SWA/competitive minimums to get an interview

[pilotyip]

Thanks, I am trying to do that on a daily basis.

 

[jmreii]

I agree with formerfreightdog, from what I am seeing the college degree will be of more importance. I expect some airlines to soften or eliminate the pic-turbine requirement.

 

[Oh-ryan]

Nope Orion, the proven path to the cockpit is college part time, while building quality flight time, so at age 25 you have college degree, in what doesn't matter. You also have 4000TT, 3000 MEL, 1000 121 TJ PIC, two jet types. Plus no debt, because your employer helped pay for your college. We are only talking about airline careers right now; not Engineering, not Medical, not school teacher, only airline pilot where many have succeeded without 4 yrs of continous on-campus education.

That may be the quickest path, but that doesn't make it the proven path. So, it's all perspective. If I'm the one doing the hiring this is what I see:

Your guy - 4000TT, 3000MEL, 1000 121 TJ PIC, two jet types, Bachelors degree in toenail clipping from obscure online university, 25 years old.

My guy - same/competitive quals as your guy, BS degree from a full time accredited university (and maybe a ROTC guy), 30 years old (and maybe in the reserves).

On paper I am leaning towards my guy. Who I hire depends on the interview.

So again it's perspective. If all you want to do is fly an airplane, by all means do it whatever it takes to get you there as quick as you can (except cross a line). Will that make you a better/worse pilot compared to someone who took five years longer (because they chose to go to full time college first), not in my eyes. In fact, I would even go so far as to say if you put all of your eggs in one basket for a career in aviation you are foolish. The last 6 years haven proven that you need to have a backup. So, that gives my guy even more points... again, in my eyes.

 

[Lear70]

That may be the quickest path, but that doesn't make it the proven path. So, it's all perspective.

The problem with that thinking is that the person selecting the two candidates for the interview has no idea what these guy's ages are.

For all the HR person knows, the person with the online degree is in their 2nd career and is 30-35 as well. They'll find out when they get to the interview, but if the guy is in his late 20's versus early 30's, age may be too close to call.

Additionally, the degree is likely going to be in something useful from an accredited university (several have good online programs), so don't muddy the waters with some "underwater basket weaving" degree from East Podunk Univ.

I agree that a 4-year full-time accredited degree makes a person a more well-rounded individual. However, if your goal is aviation, getting in early to the regionals, building time while getting the degree online, and being a 27 year old RJ Captain with 2 types and 7,000 Total time, 3 years of RJ PIC (2,500 PIC Jet), plus 7 years of building contacts within their airline at majors as their older peers move on, plus having the degree makes them every bit as likely to get that major airline interview.

I see guys like that at my current Major every day; 28-30 year old Captains with half my experience, but they're the ones making $130k at the same age I was schlepping along at $55k in an RJ after my freight company went TU prior to 9/11.

I don't like it, but that's most definitely the quickest way to make it happen.

 

[pilotyip]

Orion, your cheating, you brought in the miltary flight training which is a whole different equation in the hiring business and of course you need a college degree to do that everywhere except the Army.

 

[Oh-ryan]

Orion, your cheating, you brought in the miltary flight training which is a whole different equation in the hiring business and of course you need a college degree to do that everywhere except the Army.

fair enough. Take away the ROTC/military stuff and I am still leaning to my guy over your guy (at least on paper). Agree to disagree I guess.

 

[pilotyip]

OK Orion, that’s what we will do. Isn't that great about the US we can disagree without killing each other. Our argument about who would get hired first is probably moot. In today’s hot job markets, they would be in the same class.

 

[Diesel-9]

In the old days, all you did was the b.s. in the interview and hire the one with the biggest t*ts.

 

[EAW0506]

Just curious Scrapdog, what ANG unit flies the F-22?

 

[motch]

Virginia Guard out of RIC is suppose to transition to them but out of Langley, and Hawaii Guard may trade their Eagles for Raptors as a stand alone unit. So I've read in AW&ST and other publications.

Not a bad gig, being a guard bum flying an F22 part time!