Thank God the FAA do support GA - without it the industry would be dead.
With a smaller military and fewer experienced pilots coming through the commuter airlines face a hard road ahead.
PT6: "Flying 3000 hours around the pattern is not the same as flying for a 135 company, or indeed a properly conducted cadet program."
At least the 3000h GA pilot would be able to land the aircraft! Sadly the current cadet route in europe is failing to give students enough hands on flying and this will only get worse with the new MPL which has around 70h actual flying and the rest in simulators (which are great for proceedures and SOP learning but aerodynamically very limited).
Thus far, apart from quite a few tail scrapes (
http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources...JZ%2012-08.pdf ,) strict SOPs, advanced aircraft and capable captains have held the system together.
Lufthansa and the 1980s BA cadet system were fine but the airlines are no longer willing to fund advanced training over the pond - in fact many now sell the front RHS without offering employment after so called "Line Training" / Pay to Fly.
Some concerned pilots are now going into print:
Letter to BALPA
CHIRP: 1/2012: "I find the present bunch of junior First Officers very keen
and motivated but sadly woefully undertrained. They
have been taught to master the Flight Management
System but not taught the basics of flying or landing the
aeroplane."