@HC: all I can say is the proof is in the pudding.
Having worked for the likes of Esso and Saudi Armco, which between them over the past 40+ years have had a grand total of one accident in about a million flight hours (which was a Saudi national crew at night many years ago), neither would ever accept a co-pilot to medium-PIC progression model based on co-pilot only + ICUS time. Aramco sponsored national pilots have to do their initial license, followed by years of co-pilot time, followed by a few years of single pilot light ship time, before they are even considered for PIC of a medium twin-offshore helicopter. And once they get to that stage, they have to do a limited ICUS program as the final step of their upgrade. This is the proper use of ICUS, 1000 hours ICUS is totally bollocks. And as for expats, the minimum for entry level co-pilot is 2000 hours PIC and 3500 hours total.
These standards produce results. I just remain sceptical that the Nigerian nationalisation scheme, as enshrined in the OGP Annex 5, produces a well-rounded offshore helicopter Captain.
Now in my role as a training Captain with a major international airline I see recurrent trainees with ATP licences that do such hair-brain stuff in the simulator it leaves me totally bewildered sometimes. To the extent that I seriously wonder how they ever got a PPL let alone ATP. I don't get frustrated by it any more, I'm happy if the trainees manage to get on the right page of the ECL. Whether they can carry out what's written in the ECL is an entirely different matter.
We have a national cadet pilot program as well. Spoiled rich kids aren't typically selected. Prospective cadet pilots are hired based on a rigorous selection process, much like the military. Those selected attend basic flight training, then get a light jet type rating flown in a real aircraft, then they do their training course for their allocated RPT jet type, then they play second officer for a number of years. Then they play FO for many many years. Perhaps 15 to 20 years down the track they get a shot at command.
And my course mates who did 10 years military flying before earning a gig with an Airline as a FO, they have been flying FO for 15+ years and are now only coming to the top of the FO list for command upgrade. So that is 10 years military + 15 years civilian co-pilot flying before they get looked at for a command slot.
So this is my experience, for what it's worth.
Last edited by gulliBell; 29th Feb 2016 at 09:42.