Maybe when this industry begins to accept that there are so many fantastic young pilot coming through the ranks will they begin to sort out this narrow minded attitude so many of the "old guard" choose to accept!!
I think you'll find once you are in the industry that the adage of "the old guard" doesn't really exist anymore. The vast majority of guys who are of "old guard" age in my company are fantastic blokes. I flew with one the other day, we worked out he got his first jet rating (707) on the day I was born and he added that he did a year of flying the line before he was given a sector to fly as PF! Things are a bit different today.
Whoever posted the rubbish about daddy fixing it and arse from elbow etc has an axe to grind, don't think he or she represents the attitude of most line pilots out there. As has been pointed out, F/Os flying jets in their early 20s is nothing new, certainly in Europe, and it is widely accepted. Just as long as you don't choose your sandwich before the captain has chosen his
