He didn't just drink the Kool-Aid over at WMU, he guzzled the whole pitcher. That is why Pinnacle doesn't require a interview for WMU grads, all you have to do is show proof of the eternal Kool-Aid mustache. Only kidding....:)

Of course you are not going to hear anyone from WMU "whinning" about this. Every students mission there is to fly a jet and now they can do it without even interviewing. It would be one thing if they had to take the JET course first as a prerequisite. Correct me if Im wrong, but from what I hear they dont. And plus theres WMU grads who have sucked it up and flight instructed for 2 or 3 years while the industry was in the toilet and built a lot of hours who still have to go through the strenuous process of interviewing because they are passed the graduation deadline this fast track program has. And this is all while the kids that they taught go straight to CRJ class. Half those kids have never flown in a cloud for goodness sake. Nobody is born to fly a jet but it seems to me that you are trying to say because you graduated from WMU that you are entitled to it. Have you ever flown a jet before? The first time I stepped into the Lear, my ass was still sitting in the FBO when we were leveling at FL400. The sims can only do so much.

I just blew milk out my nose!!! That may be the greatest post of all time. You sir, just won yourself a six pack of PBR.

Yep, I had 250 hours. Then I got my CFI. Then I got my CFII. Then I flew 3-400 hours with only one other person in a plane that was too small to do much damage. Then I got my MEI. Then I flew a slightly larger plane, still with only one other person I could kill. The first time I flew through a storm or hail (when I had about 1500 hours), the only souls on board (other than mine) were the tropical fish and crickets bound for the local pet shop. The next time I avoided a storm or hail, I had five people on board. Now I feel comfortable carrying a few dozen people.

Do you see a pattern?

ditto. Mine was Jack D.

Whew! Glad I lightened the mood a little. I'm just a "newbie," but I see this as a great opportunity. The fast track doesn't guarantee you a job. Can't knock a guy for taking advantage of a great opportunity, right?

I haven't read this much at all, but I will say I am a WMU grad with just over 500 hours. I have my CFI, CFII and MEI but I never used it (less than 25 hrs given). I am NOT a fan of this program at all. I never went into that whole WMU kool-aid crap either. But right now I am in training at Atlantic Southeast Airlines to be sitting right seat in a CRJ-700 in Detroit, my local area. How did I go from 220 (After CFI/CFII/MEI) to just over 500? I went out ald flew a ton of real world flying in actual, icing, flights down the east coast from Detroit to the Florida Keys, etc.

So while I have a lot less hours than others, I do have real world flying experience which these kids coming out of WMU do not with the WMU bubble. Flying down to ACTUAL minimums is what builds experience, not this 1000' minimum AGL cloud layer that WMU imposes.

"a ton" is 280 hours? Wow.

Every airline needs to secure pathways, and I firmly believe that you have to start somewhere, but "preaching" at 500 hours doesn't pass the smell test. Did I get hired with 250? nope, do I have a problem with a guy with 250 and has an opportunity of getting a job and "going for it"? nope, BUT attitude and aptitude are HUGE variables that create a "make it or break it" situation. The only replacement for experience is more experience. With the right attitude and smarts a guy can learn "a ton" from the guy in the left seat over THOUSANDS of hours.

Is going up and flying in VMC in a local area for 3000 hours a ton of flying? Its about quality, not quantity. In a Cessna C310, 280 hours is quite a bit of flying/flights on my own dime with no autopilot and all hand flying.

What kind of job did you get flying 310s that are not on a 135 certificate with less than 500 hours??