PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - 320/737 25-year-old commander and 19-year-old first officer
Old 23rd Aug 2007, 14:40
  #67 (permalink)  
Alpine Flyer
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: at the edge of the alps
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I became a captain on a Dash 8 at age 25 after flying airline turboprops for 2200hours and GA airplanes for another couple of hundred. I am doubtless a better captain now after 10+ years on the left seat but I am convinced that I was a good captain even then.

I have flown with many 200hr copilots ever since and found that a lot more depends on training and proper selection than overall experience. I have flown with very few copilots with more than 3000hrs as ours usually get upgraded by then. Those I met were mostly very good though that doesn't mean those with fewer hours didn't cut the mustard.

More experience is good but I don't think that 10 years of experience can reasonably be mandated for captains.
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