B-737 type rating for SWA hurt you elsewhere?

[Afterprop]

Not at AirTran

FWIW, be honest and tell the truth . . . most HR personnel are really in tune with what and how you're saying something and will most likely pick up on a fib. Tell the truth, and go with it. At my interview with AirTran, it never came up except one of the interviewers mentioned as an aside, "I hope you get to the 737 since you already have the type."
Cheers
'Props

 

[hawkerflyer]

A friend of mine was turned down at SWA, interviewed at CAL and was hired. It did come up but according to him, the interviewer actually joked about it. It seems like it's certainly manageable, if everything else goes well.

 

[GFunk20]

Not to mention your chances of going to the 737 at CAL are high anyway.


Great info guys, thanks a ton. Its just an issue Ive been wondering about lately when deciding what to do in the future.

Fly safe!

 

[Ninerfan]

It Helped

I had a 737 type and was hired by SWA when I interviewed at Fedex. It didn't come up. I'll tell you this, it was a very valuable training experience and helped me when I upgraded to the right seat of the 727 here at Fedex. FWIW.

 

[WMUSIGPI]

I am guessing Spirit frowns on the 737 type since they single it out on thier application even though they don't fly any and I don't think that acquiring them will happen any time soon.

 

[Tejas-Jet]

Most of those 737 places are type rating mills and spoon feed you by fire hose everything you need to pass, including answers to oral questions, exact checkride profiles, and the checkrides almost NEVER deviate from what you've practiced. I think the failure rate is in the single digit percentile for most of them.

Just an FYI....at my old "legacy" carrier, where I got my 737 type during my Captain upgrade....It was a 2 week ground school and in that ground school I got "everything I needed to pass."

We also had 5 sim ride followed by a PC and a LOFT....and I was overly prepared for that...

And the failure rate at my old "legacy" was also in the single digit percentile from what I was told by a Check Airman....

Soooooo....where's the difference?

BTW....got the type and sent in my app to SWA the very next day.

Tejas

 

[Lear70]

Just an FYI....at my old "legacy" carrier, where I got my 737 type during my Captain upgrade....It was a 2 week ground school and in that ground school I got "everything I needed to pass."

We also had 5 sim ride followed by a PC and a LOFT....and I was overly prepared for that...

And the failure rate at my old "legacy" was also in the single digit percentile from what I was told by a Check Airman....

Soooooo....where's the difference?

BTW....got the type and sent in my app to SWA the very next day.

Tejas

The difference is that you were being trained BY AN AIRLINE to actually fly the airplane, then you logged time in it.

HUGE difference. If you have any real question about that, go get a 20- series Lear type, they're about $4,000 to $6,000, one of the cheapest around, then go apply for a 20- series Lear job with 0 Learjet time, see how far that gets you (hint: most insurance companies require at LEAST 500 to 1,000 Lear PIC before they'll turn you loose in a 20- series).

Same would probably happen if you tried to get a direct-entry 737 PIC job in Asia or elsewhere they're hiring DE 737 CA's with the type but without any actual flight time in the 737.

The 737 type means next to nothing except for Southwest.

 

[Hamburger]

I think it ultimately boils down to how your potential employers VIEW
THEMSELVES on the food chain. CAL, JetBlue, etc seem to be comfortable in the knowledge that if they hire you, you are not going to jump ship to SWA.

Whereas, say, Allegiant, Champion, Kallitta, etc. know the score and will hold it against you.

I think the interviewing employer's attitude towards this issue SPEAKS VOLUMES as to what they have to offer career-wise.

 

[FreightNazi]

Have heard that UPS HR is very hesitant about a candidate with a 737 type.

 

[Tejas-Jet]

The difference is that you were being trained BY AN AIRLINE to actually fly the airplane, then you logged time in it.

True dat !!! But I thought your comments were about training....not actually flying the airplane...and your statement concerning training....when I walked out of that sim building with my freshly printed, wet ink, type rating and not yet having flown the airplane ( well, in the Left seat, anyway)....it was no different that a type one gets from a type school....it said "B 737" just like any other type....

