Originally Posted by trip

Umm, no.
Heard a military dude lit into him when he started talking down to him and got personal with his "your an idiot" routine. This was after he correctly answered every KV question for two hours. The boss happened to be walking by as the student was packing up his things and calling management to let them know he wanted nothing to do with this place.

Originally Posted by uncleowen

If ST takes your KV to two hours there isn’t a pilot alive who is answering everything correctly. At that point you’re into the amperage of the dome light wiring...

Originally Posted by rickair7777

I generally concur. Unions help smooth out the market swings and lock in gains, most especially at the majors. The majors must generally declare BK (or be in obvious danger of that) to roll back gains. But the regional system can roll back gains fairly quickly when market conditions permit... they just rebid your flying to someone else. Nobody else wants to bid low enough? If the pilot market is in their favor, they'll just start up a new regional, maybe even an alter-ego to tap experienced scumbags from an existing entity.

Originally Posted by Nevjets

Again, the pilot shortage is due to the ATP rule.

Originally Posted by Floy

I'm sorry that the experience has left you with a negative feeling however,

I'd ask pilots what training/checking standards exactly, should a part 121 airline have? It's all relative really. When I went through initial there were no policy provisions AT ALL regarding a new hire getting extra time. You were expected to pass in the time allotted and were only given extra under extenuating circumstances. My SIM partner had issues in his family life and was given every conceivable option to work through it...back then.

I upgraded during the "up or out" times. This means that I, along with every other pilot that upgraded before me, sat in our oral and our check ride knowing in the back of our minds that a failure was the END. Our career and all aspirations would be over. Perhaps this is the type of performance under pressure required by an airline pilot?

Fast forward to the now where people get upset that they were only allotted 5 extra SIM sessions. 5 extra sessions doubles the number of maneuvers. Or they complain about not having a partner. True that it robs you of being able to learn from others mistakes, assuming you could process those mistakes. Another perspective might be that have an instructor as your partner keeps things flowing smoothly and gives you even more time to work on your own issues. Many different instructors causing lack of cohesion, or perhaps several different perspectives to figure out the best way to get through.

It pains me more than I can verbalize when someone cant get through. I mean real pain being experienced. But my pain has been reduced over the years watching more and more the feeling that pilots coming in believe that they are owed something from training. I admit that the industry is doing guys no favors by hiring them with 1000 hours and no turbine time but I have seen pilots being given every possible chance and extension to get through. How someone could see fault in that is perplexing. Pilots need to assess themselves and their abilities. Remember also that pilots are offered the option of resigning so as to keep training failures from their PRIA.

I truly believe, as was stated before that some people simply cant do this job. They may have started too late, or they may simply have a different skill set. But before one gets too bent about the policy, perhaps they should recall that there are real lives depending on the proficiency in the flight deck. If one cant get through with 3 strikes, or with double the sim time, or if I have to take the controls from from a pilot on a short approach because they cant get stable, it might be that complaining about the Skywest training department is not where one should be focusing their energy.

I dont know if Skywest has the BEST training department. I only have one point of view and nothing to compare to. I can say however, without doubt that no pilot has failed out for lack of being given a real opportunity to succeed, within a policy that was never so giving in the history of part 121 airline training.

Originally Posted by Skyhawk121

I have to disagree with this. While it would help the shortage not have as large of an impact if the hour requirement was not where it currently is, if you look at any of the data out there, the shortage is primarily "due" to the amount of mandatory retirements taking place over a decade or so.

Originally Posted by Skyhawk121

I have to disagree with this. While it would help the shortage not have as large of an impact if the hour requirement was not where it currently is, if you look at any of the data out there, the shortage is primarily "due" to the amount of mandatory retirements taking place over a decade or so.

Originally Posted by rickair7777

Yes. The shortage at the entry level is more due to faster movement, plus some generational issues, ie some millenials not interested in a job with dues up front, no dope allowed, rough schedules, dress codes, etc.

There is probably a slim segment of potential entry level pilots who would go for it if they could skip the whole CFI drill and go right to an RJ, but I think that's a small sliver of the demographic, ie re-instating 250 hour airline pilots would not make any significant difference.

The biggest barriers are cost of entry, ie training and also opportunity cost for career-changers. The fastest "fix" would be airlines funding flight training, and I think that's probably coming before too long. If they fund it (maybe all, but probably partial) they can call the tune, ie CFI at their academy and the fly for their regional.

Originally Posted by TimetoClimb

Spot on. I'd also add that the military recruits are filling the gap and keeping our classes full. Apparently army,navy and air force are all in damage control mode over rampant attrition and many of those aviators are coming here for recency and to check the 121 box. CRJ FOs are getting base of choice within 3 months so it's a no brainer why someone would come here over the alternatives. All we hear is republic and skywest and endeavor classes are full but howabout everywhere else. Without industry wide data it's impossible to gauge whether or not their is a supply issue; as it certainly seems there is none at skywest.