A very US-centric article. This being the important passage.
But rather than moving closer to the U.S. standard, ICAO appears to be headed toward another approach. It is more concerned with pilots' skills and demonstrated competency rather than just flight hours, perhaps ready to question whether a minimum-hour requirement is still needed. A recommendation to reduce flight hours, if one comes, would reflect a long-standing difference of philosophy.
"The U.S. went one way. The rest of the world went the other way," said Michael Wiggins, a professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
It’s the QUALITY of training that is important. 1500 hours in a C150, over flat terrain, under clear blue skies, potentially operating from only one airfield, would be utterly meaningless, when moving to a twin (underslung?) engined, twin pilot passenger aircraft. Because that’s when the ‘learning’ starts all over again!
Notwithstanding the rather lofty (and politically motivated?) suggestion that, these accidents couldn’t possibly have happened to US pilots. Despite the fact that Captain Sullenburger says it would have probably claimed him!