Inexperienced pilots on commercial jets
Tee Emm raises a valid point that I have raised in the past, although was shouted down: why is it acceptable to have someone so junior and with so little experience flying a passenger jet for a major carrier with 100+ passengers? I know you will just reply that "it's economical" and I have read this thread so I also appreciate there must be another factor for all three to have screwed up so badly, but I think this issue should still be raised.
This accident demonstrates that a training captain and a safety F/O (if that was indeed the correct configuration - we still do not know for certain who was sitting where) is not a fool-proof mechanism for preventing a serious and fatal accident occurring during line training. You cannot put so much responsibility on the training captain! He needs a competent F/O. No one is suggesting that he needs to be ready for command! Just competent.
From a passenger's point of view, it is quite disturbing to read on this forum quite how much training for inexperienced F/Os is being carried out on the flight deck of a commercial jet.
Now you can get all cross with me, but I think many passengers would concur.
Last edited by John R; 7th March 2009 at 15:47.