Regional Airline Pilot Supply......The New Reality

[rogerwilcoout]

:uzi: MESA/FREEDOM/GO-JETS :smash:

I agree Mesa sucks, but Go-jets is NOT part of Mesa. Go airlines is. Go-Jets is an alter-ego of yet another POS airline.

 

[plunger]

I have nothing againts the guys with low time that get on with regionals. If I was in thier spot and got offered that job, I'd take it, so you can't blame them. I blame the regionals for hiring them. I never really wanted to fly for a regional just based on opinions I've heard from other people,, but I've always thought about it. I decided to apply to one supposively "decent" one, and see what happens. Mind you, I'm at 2000tt, 500multi, ATP.. I fly single pilot passenger flights, IFR in a Caravan, and flew 135 cargo in a twin, so Im not going in there blind or lacking experience. I get the interview, nail the sim, fine in the technical, hr was great.
I got the letter a week later saying thanks but no thanks. I normally wouldnt care, but when one of my friends who works there asked HR what happend with me, it was according to them, my "lack of crew time". So I'd make a worse first officer than someone with 250 hours? I don't get it,, and that ended my regional goals.
Im not coming on here to bitch, but I just dont get it.

That's exactly my point. Everyone says these regionals are desperate for pilots. I call BS.

 

[Tarzan]

That's exactly my point. Everyone says these regionals are desperate for pilots. I call BS.

What I have observed from these sorts of incidents is a general air of expectancey from the higher time guys. I am not saying that was the case but even in reading some of the gouge from interviews, the attitude of supremacy is evident.

The regionals aren't "desperate" just yet but there is certainly some difficulty in recruiting qualified applicants.

 

[Soverytired]

The airlines would be in a lot better shape if they only hired half of the people they turn away in the interviews for stupid reasons. (No not me, I have a class date coming up). I have been to more than one interview and seen current freight dogs (single pilot) with 1500+ TT get turned away due to a stupid written test with irrelevant questions. Believe it or not, there are some people out there who aren't aware of the gouge sites. Those sites are the reason the majority of the applicants get hired anyway, regardless of experience, including me.

True dat!

The whole ATP written as part of an "interview" has to be one of the stupidest holdovers some regionals still play with.

 

[Future Furlough]

That's exactly my point. Everyone says these regionals are desperate for pilots. I call BS.

I don't think the number of pilots is declining much. The number of quality pilots may be shrinking some, although I'm not completely convinced of that either. There has been a reduction in "real life experience", which can affect upgrades. Looking around right now the biggest issue is that training deptartments are having a tough time keeping up.

 

[Goose Egg]

When I was getting my ratings, the regionals looked like the primo jobs and the freight dogs looked like what you did if you couldn't find anything else. Funny how I now look at things differently.

-Goose

 

[FR8mastr]

I have nothing againts the guys with low time that get on with regionals. If I was in thier spot and got offered that job, I'd take it, so you can't blame them. I blame the regionals for hiring them. I never really wanted to fly for a regional just based on opinions I've heard from other people,, but I've always thought about it. I decided to apply to one supposively "decent" one, and see what happens. Mind you, I'm at 2000tt, 500multi, ATP.. I fly single pilot passenger flights, IFR in a Caravan, and flew 135 cargo in a twin, so Im not going in there blind or lacking experience. I get the interview, nail the sim, fine in the technical, hr was great.
I got the letter a week later saying thanks but no thanks. I normally wouldnt care, but when one of my friends who works there asked HR what happend with me, it was according to them, my "lack of crew time". So I'd make a worse first officer than someone with 250 hours? I don't get it,, and that ended my regional goals.
Im not coming on here to bitch, but I just dont get it.

I for one would much rather spend time in the cockpit with you, than a 250 hour super pilot. I can almost guarentee that you have flown in a cloud probably at night without and autopilot. You have actually developed some stick and rudder ability, you have had to make command decisions probably in less than ideal conditions. All things being equal this makes you a better more rounded pilot IMO.

