don2m

Airlines: Some Costs They Can't - And Shouldn't - Cut

Robert,
Your article is extremely well done and has stimulated quite a response. It seems that most agree that something needs to be done and I agree that increasing the standards for the job is certainly a step in the right direction but it has to be done with resolve. Unions have to brought on board and allow the weak link to go when it is time. Some one mentioned that the USAF turns pilots loose after 250 hours to fly anything in their inventory. Sir: that ain't so !
In my opinion a copilot in the cockpit flying passengers for hire with 250 or so total hours is unsafe and regardless of how much time the Captain has.
There is no excuse for the Colgan crash given the after report that the crew had never been given stick push training and treated icing a "somewhat of a problem".
I learned many years ago not to second guess an accident because I wasn't there but that one was pretty flagrant.
We have lots of pilots sitting in the left seat of commuter airlines and some major airlines who have never been in more than 45 degrees of bank and "upset training" is minimum if at all.
This is indeed a serious problem facing the airlines in the future.
I am glad that I had 40 years {5 Navy and 35 with a major} and it was at the very best of time in both.