26yr old Captain - 19yr old Co-Pilot

[flyingmed]

I wonder why Easy didnt publish the combined total flight hours instead of age.

[Doors to Automatic]

But of course you don't need to have an ATPL to act as a copilot in a lo-co (or anywhere)

I didn't realise that an ATPL was only required for command. Just goes to show that in this industry you never stop learning, even after 20+ years experience and in your mid-forties!

[4468]

I'm in my late 50s with over 35 years in.

I had to google it!

[reynoldsno1]

I was put in charge of a nuclear weapon at the age of 24 ....

[Solar]

Originally Posted by reynoldsno1

I was put in charge of a nuclear weapon at the age of 24 ....

Maybe the Labour leader has a point then!!!!!!! That's a joke by the way I'm sure you were well able.
Me I was driving a Chieftain tank at 18.

Well done to both of them.

[Pace]

To the public the picture looks like they are paired together as permanent crew when they are unlikely to fly together often or if based at different airports not at all
are we talking of life experience or flying experience? Had the girl been a bloke of 40 same hours and the FO 30 same hours would this be an issue ?

My guess a publicity stunt to encourage young people into the industry by grabbing a headline? Do we know who if anybody was in the jump seat supervising said flight if anyone ?

things are rarely as they appear

[greybeard]

I have a daughter who was a CFI and Chief pilot at 23, good one for the captain, go for it all the way.

I checked the F/Os Father out on his first Jet in one of our previous lives, if the Lad is near as good, he will go far.

[Mooneyboy]

Flying Med total number of hours is misleading. As Pace pointed out its the quality and relevance not quantity that is important. I would much prefer to have a captain flying my family on an Airbus who had 4000hours TT pretty much all on Airbus than a captain who had 10000TT but only 500 hours on type.

Runaway edge. A SFO certainly doesn't always give you an easy day especially if you are a new captain. Some of the biggest mistakes I've seen are from SFO's.

[Spooky 2]

There are more than a few men and women flying the USAF, C17, in their mid twenties with less than 2000 TT and acting as Aircraft Commander in some very hostile flying regions which proves that with the proper training these low time pilots are capable of doing just fine. Training, standardization, and checking will go a long way....

[C172s]

Anyone who makes command deserves a well done, Especially at that age. It's not easy and it requires a lot of dedication and hard work.

However, I think This made the news as easyJet try to recover from the strike threat last week. They employ Seriously hard working conditions with little safeguards to protect their crew from fatigue. It is no laughing matter, in fact It's dangerous yet "safety"is one of their core values.

[Pace]

Profit being their biggest core value

[homonculus]

If the two of them have met the criteria then good on them. It is rather acenine to criticise people you have no first hand experience of, apart from being rude. However, it would be different matter if the average age of command were to fall especially if it were due to recruitment need.

We have seen this in medicine: older consultants retiring, significant shortages and trainees being made up with the absolute minimum training. Patients and safety have suffered.

I do hope there are no lessons to be learned here.....

[Wingswinger]

Demographics in the airline industry, rapid expansion in the LC sector and a retirement bulge have given them both the opportunity. If you're trained and good enough, you're old enough. Good on them.

WS (Boy Harrier Pilot at 24)

[Permafrost_ATPL]

Of course it's a PR stunt (whether or not it's timed to deflect from the potential strike, I know not).

But I have flow with her and she is very good, so no surprise she got her fourth stripe. The EZY command selection process is VERY lengthy and thorough - and the course itself is not walk in the park. They're both in their respective seats because they deserve it. End of.

[Hotel Tango]

It's not as if older age automatically makes you a safer pilot. I would even dare to suggest that there's more chance of a young crew being 100% fully concentrated on their task as opposed to an older crew who perhaps unwittingly allow their concentration to lapse a little from many years of routine.

[Pace]

Hotel Tango

I don't think its about absent minded senior moment pilots I know some 70 year olds who still fly non AOC commercial OPS in jets who are very knowledgeable and on the ball

It maybe that they were taught in a different Era? It maybe that with such vast experience comes complacency?
It maybe that the motivation and keenness of young pilots has mellowed somewhat so there is a reluctance and lack of hunger to take on new stuff or not to be quite as focused as their younger counterparts if its true )

[Penny Washers]

My experience in the legal profession is that you don't argue with a recently qualified person. Their knowledge is all at their fingertips and is bang up to date.

However, every job is different, and that is where experience comes in.

Does this read across to flying jobs? Most trips will be the same old A to B flights which do not present new problems or are outside the standard training syllabus. In fact, the aircraft can probably fly itself better than the humans in the cockpit. But when abnormal situations do arise, then I would hope to see a bit more experience up front.

[OxfordGold]

Its exactly like that Penny.

[Chronus]

Cannot fully agree with Penny. Newly qualifieds are knowledgeable but their knowledge is limited to that learned in the class room. Now, who would want to be represented by a lawyer fresh out of law school/college, when standing in the dock of a criminal court. Who would you chose a George Carman QC or your novice lawyer. By the way I understand the youngest ever to take silk was 36.
Though I do agree that you don`t argue with a novice, there is little point in doing that. Arguing does not teach them anything.

[2Planks]

If these two had both gone swanning off found the Far East on a gaap yaaah and then spent 4 years at uni studying Media and then seen the light and gone for an aviation career there wouldn't be a story here, but the experience and ability to fly would be exactly the same.


Move on folks. Congratulations to the two pilots, your hard work has been rewarded.