On the other hand the academy graduate has probably never flown in a cloud and if they did the autopilot was on. Has never really been in command, yes I know he flight instructed for 6 months, but as valuable as that is, it is not the same as being up at 3am flying through nasty weather alone with min equipement. Experience is what makes a good pilot better. I dont care if you are Bob Hoover, you are better with more experience. Do you want the newest doctor on staff operating on your spouse or would you rather have the doctor that has actually done that operation a few time before doing it?.

The real problem IMO is this academy graduate upgrades to captain, while I'm sure he knows his aircraft ect. But has still not made command decisions and still has not flown in a cloud without automation. Yes once upgraded said pilot will get command experience in short order, but in the meantime?? "Dude"

So try not to get down over this, there are many pilots that dont agree with it either.

 

[VWDrvr21]

Qualified pilots

ASA sent me a packet-Im not most experienced but flew as FE on 727,Dc10 internationally and have 2000 FE, 1600 fixed, 500 jet.By this time Im fully aware of CRM and have experience most pilots will never see.Age 35.Did not get interview call and had friend on inside check why.Told discrepency on paperwork but friend feels that ASA probably just thinks I will just leave shortly where as a 400 hour guy they know will stick around. What do you think?

 

[John Pennekamp]

ASA sent me a packet-Im not most experienced but flew as FE on 727,Dc10 internationally and have 2000 FE, 1600 fixed, 500 jet.By this time Im fully aware of CRM and have experience most pilots will never see.Age 35.Did not get interview call and had friend on inside check why.Told discrepency on paperwork but friend feels that ASA probably just thinks I will just leave shortly where as a 400 hour guy they know will stick around. What do you think?

It seems the 400 hr guys just leave for a better regional or fractional as soon as they get to their mins anyhow. I doubt that's ASA's concern, because a guy your age and experience probably wasn't going to use the job as a stepping stone.

Maybe they think you have too much "baggage"?

 

[~~~^~~~]

Every airline does the same thing. They think if you don't care enough to give them good paperwork, then you don't really want to work for them.

Sounds like you would be an excellent pilot candidate. Fix the paperwork if you want to fly for ASA.

 

[VWDrvr21]

Might I add---not even the proffesional courtesy of a letter saying thanks but no thanks. But they expect US to be proffesionals!

 

[John Pennekamp]

Might I add---not even the proffesional courtesy of a letter saying thanks but no thanks. But they expect US to be proffesionals!

Every airline does the same thing. They think if you don't care enough to give them good paperwork, then you don't really want to work for them.

Sounds like you would be an excellent pilot candidate. Fix the paperwork if you want to fly for ASA.

In addition to Fins' advice, I would suggest that if you really want to work for another airline (especially ASA), you may need to lose the chip on your shoulder.

 

[VWDrvr21]

There was no paperwork problem! This is not the first application I have done.They vaugley said tailnumber discrepency and was told the recruiter who said this was not very confident sounding. Besides, Ive flown the same aircraft for the last five hundred hours! Sounds like BS and was a easy way to tell my Capt. friend why they werent going to interview. Im just curious as why they wont. Im not going to lose any sleep over this low paying job but it seems they want kids who will just obey.

 

[John Pennekamp]

There was no paperwork problem! This is not the first application I have done.They vaugley said tailnumber discrepency and was told the recruiter who said this was not very confident sounding. Besides, Ive flown the same aircraft for the last five hundred hours! Sounds like BS and was a easy way to tell my Capt. friend why they werent going to interview. Im just curious as why they wont. Im not going to lose any sleep over this low paying job but it seems they want kids who will just obey.

As I said...

 

[svcta]

In addition to Fins' advice, I would suggest that if you really want to work for another airline (especially ASA), you may need to lose the chip on your shoulder.

