Will yearly flight times be factor for major airline applicants?

[JECKEL]

Concerning US Airways "application filter" that you must have had initial training within the last five years (upgrade counts).
US Air chief pilots and fleet captains have voiced concerns over the question, being used strictly as a HR tool, and have requested that it be altered or removed altogether. It effectively removes some if not all of the most experienced and qualified regional captains.
HR says that statics show that applicants who have had formal initial or upgrade training within the last 5 years are more apt to pass their required training and is a smarter hire than a 15 year captain far removed from his/her initial or upgrade training.
It's all about counting beans and not hiring the most qualified.

 

[SIG600]

Experience is not measured strictly in hours, unfortunately except by HR people who can only read numbers. Reference the KC-135 driver who had not flown in 5 years hired a NWA. There is a big difference in experience between 400 hours in the last year flying a DA-20 out of KYIP, or 1000 hours of towing banners a MYR.

Too bad they pay the same.

 

[xjhawk]

I have also heard that companies like FedEx have commission bullcrap studies to find their "ideal" candidate and they think that (I cant remember the exact numbers) somewhere between 3500-7500 is the most trainable-using computers to allow only their window of hours and their applications to be seen by the screeners.

 

[cbrown1]

I have also heard that companies like FedEx have commission bullcrap studies to find their "ideal" candidate and they think that (I cant remember the exact numbers) somewhere between 3500-7500 is the most trainable-using computers to allow only their window of hours and their applications to be seen by the screeners.

It's the current trend among HR departments.
That and asking almost 90% TMAT questions.

 

[JLaPine]

Looking for facts and opinions concerning a potential resume checkbox I've been hearing about. I'm doing all I can to be marketable to both Flight Ops and the HR side of the interview process as the majors start to get ramped up...problem is I'm hearing that around 400 hours flown yearly might be required for recency of experience. I'm a former 121 FO of four years in the RJ, now acting as PIC on a private family-owned Hawker. And while I am in fact the lead Captain, the flying is cushy and casual and doesn't rack up the time like it used to, i.e less than 400 a year. Any thoughts? I'm afraid these computer driven application filters might kick me out before I get a foot in the door.

You'd be lucky to get 400 hours a year in most military aircraft. I wouldn't worry about it. If you have a good job flying a Hawker, why worry about the airlines? I get the senority thing but why fix what's not broken?

 

[Turtle21]

I know airways is looking for 400 hours in the last 12 months as one of their criteria as well as a type rating or upgrade in the past five years or less.

I am a little suspect of the "past five years" criteria, unless this is just an easy way to cut through apps at the very beginning of the hiring wave. I mean really, who has done anything in the last five years besides log their ladings and do their check rides? Did management miss the impact of age 65?

 

[Turtle21]

Concerning US Airways "application filter" that you must have had initial training within the last five years (upgrade counts).
US Air chief pilots and fleet captains have voiced concerns over the question, being used strictly as a HR tool, and have requested that it be altered or removed altogether. It effectively removes some if not all of the most experienced and qualified regional captains.
HR says that statics show that applicants who have had formal initial or upgrade training within the last 5 years are more apt to pass their required training and is a smarter hire than a 15 year captain far removed from his/her initial or upgrade training.
It's all about counting beans and not hiring the most qualified.

Oh, Ok I get it now. The 5 year thing bypasses the majority of Capts at regionals and prevents a total upheaval at the regional training departments.

 

[pilotyip]

Too bad they pay the same.

It is not a career position, it is a place you build your resume at wages well above a regional job. Pilots get hired at good places because they have Turbine PIC, you must build turbine PIC to have control over your career. You have to go wherever that job is that gets you turbine PIC. You stay in that job until you can get another job that gives you better turbine PIC, i.e. Bigger airplanes, Turbojet, 121, etc. It is called paying your dues everyone must do it. Some do it in the military, some do it at the regionals, and some do in the on-demand business. Everyone pays his or her dues. We love it when our pilot s move on to career jobs at SWA, FedEx, UPS, AT, JB, NJ, DAL, Atlas, etc But you have to go someplace to pay dues, and we think we are the best of the bottom feeders.

