Originally Posted by
3rdBogey
Open the "BACK" of your log book. Count the hours listed there. Now, think back. 180+ of "Those Hours" in a row????????
You'll have a GIBBERING WRECK left over!!!
Which is one benefit of the MPL - you can put constant pressure on a student, without danger, but with the benefit of realism, introducing complexities that you cannot, and will not deal with in a twin (even on an NDB, at night, in rain). True, you won't hit real terra firma, but are you all honestly saying that you don't feel huge pressure in the sim?
Go on - show of hands - who does not feel the pressure in the sim to perform; who does not find it realistic as an assesment of their handling skills in an emergency?
Face it - once established, this debate will go the same way as ZFT conversion courses. Yes, I can well see airlines abusing it, but the intent was pure - brought in to raise skills of low-time pilots in a jet environment. Are your opinions really ones with backgrounds in training, or ones of nostalgia for "the way things were done". Face it - times move on.
Even some ex-mil pilots struggle with moving to airline ops, as many of us will know. Some guys who spend hours bashing grass strips in singles and twin piston aircraft will gain a lot, but fact is that most will not, and most will not experience the flight conditions consistent with airline ops.
I quite agree on the diversity of backgrounds however.
Just an edit to add - I agree too that their use on longhaul without real landing experience appears equally foolish, although consider that CX and others use SOs for exactly this purpose.