Originally Posted by
ecam
Here's the thing. We're all pilots. We all put our pants on one leg at a time. We all do the same basic job. Often in the same airplane. But for some reason, some think they are better than others because of who they work for or how "hard" their company's interview is. And they want to brag how "difficult" it is to get hired there to keep supporting that ego. Not mentioning anyone specifically. But yeah, the whole system is kind of a sham. A pilot is a pilot. Pilots who have been flying long enough to qualify for a job at ANY legacy carrier (Or LCC for that matter) have already proven themselves many many, times. And if their attitude sucked that bad, they would have already been weeded out. The question is if they fit the COMPANY CULTURE. That's what they are really looking for. I know with absolute certainty I'd never fit in at Delta. And i'm okay with that. I'd never be happy there. Some are definitely cut to that mold.
Who cares about the corporate culture because you won't see that once the door is closed and it's just the two of you upfront. Your comment about weeding out isn't necessarily always true. Some pilots are a-holes but they aren't stupid enough to get fired. And without some sort of justifying offense to fire, just being a d-bag isn't enough. You know what I'm talking about. Every airline has them. A-holes. The ones where you just can't wait for a 4-day to end and throw their name in the no-fly list. I think the biggest challenge for HR and pilot recruiters is to find the guy who they can put up with on a 4-10+ day trip. Like you said, anyone can fly a plane at this stage and can do it safely. With the right training, their flying ability isn't in question. It's the personality and d-bag factor which is unknown. The airlines don't weed all of them out, and that's why you get the 5% rule.