Dear Schneider Trophy,
From your new alias, we can clearly see you enjoy a fast ride. My wife says I am really fast too somtimes!!
But yes, I think that a short hual first command, if possible, really is good airmanship. Why? Because it provides a new captain with the maximum number of
decision making cycles. Take-off/landing is not an issue. It's the
critical decisions, and most happen on the ground or in the terminal area.
But now for the $50,000,000 question: How does DEC improve safety in this regard?
How can you accept a captain unfamiliar with SOP, language and local hazards ahead of an FO who already has all this vital knowlege??? For an unrated DEC the same question quadruples.
I have been told in person by management, and I have just read here on this thread, that it's because:
Unfortunately, for an insurance company, a DEC is still safer than a new upgrade, regardless of what happened before. But somebody else already took the risk by upgrading this DEC before, so therefore the responsibility issue is of the table.
Someone else gave him command, so if he crashes it's not our fault.
I must always have someone else to blame. That
is the bottom line rationale here. Separation of responsiblilty is a deeply ingrained management tactic in the middle east. It is idiotic and cowardly, but it is middle-eastern reality.
If you want to work for an airline that puts airmanship ahead of service, best look elsewhere.
The Terrorist