Originally Posted by
Wkdpssa
I know I’m taking a huge risk of stirring up a hornets nest by resurrecting this thread but here goes. My son was just offered a June class date for the Gateway Select program. As a proud father (and SWA captain) I’m a little nervous about how he’ll be received by the pilot group having ‘jumped’ directly to the right seat if/when he completes this program. I am hesitant but it is his choice. Without starting a new thread on JB pilot’s feeling with the recent AIP I have to say I’m less hesitant. I’ve really enjoyed talking to all the JB pilots that have ridden on my jumpseat and believe y’all have a great product but Papa needs to hear the honest truth. Thanks in advance.
Pilots will always complain about how a company hires new pilots.
You as a pilot can impress upon him the importance of the union etc. the training pipeline will ensure he meets a minimum standard. Airline training isn’t impossible for most folks. It’s not always easy, but isn’t impossible...
Originally Posted by
atpcliff
Pretty soon AA/DAL/UAL, etc. will be forced to HIRE off the street, pay for ALL your training, and pay you to be trained! Just like the military...
If you don't want to wait that long, then get your training somewhere else, it will cost about half as much. AA has a program where they will help you with some of the costs, then take you into Envoy/PSA/Piedmont where they have direct flow thru to AA.
I’m going to counter this advice... as long as cost isn’t an option it’s worth taking the known option (acceptance to the program), vs passing up an opportunity to wait around for something that might happen (AA moves only slightly quicker than the Govt on stuff).
Going the AA pipeline to a WO to flow through to AA and your son is looking at 8-12 years before he’s a NH FO at Mainline depending on which AA regional he goes to. In that time there’s a decent chance he’ll be a Captain at JetBlue and/or have gone some place else by then.
Take what you/he know. JB life is definitely better than life at a regional according to everyone I’ve ever met whose done both...