Paying thousands for a slim chance to get hired at SWA??

[contrail67]

If you are not confident enough to say you want to work for SWA soooo bad you will buy your type...I would not do it. If you were so confident that you wanted to work there you would not even be on this web board getting opinions about buying the type. They are the only company doing this.

Several legacys give you the PIC type in the equipment you are on...for free. And yes I know there are not any of them hiring at this time.

 

[contrail67]

So I guess all the money you spent to get the private, commercial, instrument, multi-engine ticket was paying for an interview as well? You need those to work at an airline as well.

You pay for your CRJ type, I'll pay for a 737 type and we'll talk in 10 years to see which option was better.

The point is that in General Aviation you buy your ratings to get on with other companies/opportunities....SWA is not a general aviation move. It is different getting you private to move up to the next rating and having to buy your type rating for 1 company that won't hire you without it.

 

[Whataburger]

Call it what you want. If calling it PFT makes you feel better, than by all means call it that. I PFT'ed my way thru every rating I got.
Now just looking at the 737 type. I have a friend at a regional and one at a major (he is about to get the ax) who are buying types.
The one at the regional has a couple types and tons of regional experience. How many dudes are just like him? NOW, how many unfurloughed regional pilots have gone out and bought the type? He is in a very low percentile.
The Major airline guy about to get furloughed will get the type this month. He will also most likely get the call. Which will be ahead of all the United, Cactus, Frontier, and Continental guys who are waiting to get the ax to get a paid for type rating. Different strokes for different folks. Its a $7k gamble to get a job.
If you are a go-getter, get it.

 

[The Prussian]

Got my 737 type the old fashioned way.

Worked for an airline that flew them and got a few thousand hours in the seat.

Glad I saved myself the cash because, to be quite honest, I probably would've found a way to buy it if I didn't have it already.

(Even though I have not yet, nor do I intend to apply to SWA in the near future)

Well, Fourloughed Again, what else is there to say???

 

[AC560]

It is different getting you private to move up to the next rating and having to buy your type rating for 1 company that won't hire you without it.

I know I felt the same away about my CFI, I just couldn't get a flight school to hire me without it. I told them no way am I going to PFT.

Paying for training is paying for training, the only guys getting it for free are in the military. While I think one can make an argument that paying to sit in the right seat of a commercial operation to build time is sleazy. Paying to get a type rating is no different then paying to get any other certificate or rating.

 

[Flybet3]

I know I felt the same away about my CFI, I just couldn't get a flight school to hire me without it. I told them no way am I going to PFT.

Paying for training is paying for training, the only guys getting it for free are in the military. While I think one can make an argument that paying to sit in the right seat of a commercial operation to build time is sleazy. Paying to get a type rating is no different then paying to get any other certificate or rating.

Fu*** right!

 

[Herkdrv]

I know I felt the same away about my CFI, I just couldn't get a flight school to hire me without it. I told them no way am I going to PFT.

Paying for training is paying for training, the only guys getting it for free are in the military. While I think one can make an argument that paying to sit in the right seat of a commercial operation to build time is sleazy. Paying to get a type rating is no different then paying to get any other certificate or rating.

Not true. You pay in 10 year contracts, endless deployments, and the endless stuff you have to put up with when you are in the military. Having said that I loved my time in and would not trade it for anything in the world. :beer:

 

[Quimby]

Everything decision has an opportunity cost, nothing is "free" no matter how you look at it.

carry on.