Airline instructors v. real CFIs
Diesel said:
Why is it so impressive that the instructors are "airline guys". Most airline guys I know are way out of the loop when it comes what's hapening in the real world.
I have reflected on the notion of "airline guys" as instructors (as if I have nothing better to do

). Based on my experience with airline pilots, I must second Diesel.
Airline pilots know well the environment in which they operate and the equipment they fly, but, unless they are CFIs who instruct primary, instrument and commercial students actively, they have nary a clue about student pilots, student training and student training aircraft.
My last aviation employer was a well-known small company that primarily sold type ratings and trained United applicants for their interviews. The place was owned by three United pilots. Somehow, the place landed a contract to train Middle East students for their Commercial-Multi-Instrument. Providing real LOFT was to be part of the plan. I and another instructor were training them. We had a Seminole to get them their Commercial-Multi-Instrument. These owners had very little, if any, experience in student pilot training.
We had a great deal of contact with one of United pilot-owners. Although he owned a Mooney, he exhibited little knowlege (to me, anyway) about how normal student flight training worked and the environment in which student training operates. I remember talking to him about the airspace reclassification that went into effect. I tried to talk to him about Class A, B, etc. He said that because his world was IFR, he didn't care.
I realize that this was just one airline pilot and that one should not generalize, but I submit that this gentleman's attitude and level of knowledge of the student training environment was more the norm than the exception.
Airline pilots, if they can teach, are great at teaching real-world ATC and IFR flying. But, please, you have to learn how to walk before you can run. Real CFIs, who spend every day teaching in the small aircraft which many airline pilots may disdain, and whose world revolves around primary, instrument, commercial and multi students, are specialists in that field and are those from whom one should learn the rudiments of flying.