI and 135 jobs. Until that question is resolved I don't think we will see the minimums change. There are plenty of experienced pilots on the street now but when the age 65 rule lag hits along with an economic recovery, I don't think there are enough out there willing to fill the void and we will go right back to us 500 hour wonders. :eek:

Actually if you took a pt135 job you'd be way over qualified for the regionals. Why would you have 2 or 4k hours and go back down to a regional? That's a step down. My theory is that right now, there are a lot of people at the regionals that are only there because they were displaced from a better job, when there's movement there's probably going to be mass exodus.

It was the same back then, when the music stopped after 9/11 you couldn't get a 135 or CFI job with 30,000 hours and a type rating in the space shuttle.

We found a way, or at least some of us did. In my case it took several years of part-time and two years of full-time. If finances dictate, get a job doing something else to pay the bills for a while. Most of us "old-timers" have done that once or twice. You do have a backup profession, riiiiight? Aviation will never be guaranteed lifetime employment...

I am cautiously optimistic that congress is going to change the mins to ATP, without any regard for the airlines' need for entry-level labor at third-world wages.

But you will probably be one of the lucky ones...the three-year grace period should allow you to get recalled and get your 1500 hours without having to start over in GA/135.

Yea but around 911 people still had hopes of a better future at the airlines that was worth sacrificing for. Probably not so much today.

As a crewmember it's your job to have them stop. If they refuse I would go to pro-standards and inform them......

Sorry to inform you but crappy CFI jobs is where we used to get time. Most of the regional pilots hired during my tenure there all worked as CFI's for 2500 hours or so just to scrap for the ME time of 500 that was required. Part 135 mins has been 1200 for PIC for over 25 years.

That seems to be the case these days too. There will be opportunities to move on, for those of us who stick it out right now.

So you're saying when I had a choice between taking $15-20 an hour and flying maybe 600 hours a year and poor QOL as an instructor and taking a job with a regional with a somewhat decent contract, pay, and QOL, I should have taken the CFI job just so when I did eventually get hired by an airline I would have a little more respect from the captains I fly with? Let's all get real.