sometimes I am just shocked at what I read here.
first off: teach me: what would you rather have a poorly trained, poorly supervised, poorly paid copilot with 1500 hours or a poorly trained, poorly supervised, poorly paid copilot with 250 hours? It isn't a matter of one type of supervision or training vs another.
F117...so, you are a corporate pilot in an SR22. You are learning LESS than a 300 hour CFI...see, you learn more about flying when you actually have to teach someone else how to fly. And gee whiz...all that fixed landing gear time is really important! And you even have a parachute.
Pressman makes a fine point...anyone can go from 250 hours to 1500 hours with just a few strokes of a pen (we call it "P51" Time...named for the Parker Pen Company model P51...not the famous mustang fighter)
PBY...some how I don't think you understand the progression in an airline from copilot to captain. It is usually based on seniority...and if you have to have 1500 hours to be a copilot, and then serve with the airline for some time till an opening for captain comes along, you would then have MORE THAN 1500 hours. Also, 1500 hours is the requirement to hold an ATP certificate which is a requirement to be a captain (actually the legal term is PILOT IN COMMAND).
CONTACTED...I have flown with pilots who have gone through excellent training programs and are not very good pilots. In fact, they have been terrible pilots.
Remember folks, we are not just churning out airplane drivers to fight a war where 25 missions was more than the expected lifetime (don't get me wrong, these were brave, brave men and we owe them our freedom). We are making airline pilots whose professional lives are years of shear boredom followed by minutes of stark terror.
This 1500 hour thing is a good first step. I understand there will be better rest requirements too.