Diatribe of an unemployed pilot
Disclaimer: No pilots were injured or killed in the making of this letter.
WhiteCloud, et al.
This isn't a flame, but you as a taxpayer would be amazed at the training that goes on in the military. One problem CAN be the contract training. The contractors are paid to graduate pilots. Another is that the military really needs pilots. The "bar" is raised and lowered at will. I know first-hand that one pilot was allowed to fail every checkride in the course up until the last phase before getting washed-out. They finally have a new program that gives the pilots more than 30 hours of training (old system) in the advanced aircraft before they report to their unit.
The military is a very good example of this left/right seat experience difference. Pilots leaving flight school have less than 200 hrs TT (with a lot of sim) and now they're SIC in a combat aircraft. The PIC of that aircraft might have less than 500 TT. Pre 9-11 most pilots flew 100-150 hrs A YEAR. So you COULD have a crew with a total of 7-800 hrs TT flying into combat. A 5000 hr PIC is very rare.
Not all low-time pilots are clueless. I have met several new graduates who were intelligent, articulate, and were motivated to learn everything they could. A role of the PIC is to mentor and teach the future PIC sitting to the right. It doesn't matter whether that person has 600 hrs or 2600 hrs. I understand and appreciate there are certain basics that the SIC should know, like how to read a map, use the radio, and fly. But it's the experience and wisdom passed on to that SIC which shapes the way s/he will perform as a PIC. I've been reading a post about the ERJ and static problems. While on a flight with a newbie, let George fly and discuss scenarios and pass along a "There I was..." story. Sharing experiences, mentoring, and never stop learning are trademarks of professionals. One of the SIC's jobs is to keep learning after IOE, etc. If you get one who is thick-headed and refuses, then eventually that person might need an little, informal sit-down/come-to-Jesus meeting. A little help with his/her cranial-rectaI inversion can be an eye-opener. Otherwise, the person in the other seat is a crewmember and your responsibility.
If there is a problem with their performance, then talk to the training department and HR. They had that pilot first and maybe they need to change something. As far as a pilot being a PFTer or having too few hours, well, I have a problem with the violent bashing that has been going on. First, the company hired these people. Direct your frustration at the right person. Let’s look at history. In the early 80’s, somebody with 6000TT, 5000 ME, 3000 turbine PIC couldn’t get hired. In the early 90’s many companies were PFT, like CAL Express, ValueJet, NetJets, and ACA. In the late 90’s anybody with a CMEL, 1000 TT, and 100ME could get in. How many people got hired in that wave? How many of the captains who finally got hired in the 80’s (i.e. REALLY high time pilots) do you thing believed that _you guys_ who got hired in the late 90’s were too inexperienced and hadn’t paid _your_ dues? How far will you get if you start bashing PFTers and it turns out the captain interviewing you (baited, trick question?) PFTed in the 90’s? You may have been on the receiving end of this and not know it because the internet was in its infancy.
Finally, if you are against PFT, does that mean that nobody should pay for graduate school? What about medical or law school? Just think what that would do to undergrad tuition (because somebody has to pay). Most med students graduate with a $120k in loans and make less than $30k in residency. That’s a mortgage payment right there. They wanted to be doctors so they got loans. Peter Pilot wants to fly for an airline so he gets a loan. What’s the difference?
That's it. Sermon over.
Dismissed.
