Career after washing out of 121 training

[Dan Roman]

I was a check airmen for awhile, so I have a little experience with training.
So I'll make a few obsevations that seem relavant to you.
EVERYBODY has good days and bad. As a new hire, anyone can get behind the power curve and there simply is not enough time to sort it out. I know plenty of pilots that have a story like you, perservered and are now jet Captains somewere else. In training it's not so much whether you make mistakes or not, it's how you handle it. By your posting it sounds like you are handling it spot on with a very good attitude. (like I said, in a new hire situation, especially new to glass, it can happen to anyone). Learn and grow from this (it sounds like you are) and you will be better than those who have never dealt with your situation. As everyone says, it's highly likely you'll look back on this in a few years and be glad it happened, although I'm sure you are having a hard time believing that now. Good luck and keep flying.

 

[MOCO]

Everything happens for a reason! Yeah it sucks to hear that now but it's TRUE!

First of all, having been an avid flightinfo junkie for the past few year years this is only my sixth post. I was moved by how brave your initital post was regarding your training bust and for seeking advice.
Also, I am very moved by how CONSTUCTIVE the input has been been by all the pilots offering such sage advice.
On the "everything happens for a reason vein", I interveiwed with ATA in in 2001 and did not receive the job offer. After feeling sorry for myself for a week I decided to go for it, get the 737 type for SWA and do everything possible to secure an interview. Long story short I was hired by SWA six years ago and couldn't be happier. Hang in there, everything happens for a reason. In closing we carried two ATA pilots today who ferried the LAST ATA jet to Tucson today; very sad.

 

[Captainzero1]

'Obstacles are those frightful things we see when we take our eyes of our goals'

Pick yourself up and go on, things truly happen for a reason.

 

[chuckthepilot]

Life

Life is what happens while you are making other plans.

 

[sunlitpath]

Come on Back

You can always come back. If you were hirable at Eagle, you are hirable at any regional airline. Training departments vary greatly in our industry. Consider coming to ASA. The training is second to none! They certainly won't ask you to leave after 8 or 10 sims. They do 99% of the screening at the door.

 

[saabservant]

Give Mesaba a try. Excellent training dept., they train to proficiency. Have seen many cfi's make the jump to the crj or the more difficult Saab. Have only seen bad attitudes or the lazy get washed out.
Also has a very strong alpa leadership, including the training committee.
A key: the moment you are starting to struggle, get help and talk to someone! Don't wait until you get to a checkride while unsure of procedures or your confidence.
Also, do your flows and calls until you are ready to puke. Then you know them....
Finally, look at your friends who have given up. Look at the miserable jobs they do, and the dream they have left unfilled. They are half-empty shells. Pathetic, half-men.
Do you want to be them, ten years from now? Nope.
Soon, you will look down at all the sheep, commuting to and from work, every day on the crowded highways. Not you, though! You go to work maybe twice a week, and stay in the "finest" hotels, with the "hottest" flight attendants and co-pilots!.
Yeee hawwww!

Good Luck...







Good luck.

 

[CX880]

I'm not entirely sure other regionals are out of the question. You have pretty good flight time but I think you may have to resort to lower tier regionals. Try Colgan, Mesa, apply anywhere else before going the 135 route. There still are regionals hiring out there and I would imagine ERJ145 operators would love to have you since you know the airplane. Don't give up, it's not the end of the world.

 

[OPECJet]

I'd give Piedmont a try as well. Best of luck. You've definitely earned my respect with this thread.

 

[wacoflyr]

I trained at eagle. Got there with almost 5,000, mostly twin time and some serious IFR in the northeast. They just about ate my lunch. I consider myself lucky to have gotten through. How any 1,000 hour CFI gets through is beyond me. Many flowbacks from American have failied that course. Believe me, you can be an excellent pilot and not make it through there, and those Embraer sims are very unstable single engine.
I have no doubt that you are a good pilot, and I applaud you for trying to make such a huge jump. I highly, highly reccomend you do a little 135 work, maybe some check hauling. It will introduce you to a new regulatory einvironment, as well as sharpen your IFR skills. After a year of scheduled 135 at night, you won't be afraid to look any pilot in the eye.

Keep your chin up. I consider you lucky to avoid being an Eagle FO. It's not a fun job.

Regards, Wacoflyr

 

[91100 100 set]

I'd like to compliment everyone for posting supportive replies to the original poster.

 

[J and E's Daddy]

As a current Part 121 pilot, you need to forget about it and move on. I played baseball in college. I remember a game where I pitched and couldn't get out of the first inning. I couldn't even get a batter out. After I got removed from the game, my coach said the next time I go out there. I have to forget about what happened and put it behind me. Just learn from your experiences and it will not happen again. I blew a recurrent oral, and I went for remedial training, and used this same philosophy. Also many people have, what Psychologists call, a performance anxiety this affects alot of athletes and students, where once the "lights go on, the mind goes off" if this is the case, you may want to talk to a psychologist and they can recommend and help you in ways to prepare and relax to where you will be fine once thrust in the spotlight.
Feel free to PM me for any additional information.

 

[av8tor4239]

Coming from ASA.. I can vouch for their training department.... they had the best training I have ever gone thru... kudos to ASA training keep it up..

 

[pianoman]

Yup. A lot of things happen for a reason. I remember being bummed that CCAir wouldn't call me back. Or Colgan. My first choice was ACA (before Fly-i). Didn't get that one either.

But things worked out in the end.

 

[Gator1999]

You have the right attitude to do well wherever you end up, keep your chin up and it's gonna pay off. It's been said before and I know for a fact that everything happens for a reason. I believe that in a few years, you'll look back and be glad that you are down a different road...not that there is anything wrong with Eagle, it just wasn't in your plan. There are plenty of regionals hiring right now, you'll have no problem with getting on with another one. Good luck!

 

[A-V-8]

I am cringing at the thought of adding my advice so take it for what its worth. I don’t know what airframe you were on at Eagle but you made it to the check ride. Try and go to another regional that will give you a good chance of going to that airframe. I have a friend who washed out of Jet Blue and he went on to USA 3000. You will almost certainly pass on round two.

During training consider investing in a yoke and pedals and practice flying on MS Simulator with the same or similar instruments that you will see in the sim. Training tarnishes everyone’s stick and rudder skills because you are off of the controls for so long in the desk.

If you came off of the CRJ at Eagle you might want to consider Mesa. Mesa is hiring virtually anyone right now. There is a good chance that you will head for the CRJ. Folks are getting 14 sim lessons and plenty of IOE because the quality of candidates took a nose dive as of late. You will be walked through in baby steeps in our training department because they can’t do without everyone that they hire. Mesa may be an ideal choice for YOU right now. Like I wrote though; I don’t know what airframe you came from. Just a stepping stone to help you over a bump along your path.

Moving on. Lori Clark is a former pilot recruiter at Mesa. She moved on to start her own pilot consulting firm. She could help you with how to talk about this in an interview. I would highly recommend you get in touch with her and discuss your situation and get professional help on how to present this to your next interviewer. http://www.flytheline.com/