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SW - What are my chances?

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Anti-Matter

Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2003
Posts
24
6000 hours/2000 Jet PIC.

If I brought a 737 type tomorrow and got an LOR from a SWA F/O, how long would it take to get an interview? There have been several pilots at my airline (ACA) who have been in the hiring pool for a long time.

Bottom line: Is it worth the $6,000 to get a type?
 
Bottom line: Is it worth the $6,000 to get a type?

YESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYES

All other things being equal, with a type, a degree, a LOR, and you haven't killed anybody who didn't deserve to be killed, I'd guess you'd get called soon (next year sometime) when they start interviewing again.
 
Only you can answer that.

I know it is a lot of money, but for myself it was worth it. As an eagle pilot i had applications out to most the majors from 1995 to 2000 with NO interview offers. I got my 737 type in the spring of 2000 by the fall I had interviews with UAL, SWA and CAL. No matter who you want to work for, I feel spending 6000$ on a type sends the message that you want to be an airline pilot above all elce and are always eager to learn more. In this tight labor markt it is just one more thing that might put you above the next guy. I dont buy into the fact that other airlines look down on you for having the type. Plane and simple it looks good on your resume.

good luck......
 
Thanks fellers:

What is the cheapest (as in I don't care if I learn anything I just want the ticket) way to get a 737 type?
 
I got mine in Miami at a place called AeroService for about $6500 and they will make some allowances for housing while you are there. Aeroservice.com is the website. Not that flashy, but they have their own sims and in house examiners.
 
Anti-Matter, I'm right there with you man, just wanted the cheapest way out.

Our friends down in Dallas, while certainly being a little more expensive than some, have obvious close ties with their more LUVing neighbors which has proven of advantage to many people. However, if this particular kind of coincidence doesn't come to pass, you're left with a piece of paper that looks more recognizable on your resume for the people interviewing you but leaves you a little more broke. Aren't we all.

Option 2, as someone else pointed out, is PanAm down in the lovely land of Florida. From what I've heard it's good, gets you prepared, gets you through with the ticket and that's about it. Nothing fancy but they probably have some sort of room assistance like a roommate pairing deal.

Option 3, the lovely people at FTI, Flight Training Inernational (It's the big blue banner on the top right of the page). It's run by this unbelievably friendly and gorgeous girl named Shari Egan who looks sweet but has one hell of a left hook *ouch* (jk). She was a complete doll helping me through the crap I had to do when I was laid off, using federal funds to pay for part of it, etc. She offerred the room sharing deal which I opted out of and then helped me with a lot of other small things, like leaving me a key so I could get up at the crack of dawn to go into the Camel CPT and run my checks and flows, switchology, checklists, and flows. Made a huge difference when I got in the sim. Their building is right across from the UAL Training Academy (for those of us who remember journeying there) and that's where the sims are usually rented from. Some of the instructors and one check arimen are actually line pilots / management pilots with AWA.

I chose Option #3, the friendliest people with a great product at a better than average rate and a reputation for getting it done right and getting it done fast! It was a lot of work but more than worth it.

www.flighttraininginternational.com
Shari Egan - [email protected]
1-800-233-0050
1-303-329-0999
 
Last edited:
I also went to Miami (Aeroservices) for my 737 type....

In early 2001 it was $6,350.00 housing included.

Although I passed the written, oral and sim on the first try, I highly discourage you from attending their class. The G/S instructor was useless as t*ts on a boar, and we had to teach ourselves everything.

Later in the year, I had a couple of friends take the class there and everyone (5) in the class busted the sim. Aeroservices charged them all extra dough for the retraining which was about $1,800.00 each.

Do yourself a favor and spend an extra $500-$750 and go to a good school like HP or CPT or anywhere other than Aeroservices, Inc.

Trust me on this one!
 
K&S aviation..

They are great folks..

Their owners are SWA people..

Their instructors are SWA people..

They teach SWA procedures and flows..

Their instructors are first rate and know the 737 inside and out..

They have a no nonsense,straight forward approach to getting you the info needed in the shortest period of time..

They will bend over backwards in trying to make your training experience as painless as possible..

If you are really trying for SWA I would highly recommend either Higher Power or K&S Aviation..

They both do an excellent job and have the additional benefit a of VERY tight relationship with SWA..

The job market is going to be very tight for the next few if not several years..

If you want to work for SWA then getting the type is a no brainer IMHO...

If you have no desire to work for SWA then that decision becomes a little more personal depending on your background and goals..

Mike
 
HPA!!!

I cannot pass this thread without adding my highest recommendation for Higher Power Aviation.
I did my type at Aeroservice, and you get what you pay for. However, when I needed some currency in a 737 sim or miss out on a SWA class date, HPA took pity, and provided the necessary training to get me to class. They did this for the simple reason that they wanted to help. No cost! Now I am not saying they will provide you with a type rating for free, but they will go out of their way to help you out should you need it. They have contacts at SWA (in fact, the SWA PD liaised directly with them over my predicament) and you will not be disappointed.

Good luck!
:)
 
Re: HPA!!!

pegasus said:
However, when I needed some currency in a 737 sim or miss out on a SWA class date, ..............................
Good luck!
:)

Pegasus, why did you need 737 currency? Is there some unwritten rule about being airplane current that I need to know about? I always understood that SWA required that you be current, but did not require that currency to be specific to the 737. What's up?

regards,
enigma
 
Don't panic

For my sins, I am a legal alien! Thus, I fell foul of a new rule introduced in March that said foreign pilots needed to be current to attend training in an aircraft/sim >12,500lbs. Kind of a catch 22, but HPA got me up to speed, and here I am, 6 months in to SWA, loving every minute.
Cheers!
 
Iran has F-14's ....
hmmm ... may be that's it!!!! ;)

Just kidding mate! But I won't steal your thunder or spill the beans either.
 
I meant no offense... being a sorry a$$ legal alien myself a few years back I have extensively researched what options are there for someone like me in the US forces and came to the conclusion that the closest I will ever get to an F14 would be on an airshow but right now I would probably need a clearance even for that.
 
LEAR70 FTI??

Lear quick ?? for you. Does FTI price include hotel. I remember staying at Red Lion because it was much cheaper than DoubleTree and Radisson. Any comments about that?? Man , it would feel really bizzarre to walk into TK after being on the streets for 2 years.

MP
 
Hotel rate

Mentorplt,

I trained at FTI a couple of years ago and if I recall correctly the hotel rate was something like 35 a night but was not included in the fee charged by the school. For what its worth, the instructors were really professional and made the time in Denver enjoyable.

Learguy
 
Vladimir, What is a lymer? Isn't it a sort of bean? I could name other vegetables I resemble, but a bean? Oh, you mean a limey!

Huncowboy
My 3 years in the 14 was due to a NATO exchange. :)
 
The "other" Lear guy is correct... =) The rate does not include hotel and the hotel rate is $35 a night plus 7% tax. They usually pair the classes (don't run odd numbers of people) and a lot of times they will pair people based on whether someone expresses a desire to share a room (like a crash pad). I like my space so I forked over the $35 a night.

You're exactly right, it was weird being around there. I interviewed back in 1999 and was sched for interview again before they stopped hiring in early '01 and they invited us to go over to the TK and grab lunch when we interviewed. The area is completely different, and the TK is **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** near empty... depressing as hell and a little scary quite frankly. All the history in the corridors is still neat to look at though.
 

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