 

[propjob27]

Looking for facts and opinions concerning a potential resume checkbox I've been hearing about. I'm doing all I can to be marketable to both Flight Ops and the HR side of the interview process as the majors start to get ramped up...problem is I'm hearing that around 400 hours flown yearly might be required for recency of experience. I'm a former 121 FO of four years in the RJ, now acting as PIC on a private family-owned Hawker. And while I am in fact the lead Captain, the flying is cushy and casual and doesn't rack up the time like it used to, i.e less than 400 a year. Any thoughts? I'm afraid these computer driven application filters might kick me out before I get a foot in the door.

Dude, if you made it to the interview in the first place, the job is yours to lose.

Your lack of or excess of hours per year ins't going to come up.

 

[C-150ETOPS]

Hopefully you'll have the rewarding experience I had with my HR Bimbette reviewing my quals:

HR: "What's a HS-125, a helicopter?"

Me: "No, it's a business jet, and it's not in that book" (as she started rifling though a Nato Fighters book.

Me: "I don't think it's in that one either" (Bimbette grabs a "World's Turboprops" book)

Me: "Do you know what a Gulfstream is?

HR: "Yes"

Me: "Do you know what a Learjet is?"

HR: "Yes"

Me: "The HS-125 is a British made business jet, between the size of a Lear and GII"

All charm and smiles of course. The little ladies doing this type of stuff can go on real power trips with hundreds of clean cut and physically fit guys in their 20's and 30's begging them for a job.

i wouldn't worry about the 400/year. That is a pretty good rate for corporate and they should know qualified guys doing that stuff fly less. Enjoy the good rental cars, hotels and left over seafood trays. You'll be surprised at the crap food, hotels and stranded without a car with only a KFC nearby.

 

[PFTEXPJET]

Truth

I know airways is looking for 400 hours in the last 12 months as one of their criteria as well as a type rating or upgrade in the past five years or less.


At the Atlanta job fair, the US Airway rep was telling people that if you didn't have 400 hours in the last 12 months on your app you were disqualified. He said when you clicked on the flight time box it would open another box that asked you if you were a sim instructor or check airman, if so, your app would qualify, if not, you did not qualify. I was shocked to hear him tell us that but it's their party and they can make the rules.

 

[HA25]

... There is a big difference in experience between 400 hours in the last year flying a DA-20 out of KYIP, or 1000 hours of towing banners a MYR.

I love how you had to get a plug for USA Jet there.... as if the recruiters are actively looking for those DA20 on demand guys to fill their classes.

As to the original topic, truth be told I've had more than one occasion when I got hired with less than 200 hours in a year (look back), and once I was even 2 years out of currency. What matters more to them is the quality of your experience than the quantity or recency.

 

[HA25]

I know airways is looking for 400 hours in the last 12 months as one of their criteria as well as a type rating or upgrade in the past five years or less.


At the Atlanta job fair, the US Airway rep was telling people that if you didn't have 400 hours in the last 12 months on your app you were disqualified. He said when you clicked on the flight time box it would open another box that asked you if you were a sim instructor or check airman, if so, your app would qualify, if not, you did not qualify. I was shocked to hear him tell us that but it's their party and they can make the rules.

so there goes all of those uberqualified guys at Kalitta, Evergreen, Atlas and many other non-sched world wide heavy operators... that has HR written all over it, sad.

 

[pilotyip]

I love how you had to get a plug for USA Jet there.... as if the recruiters are actively looking for those DA20 on demand guys to fill their classes.

Some body msut like those DA-20 drivers because here is where they have gone to career jobs at SWA, FedEx, UPS, AT, JB, NJ, DAL, Atlas, etc. In fact back in 2001 when NJ heard we were laying off they came to YIP and det up interviews for our DA-20 guys at a local hotel. Somebody must like them. BTW We are not interviewing or hiring