US Airways Pilot Pool and Hiring

[cbrown1]

Got the same email but haven't gotten called.

Do you only have 1300 tt like your profile says? Maybe they are going down the list that way?

 

[crashmbern]

Haven't updated in a. While. Closer to 6000

 

[BAe3100FO]

If I got a job there, I'd put 250TT on my profile.

 

[wms]

On the PIC topic - back in feb when I was in CLT for tng I spoke with one of the CP's doing some interviewing about this topic.

I brought up the point of guys with 5000+ tt and no TPIC, for example a comair or horizon guy hired around 06 but could never upgrade due to the situation at his/her company. The CP mentioned that they are aware of this and that these guys even though they may not have tpic may still bring something to the table.

I would tend to think that a guy in this situation with a clean work, checkride and training history and an ATP would do just fine. It's not their fault their regional lost a contract, shrunk ect. and the upgrade gravy train stoped before they could check out.

Plus going fwd I think we will see a reluctance of regional CA's near the top of their list to leave. For example a guy hired at CHQ in 99 in his 20's now a SA or Rep CA on the 170/175/190 finds himself today in his late 30's early 40's with a house, wife and kids. Its hard for that guy to jump to the bottom of a major list when he is around 100 out of 2000 at Rep.

This leaves the junior CA's with some Tpic or senior FO's with no Tpic but a lot of TT.

Take it FWIW but this hiring cycle (cycle not boom) will be very different than the cycles from the late 70's to 9/11.

It's not unusual for fos to have 5-6000 hours and mid list captains to have 10-12k. The average amount of hours pilots at the regionals have now is quite a bit higher.

Also, many 10-15 year captains see the writing on the wall at the regionals as capacity starts to shift back to mainline. Guys who were content with staying at the regionals are getting their logbooks caught up, updating the resume and filling out apps. Myself included.

We've lost about 100 pilots this year. In the past, the 10-15 year pilots were a small minority. Now it's about 25%.

 

[Mad Dog 80]

I have been waiting for this window to open to put my application in since February, I am loosing hope this window will open this year.

 

[JudgeSmails218]

I have been waiting for this window to open to put my application in since February, I am loosing hope this window will open this year.

App window should reopen late August or early Sep according to
a CP I spoke to recently.

 

[Mad Dog 80]

Thanks JudgeSmails218 for the information. Hoping it opens.

 

[Flyer1015]

On the PIC topic - back in feb when I was in CLT for tng I spoke with one of the CP's doing some interviewing about this topic.

I brought up the point of guys with 5000+ tt and no TPIC, for example a comair or horizon guy hired around 06 but could never upgrade due to the situation at his/her company. The CP mentioned that they are aware of this and that these guys even though they may not have tpic may still bring something to the table.

I would tend to think that a guy in this situation with a clean work, checkride and training history and an ATP would do just fine. It's not their fault their regional lost a contract, shrunk ect. and the upgrade gravy train stoped before they could check out.

Plus going fwd I think we will see a reluctance of regional CA's near the top of their list to leave. For example a guy hired at CHQ in 99 in his 20's now a SA or Rep CA on the 170/175/190 finds himself today in his late 30's early 40's with a house, wife and kids. Its hard for that guy to jump to the bottom of a major list when he is around 100 out of 2000 at Rep.

This leaves the junior CA's with some Tpic or senior FO's with no Tpic but a lot of TT.

Take it FWIW but this hiring cycle (cycle not boom) will be very different than the cycles from the late 70's to 9/11.

Thanks for this post, wholeheartedly agree! Several airlines now, including Spirit and VA, are hiring pilots with 4000+ total time and no turbine PIC due to the 2008-2011 recession and Age 65.

 

[xjhawk]

thats not due to any recession. there are plenty of more experienced applicants but Human resources dictate some ridiculous crap about their hiring needs. Seriously man, I am happy for you getting hired there but they were publishing 1000 PIC and yet were hiring under that requirement. I think that is the trend-some dumb ass HR college study somewhere said younger inexperienced pilots were more trainable and that is going to leave a lot of 40+ high time regional pilots left out of the hiring. That and they want to be able to pick their minority/female quotas and the ones with lots of internal recs so Captain so and so's son or daughter can be hired.

 

[Mad Dog 80]

Can you attach recommendation letters from US Airways pilots to the application? If you can what's the limit.

 

[Data]

Can you attach recommendation letters from US Airways pilots to the application? If you can what's the limit.

You list 3 references in the online app and take the recs with you to the interview.

 

[Flyer1015]

thats not due to any recession. there are plenty of more experienced applicants but Human resources dictate some ridiculous crap about their hiring needs. Seriously man, I am happy for you getting hired there but they were publishing 1000 PIC and yet were hiring under that requirement. I think that is the trend-some dumb ass HR college study somewhere said younger inexperienced pilots were more trainable and that is going to leave a lot of 40+ high time regional pilots left out of the hiring. That and they want to be able to pick their minority/female quotas and the ones with lots of internal recs so Captain so and so's son or daughter can be hired.

Technically, the change had already happened in December when I applied, they just hadn't updated the online pilot advertisement yet. It was updated when someone realized that fact in February I think it was.

 

[Mad Dog 80]

I keep hearing the large majority of the pilots they are hiring have over 1000 PIC Turbine Part 121. I also heard is based on a point system, the more points you get the higher the chances of getting a call for an interview. Who knows is all a big mystery.

 

[SXMp2c]

I have been waiting for this window to open to put my application in since February, I am loosing hope this window will open this year.

you probably misspelled a word on your application

 

[Data]

you probably misspelled a word on your application

Nah, 'loosing' is pilot-speak for losing.

 

[Mad Dog 80]

Lol, thanks Data for the spell check.

 

[Flybywire44]

All airlines hire under minimums a certain percentage of the time.

I was hired at my previous regional carrier with 750 hours while the minimum criteria called for 1000tt. A year later I learned that interns and non-interns were hired with only 250 hours!!! I was stunned. There are many factors like CFI/II/MEI, glider ratings, quality of time, previous or current employment, philanthropy, professional association (ie. OBAP, WIA, EAA YE, Ace Camp), ethic background, internal recommendations, work history and quality of education that play into selecting pilot applicants for interview.

That is my two cents. In retrospect, I should have applied when I had only 250 hours, but I assumed that airline hiring criteria were like FARs—set in stone...they're not.

Positive people have a way of attracting success and visa versa. Stay positive!

 

[Bringupthebird]

All airlines hire under minimums a certain percentage of the time.

Don't you really mean that some airline occasionally hire those with less than the stated minimums?

 

[Flybywire44]

What I meant to say was that it is common for Regionals to hire under minimums, but Majors have alternate criteria for certain pilot segments.

Continental, Delta and United certainly have alternate hiring criteria for certain backgrounds.

 

[poor2thecore]

Which 320 base is the most senior? Junior? Say someone is commuting from Chicago, which base would said pilot want for commutability purposes?

Many thanks!