American Eagle internal Pilot Mins.

[73belair]

No matter what, this post will turn into people bashing other people. It's just how flightinfo works.

 

[Flyer1015]

FlyAA,

I've been watching Eagle's min hiring requirements, and the first time they started to hire after 9/11, the mins. were 1500TT/500ME.

Then later, they were dropped to 1200 TT / 200 ME (this is during your time).

Then again, they were dropped to 1000TT/100ME.

Since they lowered to 1000/100 for current employees back when the mins. were 1200/200,

I wonder if they're currently 800TT/100 ME or 500 TT / 100 ME (reduction from the 1000 TT / 100 ME for external applicants).

 

[MarineGrunt]

The college I went to has a program with AE in which you can get hired with 500/100. I assume they would do internal hiring with the same mins. I know they are taking applications, but I don't think they are interviewing yet.

 

[BoilerUP]

AE minimums for graduates of Purdue, UND, ERAU, Southern Illinois, Western Michigan, and most other well-known aviation universities is 500/100. Same goes for AA/AE interns, and I *believe* internal candidates like bag handlers and CSRs.

Source: American Eagle handout, 2004 NIFA national competition

 

[V2plus25]

Why Eagle? Why, oh why?


After 4 years I was still asking myself that question.

 

[Flightdawg]

Apply only to flying jobs that are either a career position or helps you attain one by giving you an upgrade to Captain in a year or two.

 

[BoilerUP]

Apply only to flying jobs that are either a career position or helps you attain one by giving you an upgrade to Captain in a year or two.

What would you suggest?

 

[Flyer1015]

Apply only to flying jobs that are either a career position or helps you attain one by giving you an upgrade to Captain in a year or two.

Can you honestly look at an airline, and KNOW FOR SURE that you will make Captain in " a year or two ? " Absolutely not! This might have been true pre 9/11, but not anymore. There are FAR TOOOOO MANY factors beyond your control for you to judge that.

I've always maintained that when applying to regionals, go where you think you can stick it out for at least 5 years, if not more in case sh*t hits the fan. Do you like the bases, will you commute, QOL issues, etc ?

Do NOT look at upgrade times as your main 'deciding factor.'

 

[Pilot1625]

Bandit60

No offense but 500tt/100hrs multi. Remind me to fly on another airline. This is just scary.

I was an intern but had around 1700TT, sheesh. The battle will always continue of those who had a bazillion hours before they were hired versus those who had low time. I've flown with some high time captains who didn't know #$%@ about the airplane nor could fly it well. Then again, I know of many low time new hires who had difficulty in training.

What would you think of a new hire who had 3000TT but 99% of it was VFR flying or a 500TT pilot who had vast IFR experience? There are gripes to both sides of this issue. The fact remains that most regional pay/benefits/upgrade times are slow right now so when you can't attract many pilots with high mins, you lower them! Supply and demand...

Furthermore, at Eagle, sure everyone agrees that the flowback/upgrade times are terrible...7+ years. However, I also know many Eagle pilots who said Eagle used to be the place to go for upgrade time. All airlines go through growth/non growth modes. Eagle is currently in a bad rut, but the grass isn't always greener on the other side (as mentioned every other thread, it seems).

I remember that after choosing Eagle, I really liked ExpressJet. In fact I still love the product that ExpressJet offers....great interiors for a small jet, boarding music, etc. Friends kept saying "Come over!! We have all the flowbacks gone, 113 going up to CAL, and then hiring off the street; many are pref. interviews from XJT." Yet I read the 10K that CAL filed this week and realize that if they dont' get the concessions from CAL, airplanes cancelled and perhaps a furlough down the road... As a former intern for AA, I was right in the middle when Carty wanted 1B in concessions from the company. It will take many months before anything is resolved at any place that demands such conessions.

So in short, sorry for making this simple thread on hiring times so long and detailed, but there are some real whiners out there, myself included. But at the end of the day, with times as bad as they are for all airlines, at least I didn't have to fly around frieght in bad weather for a couple years till things turned around. At Eagle, my upgrade will be indefinte until the next major swing comes around, and for now I'm gonna deal with it.

 

[SkyBoy1981]

Can you honestly look at an airline, and KNOW FOR SURE that you will make Captain in " a year or two ? " Absolutely not! This might have been true pre 9/11, but not anymore. There are FAR TOOOOO MANY factors beyond your control for you to judge that.

I've always maintained that when applying to regionals, go where you think you can stick it out for at least 5 years, if not more in case sh*t hits the fan. Do you like the bases, will you commute, QOL issues, etc ?

Do NOT look at upgrade times as your main 'deciding factor.'

I would agree with this, but just be aware that AE currently has one of, if not the longest upgrade time of any regional airline. Also be prepared to move down to SJU and sit right seat in an ATR for a while. Nothing against AE, but these were factors that I had to take into consideration during my job search as well, and I decided AE wasn't for me. Thats not to say it wouldn't be a good choice for you though. Best of luck.