Not much to add to this discussion... still I will tell you what I think.
I´ve been on the technicians side of the industry for not too long, but long enough to notice a few things... there are loads of low-timers out there desperate to fly - a lot of them even have a kind of "`will fly for food attitude" and would do just about anything to get a job in the cockpit. I know lots of pilots on the dole - most of them with loans to pay for, for several decades. So this leads me to believe that there is no lack of pilots and that its damn hard to become one (or better to say - to be paid to be one). So considering this, I should stay where I am (I don`t know any technicians on the dole) and leave my fingers of the horn... but knowing all this and thinking it all over again and again I still decided to take the risk, went to the bank (no steep turns here - the kind that gives out loans) and started off with my PPL - simply because I love flying. And yes, I´m one of those who`s doing most of his education in form of a CBT, since I still have to feed my family during the time it takes to obtain my ATPL nad during the time I`ll be looking for a job.
So - naturally - this discussion is of great interest for me, since I might be flying with one of you guys/gals one day
As for the discussion: I believe that the absolutely worst and most dangerous thing that can happen in the front part of an A/C is the "I know it all" attitude. This leads to *~%" load of potentially hazordous problems - from miss/non communication, disrespect towards other crew members(& flight-ops, ATC, ...- they`re all idiots), "go for it" decisions, and so on... but worst of all, a pilot who knows it all tends to stop to think because he knows it all anyway... BUT this is something I observed at pilots of all levels - from 200 TT low-timers to 7.000 TT experienced pilots. I´t`s somthing to do with the person and not his hours.
As for myself: I`ve just had my first solo (`still remember your`s?) two weeks ago and I`m really happy that I can
fly and most of all
land "my" 172. Nevertheless I don`t believe that I`m the master in flying this A/C, allthough my instructors say I`m quit good in it - I still have to fine-tune my skills and that will only come with experience. I`m also far from being a good overall pilot. And I won`t be finished learning to be one with 100TT, or 1.000TT, or 10.000TT... in fact I believe that as soon as I stop to learn, I should quit emediately. Simply because, if I believe that if I have nothing more to learn, then I `d believe that "I know it all" - wouldn`t I ?
So would I go for the shiny jet if I get into one ? Hell Yeah !!! Will I be good in it right away ?? Probably not ! I will have to learn a lot and I will have to gather experience...
Would I rather be doing it the "classic" way and fly SEPs, MEPs and go on to the Caravans, King Airs, etc... - yes I would, but only because I wouldn`t want to miss any aspect of flying and not because I think its the one & only way to become a "real" pilot, allthough it sure is a good way. But this is simply not an option around here - there`s just no market for this kind of A/C. A CJ is about the smallest commercially flown A/C around here. So guess what I´m aiming for ?!
Conclusion ?
I saw a young FO in the cockpit of a Falcon 2000 the other day - he had a really hard time just to gather the weather infos over the radio. I believe that this A/C would be lost if the captain had a hard attack. The guy only came to the company because he had the proper type rating... Then again I know this guy who started to fly a Cessna 650 with 200TT a year ago, he is really dedicated and he wouldn`t sit down on the RHS(or LHS) if he wasn`t sure that he get it down safely if the cpt dies and an engine is burning...
I tried to keep it short & simple - it just isn`t ! Sorry for that !!!
& happy landings