**quote**
at the end of the day that theory means sh!t if they dont get a chance to fly and gain the experiance (would you prefer a 200hr jaa student next to you in an A320 when the poo starts flying or a guy who hat gone and cut his teeth on light a/c 1st?)
ContractDog, I am sure you dont really mean the above.
You must remember the 200 hour guy flying a A320/B737 has successfully completed an approved type rating course and therefore is capable of flying the plane.
Of course he is not capable of making big decissions, thats why he is an f-o and not a captain.
Your comparison is unfair, because your person who has, 'cut his teeth' has also undergone the type rating training, by virtue of the fact that he is flying the plane...so you are asking people to compare a 200 hour guy against maybe a 1500 hour guy.
The point I am making is, if they are flying the plane, it means they have completed the type rating course, an LPC, and a 6 monthly OPC.
Basically, it comes down to a different approach from the industry, in Europe, airlines accept that a 200 hour guy with a very good type rating training course is capable of flying that plane as an f-o, where as in SA they dont.
Who is right, who is wrong, thats a harder question, but you dont hear of many planes falling out the sky here because the f-o only had 200 hours.
Do you really believe airlines would risk their name, reputation and whole business on an unsound approach to crewing their aicraft?