Unofficial SWA Hiring Mins

[BYUFlyr]

4. My Marine friend, thanks for serving, but you must have flown choppers or rented planes at the aero club to get where you are. Good for you, it shows determination. I did drop off some of you guys in Mogadishu, Somalia, so when American Eagle or Comair do that, let me know.

Wow!!! I was with you until you insulted one of MY homies!!! What's wrong with being a grunt, serving your country with mud in your face and then pursuing a career in aviation? Am I supposed to be ashamed because I chose to pack a seabag instead of a samsonite bag?

What do you have against my Marines? Do we not have a right to an aviation career just like you? Are my aero club hours not worthy to occupy the same industry as your military hours?

 

['72Gremlin]

Children! Don't make me pull over this....

Too late. This civilian vs military thing is SO old (the Marine aspect of it is a little more fresh).

A friend of mine just got back from a humanitarian/disaster relief mission into/out of New Orleans yesterday. He said it was like going into a third world country with no power and the runway lights on emergency power, barely visible. They were the only military flight going in at the time. However, when the sun came up, the military wasn't the only ones flying in and out of New Orleans. He saw jetBlue, America West, Southwest and other commercial airlines fly into that airport... not for revenue flights, but for disaster relief and emergency evacuation.

My point is: WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.

This whole, "you gotta be military to get hired by SWA," is as old as the mil vs civ thing and a crock. I have 3 close military friends who spent the 7 grand on the type and didn't get hired this past year. Maybe mil guys have an advantage over civilian guys at a SWA interview... who knows? I, for one, haven't asked LL or RK if that is the case (but at least I have their numbers now, in case I get really bold).

I hope everyone gets what they want (and deserve). It's just frustrating to see this same old argument go around in circles and watch ourselves pit ourselves against each other. Good luck to you all...

Everyone back in the van...

 

[ChinaClipper]

Sooooooo, WTF???????

WHAT IS THE COMPETITIVE PIC TIME?......Geez, is anyone over 5 foot 5 in this conversation???????

 

[SWAPoolie]

Out of my interview group 3 out of 12 were hired and none were military. About 75% of that group were military. Out of my new hire class of 20 about 50% were military.

There is no favoritism on either side. Seems like the numbers game is over when you start the interview. Everyone who gets to the interview most likely is a good pilot. After that they just want to know if you are a SWA type of pilot. Whatever that is only they know.

 

[sf260pilot]

1700 Turbine PIC is competitive.

 

[FR8mastr]

I have a question about the prep courses. WHY? I am not asking why pilots would do it, I am asking why would the airlines want it. What you get at the interview is a pilot who is very skilled at BSing his or her way into a job. You take the course so that you can give the answers and act a certain way that the airline is percieved to want. And according the the above posters 3 out of 4 record it works. So my reasoning is, would the airlines not want to see the real person, not the one who has been trained to behave in a certain way. Not flame bait, just very interested in why.

 

[intel33]

As long as everyone is talking about time conversion, let me throw this out there:



You know what the helicopter conversion factor is?

0



Helicopter pilots don't do the same kind of flying as either civilian or military fixed wing, but ask any f/w guy whose gone for a ride in a helo and he will say "WOW".

Helicopters may not fly mach (although most of the twins will move with a purpose), but there is usually a lot going on and most helo guys have great situational awareness. Strap on a set of goggles, sling a load underneath or set down some where with about five or ten feet of clearance. Helo guys earn their keep, but rarely get credit for it. And, oh yeah, we can fly instruments, too.



There are a few Marines and Army guys out there. I know most of the Army guys go fractional. Maybe because there are more that have gone there before and recognize the experience that goes with the rating.



Having been in the civilian sector, I must say that there are indeed some great civilian pilots and I had to deal with a number of no personality and incapable military pilots as well. Everyone has to accept that different folks start off in different places, but doesn't mean that they shouldn't end up in the same place.



I have had an application WITH a type rating in for 3 and a half years.


I don't even bother with rotor time anymore (my profile includes the rating, but not the time), because while I enjoyed doing it, it might as well not have existed. At least I have a few stories I can convey if I ever get to an interview. My short helo career saw much more action and excitement than a VERY benign fixed wing career. (Two Air Medals flying Medevac in Mogadishu.) Benign is good, but not much to talk about in an interview!

 

[kelbill]

BYUFlyr,

damn fellas, you be readin stuff between the lines that ain't there. All my homies are in the military, not just the USAF. My comment to Russ was for him doggin me about implying I went downtown Baghdad which I never said, all I was doing was defending the military side of the hiring equation. Nothing wrong with toting a seapack, my Pappi was a jarhead enlisted troop. I think I can say that being the son of one. I put two and two together regarding his background, seeing I didn't notice any military jets under his name, so figured he took another route. His comments were not meant to compliment the military, shall we say, because now we are simply competition I assume.

"When SWA starts going downtown Bagdad with a few MK83's slung under the wing let me know."

Sounds like a military slam to me, and from a military guy to boot. You guys are too sensitive. Do whatever you need to do to get the job you want, but remember, I didn't start this thread whining about the civies taking jobs away from my buds who interviewed and didn't get hired. Seems like it was the other way around.

 

[kelbill]

intell33,

my best ride in the military, bar none, was in a MH-53 at Osan AB Korea. Bought the guys a case of beer the next day. Took off at dusk, flew to the coastal plains and landed next to a MH60 (we had NVGs in the back with the ramp down), then off again for some SAR practice, night repelling simulation over a building, hot refueling, and more low level. I loved it and was impressed as hell. I don't go tooting my own horn about my military flying unless it is questioned, and I don't have much to toot about in front of guys like you, but then again, I wouldn't expect to be getting grief from a comrade. Unfortunately there is usually no conversion factor for rotary, although there should be something. Good luck. I've flown with 3 ex-nam helo guys (one later became the first 2Lt F15 pilot) and they were good dudes. That F15 guy apparently had more medals than Saddam Hussein.

FR8mastr,

I think you are missing the point regarding the prep classes/training, at least from what I got out of them. All they really do is help put you at ease during the interview so you can be yourself. Sometimes I like to give PAs standing up in the galley when on the ground for a delay or just a welcome, because the more you do it, the more comfortable you get. Thats it from my standpoint. I learned little if anything about canned answers. All I got was the ability to take a deep breath and shoot the bull a little without seeming too dull or shy. Remember, they want to pick people they figure they can converse with on those long hauls, not some wet blanket. Human nature. Your technical qualifications got you to the interview, so if you feel comfortable being yourself at an interview, you are set.

 

[Shooter38]

I can't believe I'm getting drawn into this, but....

Having closely watched the hiring process since 2001, and particularly watching new hire classes, it is almost exactly 50/50 military/civilian mix. This is not to mention the almost perfect spread of ages 30-50 (+-2). The HR dept has their model of what works and follows it to a T.

Good luck to all....it's a great company!