Originally Posted by
GearBoy
Maybe some of you guys should read between the lines. BiloxiJack is offering inside knowledge and no one listens or heeds his advice.
There has to be a reason they do what they do. They still think that they are the only game in town. They want people who are willing to settle for less in exchange for being in the PNW. They put you in the pool and then, They string you along. JH literally calls it a shell game. They don't have the training capacity nor do they want to pay for more. Heck, they don't even have enough captains to cover the schedule and refuse to upgrade more. So, no training during peak summer. Instructors and check airmen back to the line.
Where you go is ultimately go is up to you. Just know what you're getting into. In today's competitive market, Alaska is not the place to be. Just ask the countless FO's who say they're waiting until the arbitration decision in October to determine if they've made a mistake (delusional- if you have to ask, you already know the answer). Or ask the countless FOs who have put their apps in elsewhere, hoping to get the call. Better yet, ask yourself why many have already left and still more are headed for the door.
The decision is obviously yours. Make it an educated one. Otherwise, if and when you're disappointed, it'll be all on you. But, you might not be disappointed at all. If you can't get on elsewhere, If you're willing to settle for less, you'll fit right in, on the Island of Misfit Toys
I'm sorry but I have to call out this fallacy that I see again and again from pilots at the majors. I've been trying to get on at Alaska for ten years. Yes, I started applying and networking in 2007. I wasn't super competitive back then, but I have worked my butt off in order to strengthen my resume at every turn. It took until this spring to finally get an interview.
The fallacy is that it's such a great job market out there that all you have to do is apply and you'll get a job. False. Unequivocally so. Unless you have military flight time.
I have 21 years of military service as a combination of active and reserve time. I've held positions of leadership during national crisis handling a $200 million dollar budget. But if you're not a military pilot, being in the military isn't any more important to the airlines than if you volunteered at 4H.
I've held volunteer and leadership positions at my regional airline, in my union, in my community. Class valedictorian, engineering degree, owned my own business.
Not that flight time counts for much anymore, but I have 8400 with 3700 121 PIC.
I have networked extensively and done the job fair circuit for the past seven years.
It was all crickets until this year. I still know many very well qualified pilots at my regional who can't get the time of day from the majors or LCC's. The LCC's consider you a flight risk if you're too well qualified (as they likely should since their contracts are so lacking).
So no, many of us don't have this choice that you're speaking of. We realize that there are chinks in the armor at Alaska, but we are still thrilled to be here. We're going to make the best of it. We're going to hope that we get a good result out of the arbitrator. Who knows.
Rant over.