Thoughts on Interns

[acaTerry]

My question is:
How many of these majors actaully hire low time interns in the airplane, not the office?

 

[PUflight]

All the interns obviously work in the office, but back in the day late 90's United's mins were 375 hours TT. I don't know if anybody remembers that. Obviously if you were an off the street person you would need thousands to be competitive. But there were quite a few interns who were hired straight out of college because of that. FE's on 727, FO's on 737, 375 hours.........Something to think about.

 

[T/SF34/A]

WHAT?

Funny...I did an internship with US Airways and I'm not a fool.

I gained a lot of real world experience while interning. I made no coffee and did no Jepp revisions. I did a lot of research and put together a presentation for my supervisor who presented it for an an aviation safety board. I had many other projects that I completed. When I wasn't working I was observing sim sessions or even getting in the sims with the other interns. I worked in flight training, was able to sit with dispatch, had the opportunity to jumpseat and attend a 737 ground school. Need I go on?

I knew the only thing that I would get out of the internship was a learning experience and an opportunity to interview with a wholly owned once I met the mins.

I would recommend interning with a major airline if that is what you want to do. You may have a better chance of getting on with a regional if you intern with one. Either way, you will meet a lot of people who can help you out with your career. Everyone knows someone in this industry.

 

[skydiverdriver]

Comair actually has interns that are supposed to go to Delta someday. How would you like that, interns at your airline that have a priority to be hired at the major that owns you. I guess Comair is just a training airline for our beloved major. Of course, Delta Airlines doesn't really own Comair, DAL does, and Delta and Comair are just both subsidiaries of the same company.

Some of the interns didn't make it through our training, and one I met was very arrogant, for a young girl. Oh well, good luck to them..

 

[sweptback]

Comair actually has interns that are supposed to go to Delta someday. How would you like that, interns at your airline that have a priority to be hired at the major that owns you. I guess Comair is just a training airline for our beloved major. Of course, Delta Airlines doesn't really own Comair, DAL does, and Delta and Comair are just both subsidiaries of the same company.

I'm curious how this works. Do the interns get a letter guaranteeing them an interview with Delta after x years/hours with Comair? Or is this just an agreement about what's supposed to happen, ie "oh just make sure you have the Comair internship on your resume, you'll be a shoo-in for sure"

 

[Flyingtoohigh]

I'm an intern currently at one of the "majors". We are not guarenteed anything. There is no interview or other compensation job-wise at the end. Many former interns have become ground instructors with the possibility of moving to line flying after three years or more of teaching. This path is very risky in my book because the ground instructor-to-line-pilot program is not in effect right now because of furloughs and may be cancelled at any time. What if the airline goes under or cancels the program? Low flight time means few options.

I am an intern that is looking for a flight instructing job to build hours like everybody else. Someday I hope to move higher up in the resume pilot because of my internship experience.

I have learned so much more from a few months riding jumpseats and working in pilot training. Would I rather sit in a college classroom being told how airlines supposedly work or actually spend some time observing the line?

Yes, I do update some Jepps here and there. So what? How many of you would have given your left nut (or ovary) to ride in jumpseats and travel the country with less than 300TT?

 

[wmuflyguy]

Comair actually has interns that are supposed to go to Delta someday. How would you like that, interns at your airline that have a priority to be hired at the major that owns you.

This isnt correct, at least to the best of my knowledge. Though, I wouldnt complain if it was. No cheif pilot or any other Intern that i have talked to that has worked here has mentioned it. There are a few former Interns working at Comair as it is. The only thing an Intern will be garunteed is an Interveiw when he/she reaches the hiring mins, upon succesful completion of the Internship.
I have not heard anything negative said about interns from pilots. That doesnt mean that no-one thinks it. The pilots i have jumpseated with and have dealt with in the office have been more than nice and willing to explain things when i had a question. Many have offered advice and it is nice to hear what kind of options are out there. The groundschool was great and the instructors and new-hires and even the guys in the crashpad i live in treated me like i belonged there.
I loved the experince, and the people i met were awesome. If you get a chance, do it.

 

[Northern Lights]

TheGuat returns!

 

[skydiverdriver]

It's not a priority hiring program, or an internship for Comair. It's an internship for Delta, that happens to let people fly at Comair until they have some predetermined amound of experience and then they just go to Delta. It starts at Western Michigan University, and ends with a job at Delta Airlines, after a time flying with Comair.

I hope that answers your question.

 

[wmuflyguy]

skydiverdriver

I think your thinking of the Delta Diversity program, that was sponsored at WMU the past 2 or 3 years. This program Delta sponsored students in an Ab-Intio like program and then after passing a sim cehckride in the full motion 737 sim, they gave them interveiws with some of the DCI regionals. These people who got interveiws had abuot 300TT 60ME. The program has been canceled for the following year to my knowledge and wont be renewed.

 

[bobbysamd]

Internships

I have learned so much more from a few months riding jumpseats and working in pilot training. Would I rather sit in a college classroom being told how airlines supposedly work or actually spend some time observing the line?

Yes, I do update some Jepps here and there. So what? How many of you would have given your left nut (or ovary) to ride in jumpseats and travel the country with less than 300TT?

You forgot about the (priceless) contacts you are making. The learning notwithstanding, contacts are an internship's primary value.