2000 hour wonders hired at Delta

[CX880]

Me- Standard civilian background, 5 years at the regionals then AF UPT and fighter track, 5 years there now back to airlines
Hard to compare both tracks when you haven't been through both of them....
my opinion....
Can't compare the training, not even close. Regional flying challenging? I think we all know better ....but that .000001% of the time where a little airmanship is required, I feel more comfortable falling back on the mil experience.
Not saying it can't be found somewhere else, and not saying there are no bad fighter pilots or that I'm not one of them, but I def. didn't find it in my 5 years of drooling on myself doing 8 legs a day at the regionals or through my civ experience.

M80drvr-
CFIT in Afghanistan? Night VFR? Combat sortie? Competency? Let's not simplify that example

That depends on what kind of civ experience you got. If your regional track was the tech support of the Autopilot on the CRJ then that is not applicable experience. I would rather have someone that has flown night frieght or preferably an old airplane with no AP vs some F16 QRH operator. Currency also plays a role, 2000 hours in the military maybe quality time, but it's still 2000 hours which really does not apply to 121 flying, unless we start bombing cities or fly VFR around canyons anytime soon.

 

[waveflyer]

Ahh- the age old- mil-civ debate:

the trump card is simply checkairman experience - and experience as a captain-
to a captain- when I was new, they get relieved when they find out my civilian background.

It's not that the mil guy can't do it- they just haven't done it and it takes a bit to get up to speed. Vs the regional pilot has been doing the job at a more demanding pace for years-

Think the previous poster had it nailed- if you've challenged yourself and gone after excellence, you're going to value your experience- but it serves noone to not realize there are many paths to the same place

 

[rfa]

Sooooooooo flying a 40 year old tanker on autopilot is of higher quality than flying a modern EFIS RJ on autopilot? Please explain this should be interesting. You might want to get over yourself, and pass that on to your "Delta buddies"(Thanks for your service though) Oh yeah, how may days have you flown 7 legs in the weather, in the northeast corridor while in the military?

PS. Fighter time does NOT make you a good airline pilot. It makes you a good fighter pilot.

Well said, I am amazed people still buy this stuff even within our own industry.

 

[Frisko]

opinions vary...we obviously won't agree
like I said... after doing both
my opinion the military training and experience was much better than any civilian training I found in various jobs 5 years prior to the regionals, or 5 years at the regionals, and I'm glad I went that route.
If you've been through both and can say the same about your experience then cool. I don't recall ever hearing anyone who has been through both say their civilian training was better or that it better prepared them for 121.
Big picture....does it make me better for airline type flying....who really cares...that bar isn't too high

 

[m80drvr]

M80drvr-
CFIT in Afghanistan? Night VFR? Combat sortie? Competency? Let's not simplify that example

I didn't oversimplify anything. A perfectly good jet was flown into ground in VFR at night. A tragic accident but the facts are the facts. It happens all the time. It was not me that was touting the superiority of being a mil pilot. I was just pointing out that pilot error also happens the mil guys regardless of their superior training and ability.

 

[rfa]

You know who I would rather be stuck with?

...someone who started out in gliders and built up considerable time in them before moving on to airplanes. This is not vanity (ignore my profile) I have very few hours in them. This could be a coincidence, but from experience, every single time I was impressed with an airline pilot (or any pilot actually), he or she turned out to have considerable time in gliders during their initial training. Something about their attitudes too - can't put my finger on it though.

 

[Frisko]

I didn't oversimplify anything. A perfectly good jet was flown into ground in VFR at night. A tragic accident but the facts are the facts. It happens all the time. It was not me that was touting the superiority of being a mil pilot. I was just pointing out that pilot error also happens the mil guys regardless of their superior training and ability.

Next time you point your nose 60 degrees at the ground to strafe, with no moon illum, "vfr", in an area with a 25k MSA, to save some dudes ass on the ground between Newark and Cleveland you can comment on CFIT in Afghanistan.

 

[m80drvr]

Next time you point your nose 60 degrees at the ground to strafe, with no moon illum, "vfr", in an area with a 25k MSA, to save some dudes ass on the ground between Newark and Cleveland you can comment on CFIT in Afghanistan.

You missed the point........AGAIN....

 

[Frisko]

no I got your point, I think it's wrong, and I think using those incidents as a comparison for pilot error and training is not only incorrect but disrespectful of the guys you are using as an example

 

[jonjuan]

but disrespectful of the guys you are using as an example

"to save some dudes ass on the ground?" Talking of disrespectful...