Yanks Vs Euros
Proper training would be great but in it's absence, a couple years experience can be helpful. Correct me if I'm wrong, but my impression is that the majority of European airline pilots are ab initio types who go directly from the classroom to a commercial jet. In the US, those tend to be the minority. Most people at least spend some time instructing first, and many fly cargo in small, single pilot planes first. Starting at 1200 hours they find themselves all alone, flying approaches to minimums at both Big City International and Podunk County Field, in planes without autopilot, GPS, or HSI and with the DME MEL'd. A few companies even hire 600 hour pilots for VFR only jobs. This segment of the industry obviously has a relatively high mortality rate, but the the survivors definitely know a thing or two about flying. While JAA ground training is far better than the FAA's, if I were an employer I would certainly prefer a Yankee freight dog over a Euro ab initio. Regardless of the quality of training or the kind of flying, the best way to judge how much of the training was actually learned is to put the guy in command and watch how he makes decisions. So tell me, is my impression of the European industry correct, and if so, why? Is the lower end of the industry under-developed?