I'm what would be considered an 'outsider' among your community. I am a wannabe pilot with little time (not even classified as a student pilot). I have been lurking on this board for some time, reading the various PFT posts. At first, I thought "what's the big deal? A program that gets a person from student to right seat quickly has to be good, right?"
Well, I am here to say that I recognize several pitfalls with such a program. I know several professional pilots (both cpt and fo), and can honestly say that the disdain for PFT pilots is fairly universal. One good cpt friend of mine told me a story once:
He was contracted to sit right seat and play DE for a major school (who shall not be named). He was really unhappy with the way the pilot flew the airplane TO MINIMUMS. When he was allowed +/- 100 feet, he flew +/- 90 because he could. To my friend, this was a mark of a poor pilot. Good pilots are always in search of a better technique (his words, not mine), and work hard to get procedures right every time. When a procedure turn is flown just barely inside the lines, all that says is that you strive to just make it.
That said, I see why so many low-time pilots go the PFT route. I have read countless posts lamenting the incredibly low pay the traditional routes offer. I am a 27 year old internet engineer for a major ISP, and I make decent money. The thought of making less money than a cashier at Taco Bell does not warm my heart. HOWEVER, I believe a person will do whatever it takes to get what he/she wants.
My generation has grown up understanding that the good things in life can be had quickly -- if you have enough money. Infomercials will lead you to believe that we can be rich by investing 59.95 on a book or video that gets a person really excited, but does little to provide real insight into a good career. Advertisements and flashy brochures from PFT schools dangle the "get-you-hired-quick" mentality like a golden carrot, but only if you are one of the lucky few.