No, I don't believe I have either an entitlement or a duty to police anything, outside of those responsibilities I am properly charged with.
Miles O'Brien on CNN, quite correctly said that a 600 hour Pilot is an infant and should not be left alone on the flight deck of an A320.
I am not sure who Miles O'Brien is, but I would take serious issue with that statement in isolation. I say that with some reservation, because you are clearly attracted to the quotes of sound bite television and (as demonstrated in your reply above) erroneous assumption, and in its full context it may well mean something more?
The number of hours a pilot has accumulated is irrelevant to whether they should be left alone on the flight deck or not. I have never had any doubt (and by "any" I mean not one iota) that in the event of my incapacitation the pilot in the other seat would have any difficulty at all in taking command and flying that airliner to a suitable airport. I haven't had any doubt for the last 30 years, and I doubt I will for the time remaining to me. Nor do I have any doubt that they would be perfectly capable of dealing with an en-route engine failure, decompression or a myriad of other issues of their own volition, should such a situation ever arise.
If I did have any doubt, it would be assuaged by the fact that they had already demonstrated that ability in simulated training prior to them ever flying with me, and would continue to do so at six monthly cycles.
If I tell a random sample of my neighbours or non-flying friends how many hours I have accumulated over the years, the general response would be "is that a lot?" simply because it isn't a subject most people are well versed in. It is rather like telling people the age of the aircraft they are flying in. Many people will simply equate it to something they are familiar with (such as their car) and assume that 7 years, 10, years, 15 years, 20 years (take your pick) is a lot. Perhaps the age of the aircraft should be notified as well, or maybe the number of cycles, or airframe hours. Does it mean anything in isolation or (yet again,) is it simply a number you want to distort to suit your own agenda?
I have no particular problem with each and every passenger knowing the flying experience of myself or any other member of the crew, but why? How does it help make an informed decision if the information is in isolation? Further, having told them how many hours the airplane, captain, and F/O have amassed over their respective lifetimes, what happens when it all changes 90 minutes before the flight takes off (as it so often does)?
Nobody tells me how old the train I travel on is, or how old the driver is, or how long he has been driving for that company. Likewise the bus I get on, the cruise ship I holiday on, the taxi that picks me up. The premise is simply ludicrous!
Sorry the reply is a bit longer than a one line sound bite. I guess that is why
Miles O'Brien is on CNN and I am not.
PS. I did Google
Miles O'Brien and (having misspelt the surname) was initially slightly stunned to discover your source might have been the Chief Engineer of the Star ship Enterprise! However I note you are referring to the respected CNN journalist, and private pilot!
