Compensating For Pilot Inexperience

Flight time and experience requirements are dropping nearly everywhere pilots are being hired. Some airlines will now hire pilots and put them in the right seat of a jet with no more than a commercial multi-engine ticket and the couple hundred hours required to get it. Critics think this will cause airplanes to fall out of the sky. Others claim improved training and rigorous attention to procedures makes the difference. Lets take a look at both sides of that debate, and see what lessons we can learn from that to improve our own flying. Theres no argument that experience builds skill and with that experience, hopefully, good judgment follows. Judgment can be taught to some extent, but as the saying goes, there is no substitute for experience. Were reminded of one instructor we knew who tried to pass along the lessons learned from his own experience. But he was quick to point out that he was just one person and with an infinite number of possible mistakes, hed only made half a lifetime of his own, so its important to have the judgment to avoid as many as possible and the skill to survive the rest.

Key Takeaways:

• Despite declining flight time requirements for pilots, aviation safety remains high due, in part, to advancements in pilot training methodologies.
• Highly structured and immersive flight training programs, such as Part 141 academies, are more efficient and effective at building essential pilot skills through disciplined procedures and continuous practice.
• For all pilots, developing sound judgment and valuable experience necessitates consistent flying and a deliberate focus on decision-making, including adopting structured approaches to procedures and workflows.

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