So what you are saying is that if I fly boxes around in a baron for 3000 hours, then fly an RJ right seat at a 121 for another 3000 hours, I will be a much better captain when I upgrade cause of my experiences over 3 years earlier.

What do you think most F/Os are doing while they sit over in the right seat all that time. Twiddling their thumbs and day dreaming? No, most of us (the good ones anyway) are learning from the guy in the left seat, whether it be from the things they do well, or the times they screw up.

I know a lot, and I am learning plenty. Hell, I've made PIC decisions for some indecisive captains that ended up saving our asses and our certificates.

And just to clear this up since I'm new, (I guess not a lot of people use sabre or have the same commands) but BSO is our airline's sign-out command in sabre/decs.

 

Bull Sh** In Progress

Bull Sh** Out!

 

Of course there should be a minimum number of hours for an ATP, in fact I think they should be higher then they are right now (2000, 3000 hours minimum). Doesn't it make more sense to have someone build experience in the right seat of an airplane not having final authority over it, than build it with the final authority over it. Am I crazy here? Maybe I'm just crazy. Yea I'm probably just crazy.

 

Requiring an ATP to fly 121 pax is a great move, be from the right or left seat. You will applaud the FAA for mandating this once you make the move to PIC. You need to remember that you are a crew and as the FO you have 49% voting rights and responsibility. There needs to be a minimum level of experience and expertise established so that the majority of your learning does not come while carrying revenue passengers and a PIC having to keep an eye on you. I have seen a lot of regional airlines emergency practices change over the years to compensate for low time pilots. One airline in particular makes the PIC pretty much do everything in an emergency. When something is going wrong I need a strong experienced pilot helping to ensure checklists and procedures are done correct as well as one that can fly the aircraft and make decisions unabated.

 

I think what everyone is saying is that your first role as PIC shouldn't be left seat in a 121 turbine aircraft. Sure, you can sit in the right seat and learn a lot from the guys on the left (I know I did), but when you upgrade and don't have that safety net sitting next to you, you're going to realize just how protected you were as an FO.

It's like this: There's no replacement for being the PIC for real. Sitting next to one watching how decisions are made takes a distant second place.

 

How about...Gee, I better get to crakin' on this CFI stuff and do what I hear from industry veterans called "paying your dues".

 

Ok, but can we all agree that there needs to be a re-emphasis on training? I know it's happening right now with the faa, but I think it's more important than this 1500 hour/ atp crap. If we are gonna be reactionary, let's be reactionary about the right things. Both a 300 hour pilot and a 10,000 hour pilot, correctly trained, will not fight a stick pusher.

 

That's absolutely ridiculous. You have no PIC experience unless you sit left seat with an FO on your right side and a plane full of people that are your responsibility. Have you been given the opportunity yet to have someone trust you enough to give you pax and authority to sign for an airplane? No. And it doesn't look like it for a while by your info. Keep taking notes...

 

Food for thought....

How 'bout making written tests actual tests of knowledge? Not just a bank of questions with only 3 choices where you can buy a book with the exact questions so you can memorize the answers?

The written tests in the US are not very challenging to anyone with half a brain and require no actual knowledge of the subject matter, only short-term memory of FAA questions.

 

I really don't see how increasing minimums will make the pay go up... European pilots get to fly A320 with 250 hours of experience and yet they make a decent living. Experience does not affect the pay in Europe why would it affect it in the States?