Age requirements (and hours) in ME!! carriers

[rbaiapinto]

I wonder why the ME carriers have age requirements for fresh CPL holders?

If they have a strong need of pilots, why do they eliminate those, who for a number of reasons couldn't start their career early (personal, financial, etc...).

For sure there are among them perfectly outstanding and professional individuals who could be excellent members of the flight deck.

I've asked to a HR manager from one of these carriers, why was it like this and the answer was that young CPL holders are seen as an investment and after 30 years old, the period to recover from that investment is short!

To rebate this, I must ask how many years (average) does a pilot who changes his career to ME, stays in?
I would say, by reading some other posts and forums that a good number it would be 6 to 10 years!

After that they normally return to be near home based or retire!

So using these numbers, how come airlines do not extend their initial age requirement?

Let's make an backward reasoning:

- Retirement it's about 65/60
- Time to command about 4/5 years
- Time in command to return the investment 6/8 years
- Time as an SO 1 year

So 60-5-8-1= 46 years!!!

So, using this logic, a company can perfectly hire someone until mid forties and can still profit from it!

So if they don't eliminate them, why just not give a chance for an older than the stated 30, prove himself and show that he is an outstanding pilot who can as well contribute for these companies growth!

I've made this numbers which seem adequate to me. Feel free to discuss it!

So with the lack of suitable pilots, I would tend to think that eliminating the age limit for new starters, would help the expansion of these carriers, maintaining their quality and professionalism.

I do now that the majority of ME carriers tend to hire experienced pilots with heaps of hours!

However, with the planned growth, somewhere in the future they will have the need to hire fresh CPL holders as well. I think that's inevitable.

And that's not a bad thing! Who says that an individual with thousands of hours is more professional or more capable than a low timer? He certainly has more experience, but not always the experience counts to define a good and capable pilot!

Let's look at the flag carriers from Europe, that are the ones I know. The vast majority prefers to select fresh low timers candidates and then train them and educate them as per their company policy.

The focus is in selecting the right candidate with the potential to grow within the company. The hours don't count, simply as that!

Of course I'm in these referred situations, that's why I want to raise these issues, so companies can realize they can broaden their requirements and still gain with that, whether in economical terms, whether in professionalism ones.