There are some airlines out there with senior pilots who have three years under their belt, and, unlike back then — they are going right into jets
What is it with the bloody septics and their fascination with being ever-so experienced before you can fly, gasp, jets
Jets are easy. They've got decent performance compared to some of those turbo-props you see valiantly struggling airbourne and they get up high, away from all those nasty icing layers and bumpy clouds. All the bolleaux about high speeds etc is just macho BS. If the scenario calls for 250 bananas, you fly it at 250 bananas, simple as.
Likewise, I know our US 'cousins' don't like 'mere' cadets going into the right seat of jets because they haven't done all the hard graft in a prop thingy and obviously don't have a clue what they're doing. Again, just 'green-eyed' envy. I've flown with plenty of 200 hour-ish FOs and they were great. They knew their stuff, were enthusiastic, keen to learn and hand flew very well. Of course I passed on my vast experience
, who wouldn't, as that is one of the roles as the Captain.
This article writes a lot and says little. If you've got the experience to gain an ATPL then you're good to go. If you've got the experience your company requires, then you're good to go. Just because some desk jockey doesn't like the idea of a 20 something captain, sitting in the left seat with 'only' 3000 hours doesn't mean he's right
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PS: No I'm not an ex-cadet but have flown next to plenty in both seats and very happy with them, even with low experience levels.
Cue 411A with, 'you can't possibly fly something as complicated as a jet without having first amassed several thousand flying hours'