Getting Hired at a Major Airline

[Bally]

I have spent most of my aviation career as a corporate pilot flying 135 on-demand charter. A few years ago I was hired by a major airline.

I have noticed during my tenure at the airline that the military guys go out of their way to help get their “buddy’s” hired. It seems like it is in the military culture that they will help each other get in. The airline supports this as we are encouraged to let a Chief Pilot know if a candidate is a “good guy”. We also have an internal pilot referral form which is now used by the decision committee for new hires. A number of the military guys petition directly to the decision committee.

Why don’t we do this in corporate aviation? Or maybe we do and I just didn’t have any friends (joke). It took me years just to get an interview, and I was rejected by the first two majors I interviewed with.

As a civilian pilot, I had no one helping me get hired at any of the major airlines. I waited many years to get in and I began to think I would never make it. With that said, I thought it would be a great idea for us civilian pilots to help each other out like the military guys do for each other. While I may be biased, it is my experience that corporate pilots are the best aviators in the civilian sector. Being a corporate pilot, especially on-demand charter, is more challenging than any other civil aviation job.

I continue a close relationship with the charter company I flew with for so many years. The Company is based in Southern California but has aircraft all over. They are an outstanding operator and very well regarded in the industry, among pilots, and among the aircraft owners who have their aircraft managed or those aircraft owners who manage their own airplane but utilize their charter certificate.

If anyone flying a jet whose owner is looking for a well run aircraft management company or an owner who simply needs a charter certificate, I highly recommend this operator. If you join the company and are of course a nice person and solid aviator, I and another pilot at the airline who also worked for this operator would be happy to sponsor you in the event you are interested in pursuing a career with a major airline. The airline I work for is hiring a ton of pilots and the hiring is planned to continue indefinitely.

While I would like to help all my brethren in corporate aviation, I cannot use my recommendation privileges loosely. I therefore thought that those working with my former employer would give me an opportunity to get to know you and would allow me to generate a bona fide recommendation.

If interested, please PM me.

 

[Brett Hull]

I think it is this way. I've been trying and trying and trying to get a 91 job back home in St. Louis for 4 years, with all of the best jobs going to people who have inside connections.

It sucks if you're someone like myself with no connections who doesn't feel comfortable kissing someone's hindquarters (especially someone you don't know) just to get a job.

 

[sleepy]

I got my first corporate job on my own. I left for the airlines, then after 911 decided that corporate would be better in the long run. I used a connection from that first corporate job to land the next (better) one. I believe that good corporate is mostly who you know.

 

[AA717driver]

It sucks if you're someone like myself with no connections who doesn't feel comfortable kissing someone's hindquarters (especially someone you don't know) just to get a job.

I have no problem kissing a$$. Fifteen years with the airlines stripped me of any pride which might have stood in the way...

I think the problem is that corporate/charter departments are so isolated--no one in my department even knows anyone from other departments on the field, let alone elswhere in the country. I still communicate with and try to help guys I knew from the commuters we worked for as well as people at TWA who are looking to improve their careers (and not have to return to AA).

Until the advent of the internet and message boards like this and CaaM, there was very little interaction between individuals outside of their own departments. It's still like that for a lot of people.

But the good news is that it's changing.TC

 

[BenderGonzales]

I think you've got it backwards. We need to find a system to help those poor shmucks who are still at the airlines get out!

Time for a quick reminder of all of the things we disliked about airline. Found the following list on a thread called, "Whats Corp Like"? It was written by a poster named, "FurloughedAgain" (we could practically stop there.)

Thought of a few more things that make me happy:

