NSF,
On two points I agree. Firstly, we have hijacked the thread. Secondly it is of great benefit to have flown an aircraft from the right seat before moving to the left. However, I believe this has much more to do with assimilating the company culture and seeing the routes and procedures rather than acquiring any form of black art.
I want to again take issue your with your initial answer to Homer J and the suggestion that turbo prop captains moving from to jets would be a "recipe for disaster". I think you would have to admit that this is a somewhat condescending and factually incorrect statement.
My fllying career started in the mid nineties with Air UK. At that time the company was in the process of changing it's career structure from:
FO-Turboprop, FO-jet, Cpt-TP, Cpt-Jet
to
FO-TP, FO-Jet, Cpt-Jet
Consequently, there was a need for captains on the TP which was covered partly by promotions from the fleet and partly by DECs. The last of these made the "disastrous" move from Cpt-TP to Cpt-Jet within KLM in the last few years.
Now, I am working for a Lufthansa partner which traditionally flew turboprops and is now re-equiping with jets. And, guess what, they have taken the "disastrous" step of training the turboprop captains, all of whom, like Homer J have several thousand hours of Q400, to fly the jet equipment. Does anyone seriously expect that the former fleet manager be demoted and fly six months in the right seat!!! And if so, who is he supposed to fly with?
Those are two examples. There are plenty of others. I think it would be good to reflect that there was a flying industry before Easy/Ryan and there continues to be one outside the UK. If you want to believe that only Easyjet know how to fly, that's your prerogative. But it is a somewhat insular view to say the least.
After all it's worth reflecting that a few years ago, the thought of anyone going straight from flying school to a 737 was distant dream. Now, it is considered the standard route.
KT
Last edited by Knee Trembler; 7th Mar 2009 at 20:52.