While this blog emphasizes ‘Stick & Rudder’ the commercial world measures pilots by the ‘Almighty Dollar’. If you’re looking for a ‘flying cowboy’ to land you on a sandbar those young pilots are out there also.
The fact is the accident numbers are going down at the same rate as the Vietnam era pilots are retiring.
Ask an Air Traffic Controller who they would rather communicate with: a 1500 hr. 25 year old or the 60 year old captain. For example, I was told by a voice from the left seat: “Don’t answer them, they’ll just ask us to do something that will make us late”.
In the 70’s and 80’s the 500 hour pilots would break something on the aircraft on a regular basis the 500 hour pilots of today go from 100hr. inspection to 100hr. inspection with everything still working, very few squawks. Tires have less flat spots, brakes last twice as long, engines leak less and the paint is not all scratched up from fuel hoses. The aircraft overall is shown more respect. Then the most important above all other criteria in the Air-Taxi business is repeat customers. The repeat customers regularly request the low time pilot by name and that’s how the bills get paid. Most of our repeat customers have talked up our young low time pilots many times more often then the seasoned high time grouches that operate the aircraft like an old farm truck.