Joe Friday is spot on.
The number of basic aircraft handling errors has increased since the low time guys flooded the market. People who write the insurance checks are paying attention.
The 1,500 hour rule is one of the very few things the FAA has done right.
To avoid issues, you need three things, AT A MINIMUM:
1) Basic skill in handling the aircraft, including basic attitude awareness and performance
2) Basic skill in handing threats and errors, including how to know when airplanes get sideways and "the big picture"
3) Basic skill in handling people, including knowing when you need to pay more attention to the person you're flying with.
250 hours to devlop these skills in what is basically a non-supervise 121 operation is absolutely laughable. LAUGHABLE.
You don't develop these skills while flying with a CFI
You don't develop these skills while flying in the right seat of an automated jet
You don't develop these skills while flying in the right seat, letting the captain and the dispatcher make the calls
You don't develop these skills sitting in a simulator "flying" pre-scripted "scenarios". You have NO skin in that game.
People skoff at the idea that a CFI that spends "1,000 hours in the pattern" doesn't learn anything, but I submit that that is EXACTLY the kind of experiences that form the foundation.
As a CFI you:
Manually hand the aircraft all the time. Most of the aircraft are relatively low performace, which makes economy of action and performance essential.
You are observing a newbie constantly, making you VERY aware of what mistakes cause what problems, and, more importantly, what corrective actions are necessary, and HOW TO RAPIDLY IMPLEMENT THEM.
How to read people. No one is as uptight as a CFI signing off a guy for first solo. You know exactly every little twitch and quirk. You also learn how to resist telling someone how to do your job ("ahh, sign him off...he's a good guy").
You develop PIC skills as to how to make decisions as to when to fly, and are constantly looking for threats to your well being, as well as that of the student.
But, being a CFI isn't enough, so lets throw some 135 time in there as well, where you:
1) Learn to handle and monitor the aircraft, ALONE, because your life depends on it.
2) How to "THINK" about the weather, because there isn't a prayer of going over it.
3) Learn how to handle the pressure from chair bound idiots telling you to fly or that it's "good to go", including subtle, and not-so-subtle threats to your job. You learn how to say NO.
It just so happens that 1,500 hours (roughly 800 hours of dual given, plus 500 as PIC in 135) is the sweet spot for guys to START to know WTF they are doing, and more importantly, what they DON'T KNOW.
To think that a pilot who has been "handled" from baby bottle to throttle, with 300 hours, has any of these skills is ridiculous on its face. The system worked well for decades, but when companies started deviating from what worked for so long, then someone has to step in and fix it for them.
Here endeth the lesson. Now get off my lawn.
Richman