Tee Emm
Unfortunately I have to disagree with your post.
As a fare paying passenger surely I would be entitled to expect a fully trained competent first officer to be flying a passenger jet. In addition I thought the whole idea of very sophisticated and hugely expensive flight simulators was to train pilots to the required standard before they are licenced to fly as second in command of passenger jets.
People new to type will have completed a comprehensive ground and simulator course, and if applicable 6 circuits in an empty aircraft. They are fully licensed, and fully qualified to be at the controls with passengers.
The safety pilot is generally there for the first 9-12 sectors when a person is new on type. This is an extra added safety buffer that you get with an extra set of eyes an ears. I've done it a couple of times and you are also sometimes asked to do paperwork etc. in the cruise to give some more time to actual line training. When the trainer is satisfied that the trainee has reached a level where he no longer needs that extra buffer of a safety pilot, then the go back to 2 crew operation.
a real aircraft and instructor to undertake non-revenue practice for trainee airline pilots on air routes until these "trainees" reach the same standard skill standard expected of captains
Are you actually serious? A captain may have 5,000 hours on type. Are you expected to chug down to Malaga and back hundreds of times in an empty aircraft costing millions of pounds?
Broadly speaking, an FO is going to have less experience than the Captain. The FO is there to build his experience and learn so that one day he might get the chance to be in the LHS. In the event that the captain is incapacitated then the FO will be able to safely handle the a/c and divert, whilst declaring a Mayday.
Having FOs ready for command before they are allowed to take passengers is completely impractical.
Would a doctor be expected to be ready for a consultant's position before he was allowed to go near a patient?