Flying outside the box

[Piltdown Man]

It all depends on how capable and able you want your pilots to be. Unfortunately, every company wants skilful pilots but most are not prepared to spend enough to achieve their goals. Then, just to make sure their pilots don't practice on the line, they implement an FDM program. The net result is that you end up with pilots found lacking at precise moment nifty flying skills are required. Fortunately, these moments are few and far between so the penny-pinchers are winning. They can demonstrate how much they have saved - until of course something goes wrong. Then, we'll have a knee jerk reaction and fill in the skill blanks with more training.