I still find it quite staggering that today the total flight hours up front can be less than that required for only the captain by charter airlines only 15 years ago. When & why did the required 'knowledge, experience, capability and maturity' suddenly become diluted? Are the companies now running risk/threat management studies? And deciding that robotic trained SOP monkeys flying around in much improved and reliable a/c, within much improved and reliable ATC areas into much improved airports with ILS's instead of NPA's, or nothing at all, are in fact an acceptable risk? I assume the insurers are part of this decision. But it does seem something that only accountants could tolerate. A pilot driven airline might be more sceptic, but no doubt someone out there will put me right on that. Profit is profit. Now back to watching flying Alaska and Ice pilots.
Rapid expansion, good training and FDM. Insurance companies love FDM
Required knowledge and capability has not become diluted. Some of the younger guys going through the command process are very capable, trust me. Experience? Yes. Maturity? Sometimes. Experience is by no means a good indicator of safety and talent judging by the recent AAIB reports I have read
