GuppyPuppy

In 1986-87 a coworker decided not to go back to United because it was a mess. Twelve years later he was flying a duct-taped POS freighter in the middle of the night for a dirt bag company. He wished he would've gone back to that messed up company.

As long as there are worse jobs out there you will see people wanting to go to AA. And even though things aren't good there compared to their counterparts some do realize that it will get better.

GP

Scott Stoops

Based on what I hear from tk, United will be between 800-1000 a year for the next 3 years, then 600-800 a year. Flt ops management keeps quoting 15000 pilots and 1000 airplanes by 2020. Those numbers would be a minimum to achieve that with retirements and no change to age 65. The order book and lease rumors (42 additional 319s) support that.

Then again, we might furlough tomorrow.

NextFlightHome

They're gonna run out of pilots real quick that have:
A) 3.0+ GPA
B) a College Degree
C) 500TPIC

Chuck D

I know of several lacking cat A or C, self included, and have heard that B is occasionally waivable under unique circumstances of significant other accomplishments.

Roper92

I beg to differ as there are many thousands with those quals.

Chimpy

Meh, I have a good friend who started there about a year ago with no degree. Sure it's not the norm but it happens

Roper92

I have a friend hired with a sub 3.0 GPA and another with zero TPIC. That wasn't the point.

Chimpy

Good for him and you, moving along

Sliceback

WAI - AA briefing room was standing room only, 2-3 deep at the back of the room. The next Big 4 airline's brief after the AA session? Less than 50% of the seats were taken.

Candidate to me - "you guys are popular." No clue what he was talking about. "Your line on the floor is about 1/3 longer than anyone else's."

Not saying AA is better than anyone but take the doom and gloom posts in perspective.

Talked with a 32 yr old. guy. If he got hired he's looking at about 18 yrs in the top 2000, 14 yrs in the top 1000, and 6 yrs under 100. Unlike ATR35 he doesn't think AA's future would s*ck for him. The 30 yr old 777 CA with 9000 hrs TT? His numbers would be even better.

General estimate is 17,000 applicants. Big 4 hiring about 3,200. Add in the next group (AK, Spirit, FDX, UPS, JB), and it tops 4,000. Military is losing just over 1,000/year. Regionals have 16,000-18,000. In three years the big carriers have a non military demand approaching 10,000 at the current rate.

The candidate pool is very impressive. Post 9/11 slowdown, and guys staying on AD vs. separating, better and larger equipment in the regionals, has allowed candidates to have resumes unheard of 20-30 years ago.

The candidate resume quality might reduce somewhat but the non lifer regionals guys getting major jobs will generate movement, and resume improvement opportunities (CKA, Flt Dept responsibilities, union positions), amongst the regional FO or junior CA ranks.

tailendcharlie

A lot of folks seem to be forgetting that the financial incentive of a legacy career is now so attractive that we're back to a 1970's environment where your standard military flying career is fulfill your min. requirement then head to the airlines. So there is going to be a steady stream of premium candidates every year, not just a diminishing number of regional captains like everyone keeps saying.