I was in the same interview group with UAL GSO, and currently swimming alongside. (Hey D! maybe they'll call Mon?...maybe not.)
I too am a long time unemployed 121 pilot..DOF 1/1/02, haven't flown anything bigger than a Pilatus since, and that only for about 60 hours well over a year ago.
I do have 1025 PIC me turbine 121, in a 1900 6 years ago.
I am typed on 5 aircraft including two of the three ATA flys, but only PIC time in the 1900 and many small pistons.
1 LOR from an ATA friend whom I've never flown with. His letter was very good and I'm sure helped immensely. Nowhere in it did he say anything about my flying abilities or that he had flown with me. I think as long as the person knows you, and the type of person you are, it doesn't matter if they have flown with you. I did bring two LORs to the interview from colleagues whom I've flown with in the past, but are not employees of ATA. Not sure if these helped or were necessary but I figured they couldn't hurt. FWIW they were not generic photocopies but specific targeted letters to ATA that I had them write the week before the interview.
I've sent hundreds of resume's to many places, some with LOR's from pilots I have flown and some without any LOR. Why did I get the interview at ATA? Your guess is as good as mine. I guess what I'm trying to say is you don't have to have all the "boxes" checked but the more you have the better.
As Jimmy V said "Don't give up, don't ever give up."
I too am a long time unemployed 121 pilot..DOF 1/1/02, haven't flown anything bigger than a Pilatus since, and that only for about 60 hours well over a year ago.
I do have 1025 PIC me turbine 121, in a 1900 6 years ago.
I am typed on 5 aircraft including two of the three ATA flys, but only PIC time in the 1900 and many small pistons.
1 LOR from an ATA friend whom I've never flown with. His letter was very good and I'm sure helped immensely. Nowhere in it did he say anything about my flying abilities or that he had flown with me. I think as long as the person knows you, and the type of person you are, it doesn't matter if they have flown with you. I did bring two LORs to the interview from colleagues whom I've flown with in the past, but are not employees of ATA. Not sure if these helped or were necessary but I figured they couldn't hurt. FWIW they were not generic photocopies but specific targeted letters to ATA that I had them write the week before the interview.
I've sent hundreds of resume's to many places, some with LOR's from pilots I have flown and some without any LOR. Why did I get the interview at ATA? Your guess is as good as mine. I guess what I'm trying to say is you don't have to have all the "boxes" checked but the more you have the better.
As Jimmy V said "Don't give up, don't ever give up."
