Still devils advocate...
In a debate like this, I am reminded of this little story -
The Story: The Gorilla Story
This story starts with a cage containing five gorillas and a large bunch of bananas
hanging above some stairs in the center of the cage. Before long, a gorilla goes to
the stairs and starts to climb toward the bananas. As soon as he touches the stairs,
all the gorillas are sprayed with cold water. After a while, another gorilla makes an
attempt and gets the same result—all the gorillas are sprayed with cold water.
Every time a gorilla attempts to retrieve the bananas, the others are sprayed.
Eventually, they quit trying and leave the bananas alone.
One of the original gorillas is removed from the cage and replaced with a new one.
The new gorilla sees the bananas and starts to climb the stairs. To his horror, all the
other gorillas attack him. After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries
to climb the stairs he will be assaulted. Next, the second of the original five gorillas
is replaced with a new one. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. The
previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm.
Next the third original gorilla is replaced with a new one. The new one goes for the
stairs and is attacked as well. Two of the four gorillas that beat him have no idea
why they were not permitted to climb the stairs or why they are participating in the
beating of the newest gorilla.
After the fourth and fifth original gorillas have been replaced, all the gorillas that
were sprayed with cold water are gone. Nevertheless, no gorilla will ever again
approach the stairs. Why not?
“Because that’s the way it has always been done.”
Yes, many the pilot has started out sweeping the floor and making the coffee, but also many the pilot at hours where they are not yet to be trusted with the heady delights of a C210 were given thier head in massive 4 engined bombers and set off over Europe to service the war.
I'm trying to draw a parallel on just because that's how it's been in the past, doesn't mean that's how it should be now.
At the risk of drawing a sexist rain of fire (those who read carefully will see that it's not a rant one way or the other), I ceased watching Ice Pilots when a particular episode was following the story of some guy who wanted to fly, loading planes, cleaning, driving etc etc for 6 months to be passed over for someone who had just turned up that week, who had not loaded a single plane for that company, with less experience than the gofer, be given a right hand seat with the owner owing soley to the virtue of gender (she was young and hot, IMHO). I don't know how much TV editing had to do, cos I'm sure there was more to it than that, but that how the story was played out in that episode.