Thomas Coupling:
I think you have spoken for all those decent pilots out there who haven't got multi thousand hours and really are good pilots when allowed to fly.
Sadly the first question asked by most employers is "how many hours?" Maybe they should be asking "what kind of flying have you been doing?"
I recently took an ex-collegue of mine up in a Cessna, both of us ATPLH holders, he with about 2000hrs more than I. I spent most of the flight explaining to him what a DME was, how the mixture worked and how to use the winds at altitude for navigtion purposes, all basic stuff if you ask me but on paper he still has more hours than I have!
I had to do all the flight planning and navigation for our two ship formation flight back from Spain once 'cos he didn't have much of a clue to be frank, but on paper he still has more hours than I have!
I think insurers have a large say in what goes on, maybe justified in some cases but still unfair in many.
Personally I love to learn new skills, expand my knowledge, be professional because that is what I am, a professional pilot. That demands knowledge and skill, how can I justify that title if I don't even know how the instuments in my cockpit work and what they do?
Have you ever been asked by interested passengers how the thing flies? Why helicopters are not as fast as aeroplanes?
The list is endless, but isn't it satisfying to be able to explain to them what a wonderful and fascinating piece of machinery they have just been in and how it works? I enjoy it and it's good fun too. Just imagine how secure those people then feel when their pilot knows what he's doing and what he's talking about, they will talk about it for ages afterwards and...they'll come back for more!
My tuppence worth.
