"And with actual flying experience i mean pilots who flew real aeroplanes before they got into airlines. Its all very well to have 10000 hours - but if its all airline time you have virtually zero actual flying time. You only have take off and landing time. The rest was autopilot."
Exactly. However: from the point of view of most modern airline managers, a pilot's most important qualities all boil down to one word: Obedience.
We are now an OBEDIENT guild of "professionals." Most pilots around the world are not unionised, cannot speak up without having their head chopped off, and will do just about anything they're told to do. They also feel lucky to have their job, as opposed to deserving of their position, because they are more aware than anyone just how inexperienced they really are.
Not all pilots, mind you, but in my opinion MOST. And it moves in that direction a little more every year. It is showing up even in staunchly unionised pilot groups, which is particularly scary. Unions are supposed to empower pilots and put safety first, not defend the comfort of pilots who are in over their heads.
The accidents we're seeing nowadays are testament to this shift in values from skill to obedience. The pilots in these accidents lack the kind of broad spectrum of flying experience which would have conferred upon them the level of expertise the job really deserves.
The best writing I've seen so far in this subject is this article:
http://www.vanityfair.com/news/busin...ight-447-crash