PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - AF447 final crew conversation - Thread No. 1
Old 19th Dec 2011, 07:58
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Join Date: Aug 1998
Location: Ex-pat Aussie in the UK
Posts: 5,810
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I have commented at length on PPRuNe about the sorry state of affairs with the 300 hour total time copilot making Captain in 10 years or less after flying 1 or 2 long-haul legs a month on the autopilot. Companies choosing cadets on every hiring profile point except aviation aptitude, problem solving, and experience.
The only way to achieve this effectively, for long haul airlines at least, is to remove company seniority throughout the industry.

Require every company, as part of their AOC, to send the total time a pilot has accrued with that company to the CAA/FAA/country's authority for easy audit when a pilot ceases employment.

Only when a pilot is free to leave an airline, gain experience in a short haul operation, and return without penalty - perhaps as a direct entry Captain with their position based on their experience will this cease. Company seniority is what stops pilots being true professionals, able to sell themselves on their abilities.
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