I don't doubt your posting, but I sat next to Judy Tarver at lunch (Higher Power Aviation) a few years back after my furlough from TWA/American and we chatted about American's hiring practices during her tenure and it had to do more with the applicant's personality than their flying experience, at least that's what I believe I heard.

One of the great things about this message board is that it's an invaluable resource of information. It's value is lessened when we see someone get on here with a legitimate question and get slammed for not knowing any better...if he knew the answer he wouldn't have asked the question. I always thought we had a "cooperate-graduate" attitude here and that "no question is a silly question" attitude.

I am always humbled when someone asks me a question about what they should do with regards to their flight training and career path.

JRobinson, I have worked at a variety of airlines whereas someone with "just a CFI background" was hired at yes, a major airline. So, yes, anything is possible although it's a long shot. The regional route is one of the more solid ways to get to your dream job.

If I may add my two cents, network with people in the industry...in reality this may help your resume moreso than you think. Place yourself in a recruiter's shoes at the your target airlines, do they like military pilots, regional pilots, or like UPS, do they hire from every facet of aviation. Finally, become familiar with your target airlines, know a little about their background, try to network with some of their employees and tailor your efforts towards achieving more than their minimum qualifications.


Best of Luck,

FF