SWA/SWAPA hiring numbers..

[HOUMAN]

Well then, I guess it is a "done deal". No need to go out and get your type rating.
Whatever.
For those of you that have a brain and really want to work for SWA... go get the type rating. I would not hold my breath waiting for SWA to eliminate the requirement.

 

[wil]

If there was a job offer, then maybe. It's still on the bubble as to whether or not this is PFT. I mean I would have to go through training anyway so how does this save the company money? And don't give me the 'ol it show you want to work here B.S. A type to just interview? Nuts-

 

[RJones]

Wil, I guess you don't want to work for SWA.

 

[wil]

RJones- you are correct but not because of the type.

 

[llowwelll]

I'm getting excited!! AWESOME news!!!

 

[Falconjet]

Pool Correlation Factor

I talked to Lindsey today about getting fingerprinted in preparation for a class date sometime next year. I am number 112 on the unofficial list and she said I was about 7 classes out at 20 per class. Nothing firm yet, but if all goes according to plan maybe Mar or Apr 04, which seems to jibe very nicely with all the rumors. Perhaps the unofficial pool numbers are starting to match up pretty well with the real pool numbers.

 

[SODA]

Was it Comair or EJA that did away with the type and re embursed all the employees who had paid in the past? I think SWA will still require the type, maybe just not for the interview. That would be a nice $8000 bonus check though.

 

[Snoopy58]

Southwest recently started requiring the type rating in order to send in an application. To suggest that they're about to turn 180 and go 2 steps in the opposite direction, to eliminate the historic requirement of having a type to be hired, is pretty extreme. It's also the sort of "on-again, off-again" mismanagement that SWA doesn't usually engage in.

As far as the "better stack of applications at FedEx" idea, I can't imagine that the current batch of applicants (in the stack, and ready to submit one as soon as they start accepting apps again) is particularly lacking... if that was a concern, the time to have eliminated the requirement would have been the summer of 2001 (stiff competition from other airlines for applicants), rather than the spring of 2004 (far, far more available pilots than new jobs in the industry)!

Anything is possible, but I would be shocked if SWA got rid of the type requirement, both because of the above, and

1. Every pilot on the property had to have the type, either from the T-43 or another airline or by paying for the instruction, and eliminating it entirely would ruffle a LOT of feathers. "I had to, so dog-gone it ..."

2. Requiring the type answers a lot of questions that you don't get in an interview: do you REALLY want to be here? and, Can you fly a sim to -121 standards?

As I said, anything is possible, but I really doubt that the type requirement to interview will go away any time soon, and I doubt very, very seriously that SWA will hire anybody without the type in the next 10+ years.

Just my personal opinion.

Snoopy

 

[scopeCMRandASA]

Southwest recently started requiring the type rating in order to send in an application. To suggest that they're about to turn 180 and go 2 steps in the opposite direction, to eliminate the historic requirement of having a type to be hired, is pretty extreme. It's also the sort of "on-again, off-again" mismanagement that SWA doesn't usually engage in.

As far as the "better stack of applications at FedEx" idea, I can't imagine that the current batch of applicants (in the stack, and ready to submit one as soon as they start accepting apps again) is particularly lacking... if that was a concern, the time to have eliminated the requirement would have been the summer of 2001 (stiff competition from other airlines for applicants), rather than the spring of 2004 (far, far more available pilots than new jobs in the industry)!

Anything is possible, but I would be shocked if SWA got rid of the type requirement, both because of the above, and

1. Every pilot on the property had to have the type, either from the T-43 or another airline or by paying for the instruction, and eliminating it entirely would ruffle a LOT of feathers. "I had to, so dog-gone it ..."

2. Requiring the type answers a lot of questions that you don't get in an interview: do you REALLY want to be here? and, Can you fly a sim to -121 standards?

As I said, anything is possible, but I really doubt that the type requirement to interview will go away any time soon, and I doubt very, very seriously that SWA will hire anybody without the type in the next 10+ years.

Just my personal opinion.

Snoopy

Ok, I did not mean to get everybody fired up over this. What I posted was based on the conversation I had with these SW guys. Here is the scoopfrom as much detail as I can give.

This info is from a base chief pilot at a base EPT day--I think that is what they call it:

Hiring starts in 2004--as well as interviewing--in order to have background checks completed when the pool is dry

Indeed the 737 type requirement is under serious REVIEW. The reason, as explained to me, is that an average SWA newbie has less experiencethan his counterpart at other airlines. There are many VERY qualified pilots on the street, with years and years of airline experience, who simply are not going to go out and get the type rating. United, USAir, and Delta come to mind. All fly 737s . The mentality is that many of these furloughees have a couple years worth of experience in this jet where as many SWA new hires have about 6 sims worth of experience. I guess this is what they meant by "experience and not part 121--as I stated earlier. Sorry for the miscue on my part.

Also, they will be contacting these carriers to cerify that the applicant has indeed resigned their seniority at their furloughed carrier.

Just got off the phone and this is the scoop--take it for what it is worth. I have no dog in this hunt, as my aspirations are elsewhere. I was up till recently a lurker, and have seen the great interest in SWA on this board. I wanted to pass along some of what heard--again from a base chief pilot's mouth.

--a concerned regional pilot

 

[SWAnnabee]

Just another "what if".

IF the type requirement is going away because it is driving away "more qualified/better" applicants, and LUV in "concerned" about the quality of pilot applicants at LUV compared with FedEx, could the SUPPOSED 737type elimination be followed by an INCREASE in the required hours for PIC, TT, TURBINE etc??