Originally Posted by
chi05
I've heard the story about the intern who flew the 777. It was probably 15 years ago that I heard this story but I think she did go to training on it and even received a type rating. Apparently she filled in for a secretary that was out for a few weeks. Since this was outside the normal intern job description a VP decided to make it up to her by sending her to training on the 777. Afterwards she was able to ride along on a delivery flight from Seattle. I didn't hear that she landed it, but I did hear she was able to sit in one of the pilot seats during cruise and log some time in it.
I know that being an intern at UA used to, and I'm guessing it still does, guarantee you an interview but not the job. I know several ex-interns who didn't make it through the interview process, so it was definitely not a guaranteed job. Granted this was during the 90s when you had a better chance of making it through the NASA astronaut interview than you did the United interview on your first try.
The one I heard of had no training whatsoever. But even the one you mentioned is a mockery of the career. Rewarded with a 777 type for answering the phone for a week or two? Compared to what the vast majority of military and civilian pilots have to do to have a similar opportunity, that only cheapens it to the point of spitting in the face of everyone. Gee someone filled in for the receptionist at a DR's office for a week, let's let them do a kidney transplant cause its super cool!
You might be right about the interview vs the job now versus then. But "back in the day" being intern was absolutely worshipped by UAL to the point of jumping the entire profession to get an almost automatic interview that was an almost automatic job offer. IMO that's not good for anyone when 500 hour pilots can walk into a competitive job where everyone else needs 5000+ or mil equivalent...it just cheapens it for everyone. I hope those days are gone and don't ever come back. Unfortunately one negative of the "pilot shortage" are some of the upcoming bridge programs that could end up putting some shockingly low qualified pilots into seats at all levels of the profession.