Here's what I think is part of the problem today: Pilots should not graduate from flight school and go directly into the cruise pilot roll of a large passenger jet.
They should first be exposed to the right seat of a smaller flight deck appropriate to their skill level until they acquire the requisite skill to move up. Start with a smaller size plane, fly thousands of sectors, and work their way up the ladder. Doing so will allow them to develop appropriate skills that they can fall back on when exposed to larger aircraft where they just don't get the opportunity as inexperienced pilots to flex their newly acquired wings. This is time proven and, incidentally, what is expected in every other field of endeavor. It's only common sense.
We all know why airline management has chosen the current path and it has little or nothing to do with the more prudent approach to developing a solid and well rounded pilot.
The idea of the "multi crew license" is a case in point. No other profession is actively involved in this downward cycle of diluting the exposure and training of those who chose to enter their field. No amount of simulator exposure will do to the sphincter what real flying can.
Last edited by raven11; 15th Jul 2013 at 09:21.