This is exactly right, ICAO and JAA have proposed the introduction of a new licence sometime in late 2004 called a 'Multicrew Licence'. Trainees would never have to go solo, training would be conducted intially in SEP for the first 10 hours or so, they would then move straight to MEP aircraft in a multi-crew environment with a heavy simulator syllabus to be issued with a multicrew licence at the normal 200 hour mark. From there they would add a type rating onto the licence and hey presto be employable with an airline. They could do this without ever holding a licence that allows them to fly solo in ANY capacity.
It is being introduced to provide for the projected shortfall in the future of pilots and some brainbox at ICAO doesn't see the need to put people through the traditional route of flying training, in theory it will allow someone to train straight to airline standards at a fraction of the cost that it currently takes, as most of the training can be in ground based sims.
Will be interesting to see how it pans out. Kinda sucks for those of us that struggled for years through all of the hoops that the JAA/CAA kept presenting, but hey thems the breaks.
