Low Time Pilots
Dear Comfortably Numb 727,
I'm appalled and disgusted with your post. As a matter of fact after reading your post, I have a good feeling that you might be one of those "Captain shut up, watch me and decorate the right seat" Captains to First Officers, especially low time F/Os. For you to say that low time guys might not be able to help a Captain in an emergency situation makes me question your CRM skills. I mean that is if you have had any sort of CRM training.
What's the big deal about low time pilots? Don't forget that you were once a low time pilot, or did God give you 10,000hrs when he put you in this world? Heck even the great Chuck Yeager, Bob Hoover, Scott Crossfield, Al Haynes and etc were all low time pilots at a point in their careers.
You said a low time guy/gal might not be able to help when the dwang hits the fan. Can you please tell me of any accident or emergency situation that this scenario happened? Better yet, which CVR transcript have you read or heard that had only the "high time" Captain's voice on it. Do you think when the dwang hits the fan a low time guy does not want to get out of it? Hence he or she just sits there while the "high time" guy/gal flies the aircraft, makes the radio calls, informs the passengers/cabin crew and goes through the checklist all at the same time. All this because he or she is a high time super Captain.
I'm really sick and tired of guys like you that have no faith or belief in low time pilots. I can refer you to numerous accidents where skilled and high time pilots/Captains made horrible decisions that had catastrophic consequences. Some classic examples are AA 1420 (American Airlines), Palm 90 (Air Florida)...how about the classic KLM 4805/PAN-AM 1736 Tenerife accident??? Captain Van Zanten was a high time guy wasn't he?
All I am trying to say is that when the rubber leaves the pavement, solid CRM practices go a long way in getting you (us) back on the ground safely (In Nigeria, Europe, Asia and etc).
The moral of this post is that you (we) should give low time pilots a chance. With a little bit of guidance and help, they will someday blossom into high time gurus like you.
Cheers,
V1_RHOT8