Years ago when I started commercial flying a large number of Captains and First Officers were ex-military.
I never had any reason to consider these individuals as anything other than stable, competent and well-trained - often in combat.
These days pilots are hired who's background and mental state are largely unknown irrespective of the degree and quality of training they have received.
There have been mutterings about the rationale of putting 200 hour cadets into the right hand seat, now it seems there are mutterings about their mental state.
How this can be reconciled is an issue of considerable importance - not least because the travelling public are becoming concerned (I know this because I've been told this by friends and colleagues who are 'the travelling public').
Experience and competence are tangibles that, as far as the average passenger is concerned, are of little consequence as it is assumed a pilot wouldn't be flying unless s/he was judged to be competent by the airline and the authorities.
Mental state is an intangible which no matter how good the training and testing, experience or qualifications are can never be totally assessed.
This issue is far more likely to undermine the confidence of the public in these troubled times than the fact a pilot may have limited experience.
Last edited by FlyingOfficerKite; 26th Mar 2015 at 15:11.