1. No more hats (yes, I wore mine like I was told)
2. No more ties
3. No more dragging my rollaboard around with a 50 lb flight-kit attached
4. No more dragging said rollaboard through ice/snow in the employee lot
5. No more employee lot busses lacking air-conditioning, heat, and shocks
6. No more waiting at employee lot bus-stops
7. No more entering security codes at every &%@$# door in the building
8. No more TSA telling me to take off my shoes
9. No more TSA inspecting my flashlight for the 40th time
10. No more TSA telling me to remove my hat
11. No more TSA leaning in to smell my breath
12. No more TSA
13. No more gate agents taking their good ol' time printing the release
14. No more waiting for gate agents to give you access to your airplane
15. No more waiting for jetway drivers
16. No more calling ops to ask for said jetway driver & being told, "shift change"
17. No more flight attendants calling up front because it's too hot, cold, bumpy
18. No more flight attendants sitting in first class instead of providing customer service
19. No more flight attendants whining about not getting crew meals
20. No more flight attendants whining when they DO get crew meals
21. No more APU's deferred with no ground air carts available
22. No more waiting for the hotel van
23. No more roadside fleabag hotels
24. No more :40 van rides to the long-overnight hotel so the F/As can shop
25. No more apologies for being away on weekends, holidays, special occasions
26. No more watching flying be outsourced to the lowest bidder
27. No more watching ALPA spend dues on "strongly worded letters"
28. No more ALPA (thats the best part!)
29. No more delapidated "crew rooms"
30. No more junior manning or extensions
31. No more pagers
32. No more calls from scheduling at 2am to transition you from regular reserve to short-call
33. No more quick-calls to go to Akron and back
34. No more racing through the terminal and grabbing a McValue Meal during a 15 minute break
35. No more equipment changes every time you fly through the hub
36. No more nastygrams from the company whenever you're in negotiations
37. No more feeling ashamed at the lack of customer service the company provides.
38. No more apologizing for weather, aircraft size, ATC delays, mechanical delays, etc.
39. No more groundschools in converted hangars or old elementary schools.
40. and finally... no more turning on CNN every night and wondering whether the airline is still in business.

 

[ElCid88]

I think we worked for the same airline!

 

[UPSer]

I think you've got it backwards. We need to find a system to help those poor shmucks who are still at the airlines get out!

Time for a quick reminder of all of the things we disliked about airline. Found the following list on a thread called, "Whats Corp Like"? It was written by a poster named, "FurloughedAgain" (we could practically stop there.)

Thought of a few more things that make me happy:

1. No more hats (yes, I wore mine like I was told)
2. No more ties
3. No more dragging my rollaboard around with a 50 lb flight-kit attached
4. No more dragging said rollaboard through ice/snow in the employee lot
5. No more employee lot busses lacking air-conditioning, heat, and shocks
6. No more waiting at employee lot bus-stops
7. No more entering security codes at every &%@$# door in the building
8. No more TSA telling me to take off my shoes
9. No more TSA inspecting my flashlight for the 40th time
10. No more TSA telling me to remove my hat
11. No more TSA leaning in to smell my breath
12. No more TSA
13. No more gate agents taking their good ol' time printing the release
14. No more waiting for gate agents to give you access to your airplane
15. No more waiting for jetway drivers
16. No more calling ops to ask for said jetway driver & being told, "shift change"
17. No more flight attendants calling up front because it's too hot, cold, bumpy
18. No more flight attendants sitting in first class instead of providing customer service
19. No more flight attendants whining about not getting crew meals
20. No more flight attendants whining when they DO get crew meals
21. No more APU's deferred with no ground air carts available
22. No more waiting for the hotel van
23. No more roadside fleabag hotels
24. No more :40 van rides to the long-overnight hotel so the F/As can shop
25. No more apologies for being away on weekends, holidays, special occasions
26. No more watching flying be outsourced to the lowest bidder
27. No more watching ALPA spend dues on "strongly worded letters"
28. No more ALPA (thats the best part!)
29. No more delapidated "crew rooms"
30. No more junior manning or extensions
31. No more pagers
32. No more calls from scheduling at 2am to transition you from regular reserve to short-call
33. No more quick-calls to go to Akron and back
34. No more racing through the terminal and grabbing a McValue Meal during a 15 minute break
35. No more equipment changes every time you fly through the hub
36. No more nastygrams from the company whenever you're in negotiations
37. No more feeling ashamed at the lack of customer service the company provides.
38. No more apologizing for weather, aircraft size, ATC delays, mechanical delays, etc.
39. No more groundschools in converted hangars or old elementary schools.
40. and finally... no more turning on CNN every night and wondering whether the airline is still in business.

Sounds like you worked for a commuter and not a real airline?

 

[AA717driver]

I had no problem getting out of the airlines--AA did all the work for me! TC

 

[AA717driver]

Sounds like you worked for a commuter and not a real airline?

