Could an Inexperienced Pilot Put You At Risk?
Pilots on regional flights need just a third the experience of national pilots.
Feb. 2, 2008— -- Small, regional airlines are carrying more passengers than ever before, increasing the demand for short-flight pilots. Critics charge that as their ranks grow, their experience level is not keeping pace.
In fact, most major airlines require regional pilots to have just one-third of the experience they demand from national pilots.
A typical large U.S. commercial airline demands 1,500 flight hours from a pilot before he can even apply for the job. Most regional airlines demand only 500 hours.
Nowadays when you book through a major airline, you often end up on a flight contracted out to a local airline with pilots hired under their requirements.
"I think when people buy their airline ticket they don't even consider the experience level of the pilots," says Wade Blofus from the Minnesota Pilot's Union, as reported by ABC's affiliate KSTP.
While the average cockpit experience for the major airlines is over 6,000 hours, the regional airlines approach only 2,000.
"You can … be able to make the plane fly, but as far as the experience that makes you a seasoned pilot who knows what to do when things are non-standard and things go wrong, that takes time," explains ABC News aviation expert John Nance.
Since 2003, regional airlines have seen five major accidents. None of them have been ruled to be the result of an inexperienced pilot.
"There is absolutely no relationship between a pilots' experience and a crash. Because all pilots meet the same standard when it comes to a crash," says Roger Cohen of the Regional Airline Association.
Currently, there is a shortage of pilots throughout the country, so industry watchers don't believe that the level of experience will be going up any time soon.
"Pilots are reaching 60 and retiring in droves. And in order to fill positions in those in airlines, you have pilots coming up from the minor leagues, if you will. Instead of 1,500 hours minimum before you can apply, it's dropped a long way," says Nance.
Some argue that youth is actually a valuable asset for a pilot, making the analogy to a doctor who is fresh out of medical school and maybe better versed in the latest technology than one who's been practicing for years. Others say there's really no substitute for experience.
