Again and again inexperience in cockpit comes under scrutiny while in many accidents experienced pilots were handling the plane. A fat logbook is not a safety barrier and does not compensate for lack of required skill. 5000 command hrs. on a medium range automated aircraft like A320 simply translates into 2 1/2 thousand times switching the AP ON and OFF for landing. We have to understand that in aviation it is not be possible to learn everything in air by personal experience and practice. High altitude handling, practicing alternate/direct law is not possible. Pilots are retiring without having experienced an engine failure. That doesn't mean one should be unable to handle it. Some theoretical understanding and simulator practice is the only answer. Type rating needs to be expanded more at least for the beginner. Airbus has expanded the type rating for the beginners by eight sessions of handling as entry level training/MCC course in fixed base trainer but airlines have got around this by adapting a mini version in a procedure trainer which defeats its purpose. Accident due to the inability of an experienced pilot to do a visual approach shows that those thousands of hours was merely a delay in aligning of the Swiss cheese. The required skill was never acquired. Understanding the behaviour of the aircraft like Airbus FBW where there is never a requirement of knee jerk reflex on the side stick can win half the battle for you. Perhaps with declining profit margins airlines have become like other businesses, more of a commercial strategy than anything else.
Last edited by vilas; 23rd Sep 2016 at 06:14.