Originally Posted by
Jetjock65
All of the guys that you hear out there crying are for the most part people who decided to do this way to late in life and are never going to have the chance to make top tier money because they will be to old to have put in the amount of years of service to get there.
I assume this is directed at me? I'm not THAT old, and still have a shot at widebody CA. But I am actually glad that I did do some other things in my youth...turns out that I made some money, and some investments, and I have skills to earn money on the side.
When I break it down for the younger folks it's because I certainly would not want to be in their shoes without a financial fallback plan. Remember, not everyone will make it to the majors...my best long-term realistic estimate is about 50% of current regional pilots will go to majors, and only about 20% to top-tier majors.
What makes YOU think you'll get on with FDX?
If you have a degree (or two), family connections, no black marks, and usually out-compete your peers in life then you're a realistic contender.
If you have an AA, play a lot of video games, and are an "average joe" it's going to be tougher for you...you'll be up against a lot of applicants with well-rounded qualifications.
Remember, when you apply to major airlines, EVERYBODY knows how to fly a jet...that's not good enough. They have ten thousand resumes from RJ drivers, but they are only hiring 30 this month. They will be picky on OTHER criteria simply because they can be.