And remember....airlines also do 737 type training to outside customers. In fact, as I recall, my old legacy also started charging for those that "just might want" a 737 type....and the pilots that took advantage of that never had any intention of flying the airplane....at that airline.

Tejas

 

[canyonblue737]

both are good companies. we can argue about future profitability of both companies, but right now SWA seems to have the upper hand. Also max FO pay at SWA is only a couple thousand dollars less than max CA pay at JB. things to consider.

 

[Lear70]

True dat !!! But I thought your comments were about training....not actually flying the airplane...and your statement concerning training....when I walked out of that sim building with my freshly printed, wet ink, type rating and not yet having flown the airplane ( well, in the Left seat, anyway)....it was no different that a type one gets from a type school....it said "B 737" just like any other type....

In a lot of places, I'm sure that's very true, especially for the 737.

In some other places, like Express One which was turning a 727 over to guys in their 20's, the type rides were brutal, orals could last between 6 to 8 hours, although the flying part wasn't too terribly bad.

Same thing for my CRJ type, the instructor got "creative" and gave me to simultaneous failures on top of each other (in violation of reg). Did OK, but some places aren't as friendly as others whereas the type rating mills wouldn't ever do that, it'd kill business.

Either way, I don't think that an employer would view it as a "plus" or some sort of "guarantee" that you'd pass THEIR training. I think THAT was the point I was trying to make and might not have done very well making.

And remember....airlines also do 737 type training to outside customers. In fact, as I recall, my old legacy also started charging for those that "just might want" a 737 type....and the pilots that took advantage of that never had any intention of flying the airplane....at that airline.

Tejas

Yeah, I seem to remember USAirways doing something like that back in the early 90's (don't know if that's where you were talking about as I KINDA recall UAL doing it too). My dad mentioned it to me but I had no intention of buying the type. I'm sure places like that had no intention of busting anyone out, people would stop paying...

 

[Double Shot]

I think it ultimately boils down to how your potential employers VIEW
THEMSELVES on the food chain. CAL, JetBlue, etc seem to be comfortable in the knowledge that if they hire you, you are not going to jump ship to SWA.

Whereas, say, Allegiant, Champion, Kallitta, etc. know the score and will hold it against you.

I think the interviewing employer's attitude towards this issue SPEAKS VOLUMES as to what they have to offer career-wise.

I did... Best thing I ever did too..

 

[hawk16e]

While interviewing to fly Lears and King Airs (with time in each) usually the first or second question was "You've been flying a DC-8 and have a 737 type. Why are you here?" At other airlines, it wasn't an issue (for me.)

 

[Phaedrus]

Wasn't an issue at AirTran or FedEx. I do wish I had my 7g's back though.

 

[Splinter]

It's pretty small minded for an interviewer to screw you for having a type. Air Tran, JB, and FedEx are loaded with new hires that bought the type. Not a big deal. They should remember that you cannot put all your eggs in one basket. Just remember that your loyalties now lie with your new employer and to show that in your interview.

 

[fandango]

No such thing as a free type

Nevermind.

 

[TexaSWA]

Have heard that UPS HR is very hesitant about a candidate with a 737 type.

We have had quite a few UPS guys come through the interview lately, so I wouldnt doubt it seeing that the company gets the background check request.

 

[skydiverdriver2]

Pilots are trying to leave UPS for SWA? Do you know why? Nothing against SWA, but once you get on with a good employer like UPS, why would you switch?

Thanks.

 

[FreightNazi]

Pilots are trying to leave UPS for SWA? Do you know why? Nothing against SWA, but once you get on with a good employer like UPS, why would you switch?

Thanks.

So they can be a "real" airline pilot. You know, unruly passengers, TSA, quick turns all day, no time to eat in a civilized manner, early AM shows, worry about the price of fuel, worry about some startup taking your business away and they get to prance around the terminals in front of all the passengers with their precious uniform on!