Who's the one with the chip? I don't think anything said warranted that. Besides, I tend to agree with the statement that upset you.

Back to the topic at hand:

I've heard and seen some pretty clear indications that companies are having a hard time filling classes. Why else would minimums be down to simply a commercial multi? Places offering signing bonuses? Referral bonuses to employees? Something's going on. Pilot training appears to have fallen off(have you seen rental prices lately?) and the top level employers are hiring again.

 

[John Pennekamp]

Nevermind. If you don't get the irony of asking why you didn't get the job, then bitching about how the company is unfair within 10 minutes of each other, it's probably not worth explaining.

 

[Ratherbsurfing]

Hey Mugsy, I flew at KAE and had no problems getting offers. PM me, I'm curious if I know you.

 

[idoitupsidedown]

The airlines would be in a lot better shape if they only hired half of the people they turn away in the interviews for stupid reasons. (No not me, I have a class date coming up). I have been to more than one interview and seen current freight dogs (single pilot) with 1500+ TT get turned away due to a stupid written test with irrelevant questions. Believe it or not, there are some people out there who aren't aware of the gouge sites. Those sites are the reason the majority of the applicants get hired anyway, regardless of experience, including me.

Sorry but if a 1500 TT freight dawg (by the way that means they've been flying freight for a whopping 300 hours by him/herself) is too wrapped up in their greatness to pull out some old books and study basic instrument knowledge I really don't care if they can't pass a written and get another job. they probably had to pass a similar written at the company they currently fly for so why can't they pass it now? also, the HR ppl at every airline are aware of gouge sites and that every applicant has the ability to have figured out verbatim what is going down at the interview. If they were really worried about it, they would have a question bank 3000 questions deep, 100 different sim profiles, and not ask canned HR questions. Play the game, study the gouges (and for those pilots not aware ofthe gouges - how is that possible? they've never once mentioned to another pilot that they have an interview coming up and gotten the response "did you read the gouges?". right), study your basic instrument crap (if you knew half the stuff you crammed into your brain for you private pilot instrument checkride you can pass a regional airline's interview written test), get a suit, get a personality, don't act like your so nervous you might cry, and guess what? if XYZ airline offered you an interview, their going to offer you a job.

 

[Future Furlough]

...study your basic instrument crap (if you knew half the stuff you crammed into your brain for you private pilot instrument checkride you can pass a regional airline's interview written test), get a suit, get a personality, don't act like your so nervous you might cry, and guess what? if XYZ airline offered you an interview, their going to offer you a job.

And we have a winner!imp:

That response is so dead on it makes me want to cry. If you don't want to do the work, get out of aviation.

 

[plunger]

Sorry but if a 1500 TT freight dawg (by the way that means they've been flying freight for a whopping 300 hours by him/herself) is too wrapped up in their greatness to pull out some old books and study basic instrument knowledge I really don't care if they can't pass a written and get another job. they probably had to pass a similar written at the company they currently fly for so why can't they pass it now? also, the HR ppl at every airline are aware of gouge sites and that every applicant has the ability to have figured out verbatim what is going down at the interview. If they were really worried about it, they would have a question bank 3000 questions deep, 100 different sim profiles, and not ask canned HR questions. Play the game, study the gouges (and for those pilots not aware ofthe gouges - how is that possible? they've never once mentioned to another pilot that they have an interview coming up and gotten the response "did you read the gouges?". right), study your basic instrument crap (if you knew half the stuff you crammed into your brain for you private pilot instrument checkride you can pass a regional airline's interview written test), get a suit, get a personality, don't act like your so nervous you might cry, and guess what? if XYZ airline offered you an interview, their going to offer you a job.

That measly 300 hours they have flying by themself is more than the total time of some of the applicants I've interviewed with. My favorite test question thus for is "what is the CDI sensitivity at the FAWP on a GPS approach". ANSWER: .3NM. If you know the answer to that without looking it up, you need to get a hobby.