Is this a function of training? For instance we are route qualifying every special qualification airport with one flight to any airport.

Or is this a function of hiring a bunch of pilots that have only flown radar vectors in glass in flat land since they got their instrument ratings?

I know at xjt we cut our teeth in Mexico on multiple flights a week. Usually full non precision approaches.

Just to be clear I’ve never had an issue with a captain or FO not knowing how do execute something like was described so I’m wondering what’s up. Seemed odd

This is what I saw on almost daily basis way back in the day when the company I worked for (in the EU) cut a deal with one of the legacies to take their cadets (158 hours TT and a frozen ATP)until the legacy would start hiring. They were ONLY trained for radar vectors for the ils, we were doing non-radar, non-precision approaches in old turbo-props.their first year was a pain for everyone. There is definitely a few people here that never have gone south and avoid going there while FO. maybe we need some currency requirements for international?

If you're based anywhere other than FLL you'll most likely never see Bogota or anywhere else south of PR. They need to mix the international flying into the other bases to keep guys current so you're not seeing Bogota for the first time during your Latin America qualification during upgrade.

‘Scuse me? I’ve seen south of the 15th parallel more times lately as an ORD CA than I did my last 5 as a FLL CA

I would add too that seeing bogota doesn’t make you proficient at all of our other complex airports. Knowing how to do something is one thing but knowing what to expect with a language barrier is another when neither of the pilots have been to said place. I never understood how bogota route qualifies you for San Jose.

I didn't realize ORD got a bunch of South America flying. DTW doesn't I know that for sure.

I agree. That's why I wish I had done more of it as an FO rather than just thrown to the wolves when I upgraded. You can read the different airport briefing pages all you want but nothing is more useful than going down to those different airports a few times.

Not true at all!

ACY has SJO trips from time to time and last year/this year even a few LIM trips. (Even DTW and DFW has a few LIM trips from time to time)

DFW a few months ago started to do GYE trips and time to time will get SJO and CTG and a bunch of MGA

ORD has tons of PTY trips

LAS does SJO some times.

I’m sure there’s more I’m not thinking of.

Um, yeah he is right. Ok so maybe a base like LAS gets a few SJO flights every few months, so what? 95% of people in that base will go YEARS without leaving the US. I know LAS and dfw pilots who haven't been down south in more than 5 years.