Originally Posted by
Busdriver01
Of all the clap trap that’s been written on this site, this is by far and away the most outrageous bit of literary faeces I’ve ever seen. To claim that those coming through the ranks now are “taking advantage”, that they “want something for free and without any effort” is so disingenuous it shouldn’t really warrant a reply.
Those coming through the ranks now are going about it the only way they see possible, and paying a great deal for it. They are a product of corporate greed from the generation that went before them - those that claim to be the last remaining sky gods. Coincidentally, these sky gods are also the ones who willingly volunteer anecdotes of drunken nights downroute followed immediately by a long slog across the Atlantic on oxygen to sober up.
European airlines have been successfully taking 250hr wonder pilots and putting them in jets for decades. Not just locos, but legacy carriers too. Most of the current senior training standards captains at the big British airline were such cadets, now flying intercontinental to the very places some have described as more difficult than Europe.
I see it. I live it. I train these guys and I see their progression. I know what the airlines are offering and paying for their services. The experience level has dropped precipitously. Youngsters are getting command years before they would have before the shortage happened. Some of my students of just a few years back are now captains on jets carrying 80 to 150 passengers and there is no way they know as much as their counterparts of years past. And their attitude is what I say in many cases. I get calls from 500 hour pilots with brand new certificates who only want to know what I will pay them to come and show me how good they are. Qualifications? Forget about it. Yes there are many great candidates out there and they will do well, I know because I employ some of them, but most want instant gratification and are not prepared to wait or work for it. Good for them if they get that dream job but not so good for the industry if the accident rates go too high as a result. I get the airline safety reviews every day and I can see a trend. Can't you?