Narrative:

I am deeply concerned over the fast track schools that have agreements with several airlines. These schools are graduating marginal pilots at best and the airlines are hiring pilots with 300 hours or less of experience. Would you want your family flown around by a pilot with only 300 hours of experience? I wouldn't. I also have refused to be repositioned/deadheaded on flts with these inexperienced pilots at the controls. Schools offering these type of fast track courses should not be allowed to operate. People should not be allowed to buy their way into a cockpit. It is only through hard work; dedication; and experience that a pilot should be allowed to fly passenger. I have been fortunate enough to never have been paired with one of these low time pilots. I have several colleagues that have had the unfortunate experience. Everything goes ok as long as everything is normal and ATC doesn't ask for anything that is non-standard. I have been told by my colleagues that these pilots lack basic knowledge in areas of WX; jet performance; high altitude WX; descent planning; etc. One pilot tried to fly the plane into a stall during a climb because they were instructed to climb at 1000 FPM. The captain questioned the first officer about the decreasing airspeed. The first officer responded that ATC said we must climb about at 1000 FPM. The captain immediately took control of the aircraft and advised ATC that they were unable 1000 FPM in the climb. I would like to see the FAA; NTSB; NASA or another agency investigate these schools and hiring practices. The FAA should also establish minimum hiring experience. There should be bare minimums that the commuters; regionals; and majors must adhere to when hiring. The majors have been doing a good job at hiring qualified pilots. The regionals have not. All regionals should have a hard minimum of 1200 hours total time with a minimum 100-200 multi-engine hours.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CONCERNED PLT ALLEGES LOW TIME PLTS; GUARANTEED A JET AIRLINE FIRST OFFICER JOB UPON GRADUATION FROM 'FAST TRACK' TYPE FLT SCHOOLS LACK TRAINING IN SOME AREAS AND ARE NOT UNIFORMLY ABLE TO PERFORM SAFELY.

Narrative: I AM DEEPLY CONCERNED OVER THE FAST TRACK SCHOOLS THAT HAVE AGREEMENTS WITH SEVERAL AIRLINES. THESE SCHOOLS ARE GRADUATING MARGINAL PLTS AT BEST AND THE AIRLINES ARE HIRING PLTS WITH 300 HRS OR LESS OF EXPERIENCE. WOULD YOU WANT YOUR FAMILY FLOWN AROUND BY A PLT WITH ONLY 300 HRS OF EXPERIENCE? I WOULDN'T. I ALSO HAVE REFUSED TO BE REPOSITIONED/DEADHEADED ON FLTS WITH THESE INEXPERIENCED PLTS AT THE CTLS. SCHOOLS OFFERING THESE TYPE OF FAST TRACK COURSES SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO OPERATE. PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO BUY THEIR WAY INTO A COCKPIT. IT IS ONLY THROUGH HARD WORK; DEDICATION; AND EXPERIENCE THAT A PLT SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO FLY PAX. I HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO NEVER HAVE BEEN PAIRED WITH ONE OF THESE LOW TIME PLTS. I HAVE SEVERAL COLLEAGUES THAT HAVE HAD THE UNFORTUNATE EXPERIENCE. EVERYTHING GOES OK AS LONG AS EVERYTHING IS NORMAL AND ATC DOESN'T ASK FOR ANYTHING THAT IS NON-STANDARD. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY MY COLLEAGUES THAT THESE PLTS LACK BASIC KNOWLEDGE IN AREAS OF WX; JET PERFORMANCE; HIGH ALT WX; DSCNT PLANNING; ETC. ONE PLT TRIED TO FLY THE PLANE INTO A STALL DURING A CLB BECAUSE THEY WERE INSTRUCTED TO CLB AT 1000 FPM. THE CAPT QUESTIONED THE FO ABOUT THE DECREASING AIRSPD. THE FO RESPONDED THAT ATC SAID WE MUST CLB ABOUT AT 1000 FPM. THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT AND ADVISED ATC THAT THEY WERE UNABLE 1000 FPM IN THE CLB. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE FAA; NTSB; NASA OR ANOTHER AGENCY INVESTIGATE THESE SCHOOLS AND HIRING PRACTICES. THE FAA SHOULD ALSO ESTABLISH MINIMUM HIRING EXPERIENCE. THERE SHOULD BE BARE MINIMUMS THAT THE COMMUTERS; REGIONALS; AND MAJORS MUST ADHERE TO WHEN HIRING. THE MAJORS HAVE BEEN DOING A GOOD JOB AT HIRING QUALIFIED PLTS. THE REGIONALS HAVE NOT. ALL REGIONALS SHOULD HAVE A HARD MINIMUM OF 1200 HRS TOTAL TIME WITH A MINIMUM 100-200 MULTI-ENG HRS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.