I think you will find that SQ doesn’t operate with S/O’s.
Yeah right, do you seriously think that the graduates from the Singapore Airlines Flying College here in Australia, go back to Singapore with only a couple of hundred hours under their belt, so that they can build experience doing bank-runs between Seletar and Changi, before getting into one of SQ's aircraft?
They also place cadets directly into wide body aircraft too.
Yes Professor, - they most certainly do, - just not straight into a flying position as primary crew. They work for several years in the back of the cockpit whenever the aircraft is below 10.000' and are not certified to occupy a flying seat during critical phases of flight (ie do take-offs and landings). They will slowly BUILD their experience through osmosis and frequent Simulator sessions (where they GET to handle the aircraft). Don't worry though - having a PhD, you WILL eventually get it, just don't give up
Do you think long haul flying requires some special expertise that one can only “progress” to?
Yes, I most certainly do! You see Prof, the thing about long haul is that you have very limited opportunity to practise your craft of actually HANDLING the aircraft (and yes, - despite all the glorious automation in a modern aircraft you HAVE to have a handle on how to manipulate the controls on a dark and stormy night). 2-3 landings a month is about average if you do a roster of exclusive long haul, and UNLESS you already have extensive experience as a handling pilot of (jet) aircraft - you will never get the chance to develop the skills required to do your job safely. What I am saying is that the only way that the limited exposure offered in long-haul operation can ever be safe, is if you ALREADY have developed extensive experience to fall back upon.
“The cadet scheme for Jet* is proposed strictly as a cost saving device from management”
Is there such a thing as a cost-increasing device?
My point is that a Cadet scheme is inherently less desirable than a more traditional experience gathering avenue (GA / military flying) and should ONLY be contemplated if the alternative isn't available to you. Jet* execs have stumbled upon Australia's outstanding safety record, accumulated through decades of commitment and hard work by QANTAS training department and others and unwittingly thinking that THIS will somehow continue regardless of what shortcuts they take to make sure their next bonuses are payed out. SUNFISH is absolutely right in that no short term bonus scheme should ever exist for people, tasked with making strategic decisions in safety critical industries.
So BA and LH have no option but to employ a crewing system that so far has yielded excellent results? How very odd.
“…the training department will be presented with a group of young hopefuls, that lack the aptitude and talent being available to their European counterparts.”
Well then I guess they won’t pass and other applicants will be sought.
BA and LH have a massive line-up of highly skilled young hopefuls with an ambition of joining what is (still) a worthwhile career path with respectable carriers. Jet* is having to scrape the bottom of the barrel to find volunteers willing to partake in the s@*t sandwich on offer. Different circumstances - different outcome.
one of these cadets successfully landed a powerless 777 recently.
John Coward was a SENIOR First Officer at the time of the BA038 accident at Heathrow, and most certainly not a Cadet. He may very well have BEEN a Cadet earlier in his career for all that I know, but that is besides the point. Being a Cadet is a valuable way to BUILD experience and a great many hugely experienced pilots will attest to that fact. You just have to build the experience before you can reasonably be expected to possess it.