Realistically-how long from Private to right seat for Southwest?

[ReportCanoa]

Dump the wife, get a girlfriend and have some fun. Goals are nice, but if it takes you 10 years, at that point you're already divorced. Good luck!

 

[RUNNINHORN]

yea, im not too worried about how fast now, slow and steady is fine, more concerned with obtaining the correct training and learning everything than speed.

Will stay on with Fedex Express as long as I can and continue my training.......

 

[Dubya]

Lemme tell you a little bit about quirky wives.....ahhhh nevermind..pm me if you want details....


Worry about the left seat of a CRJ for now...that's 6 to 10 years away...and I second the motion to add a girlfriend to the equation...not a quirky one though....thats just asking for trouble.imp:

W

 

[OpenClimb]

Not SWA, but my story...

I was entrenched in a career/profession I didn't really care for. I spent all my time and all my extra money playing with and flying airplanes. A friend suggested that I should be a professional pilot. I objected saying that I'd never be able to pay my bills on a starting F/O salary (which was definitely true). This friend, in an uncharacteristic display of wisdom, asked me which I liked best: my big house, my Lexus, my airplanes, my motorcycles, etc. or HAPPINESS.

The rest is history. I sold everything, took a vow of poverty and decided to be an airline pilot. I had my Private certificate, an instrument rating and about 750 hours total time at the beginning of my journey. Almost exactly a year later, Mesa hired me with about 1300TT/150ME.

It took me 5-1/2 years and employment with 2 different regional carriers from the time I "retired" from my first career to the day I was hired as a F/O at Frontier. I didn't have any connections whatsoever in obtaining my first regional airline job. In fact, looking back on it, I went into the interview quite literally: fat, dumb and happy! (but I had a great suit!)

I never applied to Southwest because I don't meet their turbine PIC time requirement. I always opted for the F/O seat in a bigger, more advanced airplane rather than getting the 1000PIC. In hindsight, this was a mistake as it seriously inhibits my marketability.

All the standard disclaimers apply: Your mileage may vary. I'm not saying what I did was right, wrong or indifferent. It's been 48 hours since I stayed in a Holiday Inn Express, etc.

Good luck in your career.

 

[RefugePilot]

If you are working on your private license and MBA at the same time you are spinning your wheels.

According to my figures when I made the career commitment to aviation, five years ago, I should already be in the right seat, and making six figures. Instead I will be making 4 figures(low end) and flying freight next year; less than I would have made out of college over a decade ago, if I went that route. And I am excited about my new job as it is a step in the right direction in the aviation world. I have stopped speculating where and when I will be making the big bucks and flying a "real plane" otherwise I would have left aviation in dissapointment out of unrealized goals.

What I can guarantee you:

You will spend $20-30k more on aviation before you make $1

You will probably make less than $15k your first year as a commercial pilot.

You will make less than $25k your next year and probably less than $30k the following 3 years

These figures are if you are lucky and go balls to the wall. It could be worse.

Then when you finally meet the current highering minimums Southwest may no longer be in business or may have changed the the minimums. If you meet the mins, you may still not get interviewed or hired. At least you have your MBA to fall back on.

I am not saying Southwest is going out of business soon, or that being a pilot is not worth it in the end. It is just going to be a long road between here and there and the industry has always been changing, now more than ever.

You have a long difficult path ahead of you if you want to be a pilot, don't go into more debt to get your MBA. You will not be any more qualified to sit in a food stamp line on your days off from flight instructing. If you want something stable and guaranteed in the aviation industry get your MBA, then work for the airlines as management. They seem to be doing well as pilots are loosing there retirement and taking huge pay cuts.

Speculating what the future will be like is a waste of time. If you want to be a pilot start working hard and take what comes your way when you are there.

 

[NoahWerka]

SO, I am correct in that I hear you folks saying that: experience and training are accepted and necessary required elements for being the PIC? And, that you all agree these items are expected to be documented legitimately (accurately)? THEN, WHY IN HEAVEN'S NAME, DO YOU NOT EXPECT THE SAME REQUIREMENTS FOR LEADERSHIP ROLES IN OTHER FIELDS? Why do you accept lying on resumes,and short term introductory experiences, as being acceptable qualifications for decision making/leadership" roles in academia, or government?

Because in those fields you do not have to back up the experience listed your resume with a sim ride. Two minutes in to a sim ride the Instructor knows if you can fly or not. You list 5000TT and can't even enter a holding pattern correctly, forget it. You ain't gonna get hired. They don't care about minor screwups. they are looking at your overall ability operate an aircraft and your knowledge of procedures. That only comes with experience. Where else in the real world do prospective employees have to go through such a rigorous evaluation to get hired for a job? That is why it is so easy to lie on a resume in a non-aviation field. Besides you can't kill a planeful of people flying a desk no matter how large the desk is.

 

[UndauntedFlyer]

I would estimate 8 to 12-years if everything goes well with no problems. Could be 20-years and more likely you'll NEVER end up working for SWA. But the good news is that it is very likely that you will find a good career in aviation as a pilot for someone. It may be a corporation or it maybe an airline or it maybe working for the FAA, who knows.