NWA320pilot

And that sir is your job....... Hence one of the many reasons to have experienced people in the cockpit.

johnso29

Wow. That's truly sad to hear.

johnso29

Don't forget figuring out your 2nd alternate you'll need if you lose an engine!

johnso29

And how many hours do you have?

slumav505

I had a flight right before I got my CFI that thought me a lot about actual flying with regards to weather, flight planning, fuel conservation, ect. I had about 350 hours when it happened and thank God I wasn't alone to deal with it. From that point on I made a point of it to teach every student how to handle these things. Sure it ate up a few more hours but in the end not one of them complained. CFI's should be teaching this stuff to private pilots, Instrument guys, and commercial students should be able to do it on their own without help before ever getting to take that ride.
ATP should be required to do this job given the current set up of training here in the US. The commercial ride is based too much on maneuvers and less on decision making. I could care less that my pilot can do an effective lazy 8 if he can't get around a a build-up without having a meltdown. Real world rides would be great, but that takes time.

bertengineer

It Thought you or TAUGHT you?

Hell in Memphis you could even say it teached me bro...

FlyJSH

Well, that's not a problem. Modify an approach plate to make the MDA at the bases, file IFR, and get a block altitude or cruise clearance that puts you up in those fair weather cumulus clouds. It isn't perfect, and it takes cooperation with ATC, but it will give the guy some real experience.

On the other hand, if they just don't want their airplanes in the clouds, I would look for another school.

Lighteningspeed

I believe 1500 hours ATP would be a good start but it does not look like that will happen in the US. Politicians are too eager to please airline CEOs, the ATA and flight schools like Embry Riddle, UND etc are loobying too hard for this rule to come out intact. It's supposed to be issued by the FAA by August this year but I am not counting on it.

Anyway, regionals right now are hiring pilots with less than 500 sometimes less than 400 hours. So this being the case, what needs to happen is if regionals are going to be the beginning jobs for 22 year old new pilots, regional airline training standards and curiculum needs to be expanded considerably. 8 sim sessions and a 3 week ground school course is not enough for 250 hour new pilots to be ready for the real 121 flying. A 250 hour may look good in the simulator but he/she is way behind the curve when the real jet flying starts in actual IMC or more especially in VMC, ironically. I have seen this personally both in the 121 flying and 135 flying. Talk to most LCAs at regionals and they will tell you the same.

That's why at most respected corporate jet operators, they will not even touch you as an SIC unless you have at least 2000 hours. Most come with considerably more like 3000 to 5000 hours unless they know someone there.

The weeding out process needs to be refined like the Europeans and 250 hour pilots needs to be given many more sim sessions then the 8 currently being given at most regionals. Plus their IOE needs to be longer, like 6 months or longer with an experienced LCA. This is how it's done in Europe. For instance, cadets get at least 60 or more sim sessions by the time they are deemed ready plus they fly with experienced Captains for at least a year or more.

Some people mentioned military pilots getting to fly tactical fighters with less than 250 hours. People, you are forgetting the fact that by the time an F 18 or an F16, F15 pilot actually sits inside the cockpit, they have alread had in excess of 60 hours of simulator training time. Plus their training is closely monitored for another couple of years. Even with this, we lose pilots every year through accidents. I have personally lost more friends than I care to remember thru accidents over the years I was in the service.

Mason32

Yep, and their first "training plane" is a Bonanza followed by a Baron....

Mason32

Yes, 500-1,000 hours making ALL the decisions himself, the flight plans himself, the fuel planning himself; or teaching others to fly without killing them both are much more valuable than sitting in the right seat watching somebody else with zero experience teach you how to cut corners.