An instrument rating in a Seneca is NOT representative of commercial SPIFR flying.
If you think experience flying SPIFR ops is so irrelevant to good flying skills, and 'jet airline flying' I bet my left nut that it would be infinitely easier to convert an 2500hr SPIFR pilot to a jet airliner, than a 900hr pilot who has gone straight from flight school into a RHS of an airliner to a SP Chieftain, Aerostar, KingAir or Metro.
The lessons that are learnt along the way, including 'DECISION MAKING' when you don't have anyone to 'hold your hand' are invaluable. Not to mention how to 'operate' commercially without all the trimmings of dispatchers, loadmasters etc,etc etc. That in turn gives you commercial experience to draw upon when operational situations that were never taught at flying college or are not in company ops manuals pop up. It's not all just about flying.
You get to learn 'from the ground up'. That is called a 'foundation'. Just like a house without a solid foundation, it all might come crashing down one day when 'good times go bad'.
If we are talking about a pilots' attitude, there are plenty of pilots with a shameful attitude - both experienced guys and inexperienced guys. A low time pilot with a good attitude only goes part of the way to make up for a distinct lack of experience, and is definitely more desirable than a low time guy with a poor attitude - but no match for an experienced guy with a good attitude.
It never fails to amaze me that the only people who denigrate flying experience are those that don't have much of it. I have no gripe with inexperienced pilots, we have all been there as we gain experience, learn and grow as aviators. But if some of the posts on this topic are anything to go by, it really is a case of not knowing enough to know what you don't know.
Jeez that sounded like a sermon..........
Last edited by Jet_A_Knight; 27th Jan 2006 at 22:29.