Cincinatti: SWA and WIA Conference...

[BlueNuts]

Well, I had nothing better to do while in CVG this weekend and stopped in the Women In Aviation International Conference yesterday and of course levitated right to the folks at SWA.

The SWA rep said the unwritten plans were to have about 400 on the property by March 04. For you guys who are not versed in arithmetic that’s...

300 ish from the pool plus 100 more!!

Projections included another 600 within a year!

While Pipe Dream projections were to be a
TEN THOUSAND PILOT AIRLINE by 2008.

But who knows what reality holds for SWA or any American Airline over the next few years....

Just more rumor I suppose.

Over and Out

 

[Lindy]

Trip Report

I was there too!!

And the hockey injury doesn't look THAT bad.....good luck w/ the interview!!

Trip Report:

1. The attendance didn't seem to have as many military personnel as other conferences (unfortunately, for obvious reasons). God be with our soldiers. To me, I noticed less men than past conferences.

2. Crowd and total flight time seemed less than past conferences. This can be attributed to many reasons. Economy. Furloughs. Enthusiasm (or lack therefore of) of "higher" time candidates.

3. Those that fall within the "higher time" category -- many furloughees!!

4. FedEx was ever so gracious.

5. Alaska was too!!

6. SWA was nice and met the famed LL!!

7. AirTran wasn't too happy about being "left off the attendee list" -- a MAJOR faux pas of the conference schedulers. And meeting JN was very pleasant!!

8. jetBlue was obliging (and I mean that in the sincerest way, as the weight requirement was the topic of conversation.....)

9. AWA was helpful.

10. Update -- Update -- Update for UPS

11. USA3000 -- didn't stop by the booth after "briefed" that they wanted 1000 hours of FMS time.......dare I say DC-9 on my profile?

12. ATA was pleasant.

13. Didn't stop by the Regional Airlines -- maybe someone else can comment.

14. Gotta love that "free stuff" (after the registration, was it so free???). Best take -- the Boeing Laundry bag.

15. Not just for pilots!! This is an awesome conference for engineers and mechanics and students. Pass it along to all individuals that you now!!

16. Wonderful to run into friends from flight school and even representatives from the alma mater.

17. And the biggy -- NOT just for Women!!

18. The educational seminars are worthwhile and informative. I attended 4 (out of 6 possible).

19. Had a wonderful opportunity to meet and have lunch with the Russian Pilots.


If I forgot someone -- I'm so very, very sorry!!

 

[wmudriver]

Got a killer paper weight from my girlfriend who attended!

 

[JayDub]

I was very unimpressed, however, with jetBlue and Comair. At the JetBlue table, myself and two others in my group (going at different times) were treated fairly rudely by some of their representatives. One basically told me to go away and come back when I'm an experienced pilot, because right now they don't want anything to do with me. Talking at the banquet on Saturday with some people at our table, they were expressing feelings about the somewhat "elitist" attitude that the company was displaying the whole time at the conference.

FlyChicaga,

I am very, very sorry this happened to you. That should never ever happen. Please PM the names of the people from jetBlue and any specific examples that you found offensive. This sort of thing can get nipped in the bud from the get-go.

With this said, let me say one thing; there is a minimum level of experience it takes to even have a hope of getting hired these days. What I mean is I hope you didn't rush up to them saying "hire me tomorrow". With 4500 applications on file that meets, or probably far exceeds every qualification that is listed on the web site, you have to be realistic. I just hope none of the three people you referenced were hoping for much more than an initial meeting to say "hi" and hopefully have their face remembered sometime in the future.

As far as Comair is concerned, be grateful they aren't charging 12 grand for their ground school again. Whenever you have a company that hires people that ordinarily wouldn't even apply in good times, things get thrown out of perspective. I am sure they are just glad that people are willing to talk to them.

Now to Delta. Have you ever been to one of these job fairs when Delta was hiring? I have done the shuffle in my blue suit and red tie. It would have been humiliating had I not assured myself it was "for the team". What he was alluding to in his remark is what Plato Rhyne has always maintained; their number one candidate is ex-military working currently at a 121 airline. It may not make sense to you right now, but 121 times is a big draw to these big airlines.

I don't mean to dash your hopes, but at this stage of the game, your goal should have been merely to get your face out there for recognition later. If any one gave you hopes of getting a turbine job for more that the low twenties a year at this point in your career, they were doing you a disservice.

I wish you luck. Keep doing what you're doing (building time and contacts) and something will eventually work out.

JayDub

 

[LearLove]

"8. jetBlue was obliging (and I mean that in the sincerest way, as the weight requirement was the topic of conversation.....)"

JB has a weight requirement?

 

[JayDub]

But talking to many of these companies helps low-time pilots to get ideas about what they need to do to become marketable in the future. To be told to come back later when I'm marketable isn't really helpful in that sense.

If you have any question at all, please feel free to shoot it my way. If I can't answer it, I'd be more than happy to find out for you. If you like, I'll even PM you my real e-mail address.

Lear Love,

1,000 hours over 20,000#. It's on the web site.

JayDub

 

[LearLove]

O I was thinking personal weight not aircraft weight. Thanks

 

[Lindy]

Personal weight went out a few years ago.....some lawsuit....those attorneys.


It was about the aircraft weight and/or the 1000 hours w/ 20K.

And the paper weight IS really cool....it is all about the "free stuff."