Nope. Sounds like most major airlines (not UPS or FEX) I know.TC

 

[ElCid88]

Exactly.

 

[blzr]

I think it is this way. I've been trying and trying and trying to get a 91 job back home in St. Louis for 4 years, with all of the best jobs going to people who have inside connections.

It sucks if you're someone like myself with no connections who doesn't feel comfortable kissing someone's hindquarters (especially someone you don't know) just to get a job.

Hey Brett, long time no see. I heard there is a job comming open in our hangar. Have you heard about it?

 

[flx757]

Sounds like you worked for a commuter and not a real airline?

Sounds like you are nothing but the continually banned flamebaiter who has previously posted (and been banned) as:

TheGuat, Rhoid, GuppyKiller, TheGuppyKiller, E170GuppyKiller, FreightNazi, ABXpert, OUT, 410Dude, IHaveAPension, TheMissingLink, LucyFurr, RJDC, and numerous others.

 

[Brett Hull]

Hey Brett, long time no see. I heard there is a job comming open in our hangar. Have you heard about it?

No. Who?

 

[Brett Hull]

I have no problem kissing a$$. Fifteen years with the airlines stripped me of any pride which might have stood in the way...

I think the problem is that corporate/charter departments are so isolated--no one in my department even knows anyone from other departments on the field, let alone elswhere in the country. I still communicate with and try to help guys I knew from the commuters we worked for as well as people at TWA who are looking to improve their careers (and not have to return to AA).

Until the advent of the internet and message boards like this and CaaM, there was very little interaction between individuals outside of their own departments. It's still like that for a lot of people.

But the good news is that it's changing.TC

(handing TC a tissue to wipe the brown stuff off his nose)

I Keed! I Keed!

And to clarify myself lest I sound like a butthole, that's cool. What makes me shake my head, however, is when you hear people trying to get ahold of their flight instructor, roommate, or friend's brother's uncle's sister's ex husband whom you've met once years ago who's a big shiny jet captain, because you need a job. You didn't care to keep in touch until now you want something...:smash:

Now does anyone at any of the big named departments in STL need a special friend? I'll buy the :beer:

 

[AA717driver]

Brett--Jet Corp's gotta hire eventually. At least that will get you back to STL.

Then you can go over to Monsanto, Emerson and AB and wash cars during lunch break... TC

 

[Brett Hull]

Brett--Jet Corp's gotta hire eventually. At least that will get you back to STL.

As bad as I want to move home, I'm don't want to move back THAT bad.

Then you can go over to Monsanto, Emerson and AB and wash cars during lunch break... TC

On second thought...I do have a nice bucket and sponge. Gotta go get me a chamois

 

[Tonala2k]

Where the difference is.

It started to get touched on. The big difference is that the military guys are like frat brothers. They've spent a lot of time together. On the out side world we have very separate lives away from flying and when we fly, we fly. very little interaction with people that are not a part of the flight.

What we can do.

Looking sideways: My best contact was a flight school buddy. I called him up asking for some advice. I found out he went regional while I was still trying to find a CFI job. He referred me to his last school and made all the calls, faxes and e-mails. Needless to say I got the job.

Looking Back: I keep an eye on my students that want to go professional. I keep in touch and let them know of any leads

Looking Forward: I keep in touch with my flight instructors to keep them posted on what I'm doing. Any CFI is excited to hear about their students' success. I take time to talk about them as well. When something come up, they let me know.

Reaching Out: On a regular basis I come in contact with other pilots. I'm sure they think my friendship is fake, but that's OK. I really enjoy just talking to them and getting further insight. Who knows, I may impress the right guy at the right time.l

 

[temcgrew]

JetCorp is a good place for temporary work, seems to always be hiring.
As for Bally's first point of corporat pilot "brethren" helping each other out, most will not because they were to busy stabbing each other in the back to upgrade or grab that chief pilot position. Maybe I had a bad experience but no one at any 135 jobs I was at would do anything to help out, but they would rather shoot your knees out to make themselves look better.

 

[temcgrew]

As bad as I want to move home, I'm don't want to move back THAT bad.

You must have worked for them before!!