Shrike I think you ask a good question.The answer is YES there is a huge shortage of ATP rated pilots and what we are finding the new ATPS are using the small charter companies as stop gaps until they are called up/accepted by the larger airlines.Most new ATPS are keen to move into the airline evironment and therefore we find we loose the guys quickly.What we are allready seeing is 1000 Comm pilots being accepted into the feeder airlines even with no ATP subjects.
Let me make our point clear,when one has a operating certificate your company and its ops manual must be approved by CAA. CAA again confirmed today that they will not allow a operator to fly the BE19 with 2 Comm pilots unless a approved minimum hours is called for in your ops manual. .IE all the BE 19 operators call for a min of 1500(pic) and additional pilot a min of 500hours, therfore there is a safe gard in place preventing 2 x 400 hour comms flying the aircraft and quite rightly too.It is also important to note that many of the operators are flying these aircraft with Comms as PIC who have many thousand hours as well.These are 3 mil Dollar machines and by no means toys.