When did this happen? Last time I checked Colgan raised its hiring minimums. No one can even get a second look at any airline including Colgan, unless they have at least 2-3 thousand hours on their resume. The days of hiring 300 hour pilots are over, so why don't you get over it already?

Would it make everyone feel better if we purged the airline ranks of the 300 hour wonders?

I think it would make some of these diehards happy, well as long as you dont purge them.

Don't forget guys...it won't matter what Babbitt says...if the Senate/Congress passes the aviation safety improvement act thing that has the 1500 hour stipulation in it...it's law...and that's final.

Let's just hope for 1500 and training improvements.

I think the idea that back during the hiring boom there were tons of experienced pilots just waiting to take jobs at the regionals but were turned off by the pay is bogus. Just look at GoJets. Tons of furloughed United guys took that offer just so they could stay in ORD, even though they were making about 1/4 the pay.

When it all comes down to it, most pilots seem to sacrifice pay for other things like QOL and the enjoyment of the job. Pay-wise we are our own worst enemy.

Personally, if I was sitting on a logbook with anything over 5000 hours, and the only job I could get was at GoJet or Colgan, I'd pack up and go do something else.

And this is my point. The regional airline industry has turned this job into something where experienced pilots wouldn't think of doing it. You have to ask the public if they want safety or cheap tickets. Cause you can't have both. I hear every day that people would fly a c-150 if it paid well. At Colgan you can fly a Dash 8 Q-400. But people won't because the pay and working conditions are so poor.
Now if the starting pay was a reasonable $40k/year then Colgan would be able to attract the experienced pilots. And $40k is still low. We have just been conditioned to believe that we aren't worth anything more.

I really dont' think an increase in training is going to do much but satisfy the FAA and congress. There was a lot of things that went wrong that night and it started with Management and went down from there. The "B" scale wages and working conditions i believe are a huge part. Lack of days off and weird hours etc...
Training isn't going to give someone the experience needed to fly in the Northeast.

But 1500 hrs in a 172 will????

You want quality or quantity in those hours ?

Exactly what Babbit was saying, yet all these internet pilots are going nuts because it might quash their magic "pay increase" pill which sadly is what the real motivation of the most vocal is....

But Colgan and other regionals are attracting plenty of experienced pilots right now with the payscales as they are. Look at AirWhisky, they announced a week ago that they are taking applications for possible hiring next year, and even former CRJ check airman were getting turned down. I think even Sully threw in an app just to see what would happen, and he was turned down as well :)

Well said.