ref Post #722, LapSap, surely you must be joking. With all the posts on PPRune about lack of actual hands-on flying, how can anyone ask this question? There are MAJOR players out there who hire non-pilots, train them in Cessnas for a couple hundred hours, let them languish for over a year while learning the books, and then put them on the line in big long-haul wide-body aircraft.
Once on the line, they are forbidden to land in any significant crosswind (and if you are the Captain you would know why), fly MAYBE 3-4 legs a month with the autopilot on by 1500' AGL and off at the marker inbound at which point the plane is basically ballistic.
In 10 years of this great experience they make him a "Commander". If he doesn't screw up 2 years later he is an "Instructor".
Of course, as long as the resulting incidents don't end of as flaming craters, the incidents get buried and you will only see quick blips on here. Any and all negative comments are shouted down by the cheering squad.