Originally Posted by Packer Backer
Right now? 10,000 plus hours with 4-5000 hours PIC turbine. Even that won't guarantee you the job. Go be a dentist. But all that could change in 5 years.
What you are saying in barely half true... Getting hired at any "Major" carrier is all about who you know...I am in class at Continental, there minimuns are very low, but that being said everybody in my class knows somebody, it ranges from Parents, to Relatives, to Friends, to Being a very good networker and putting yourself in a position to get inside support. I am pretty sure that all the others that are hiring are the same way.
The rationale is basically if some one who has been a
good employee tends to associate with other people who are good employees. If you have a "Magic Bullet" some where all you have to focus on is finding the Holy Grail of Jet PIC. Continental does not have any significant Turbine PIC requirements.. .Its 1000 PIC and 500 Turbine (SIC is OK) or If you have 1000 hours in a TurboJET (props dont count) you only need 500 pic.
If you dont have a Magic Bullet your other concern is Networking... now dont be a tool and just go around asking Pilots for recommendations...If the person's rec is worth having he/she probably will not write you one unless they know you... Its nothing personal but when an airline pilot writes a reccommedation they are kind of putting their Arse out on the line for you. But what I can tell you to do is to keep track of everybody you fly with, stay in touch with them... You never know where people will end up, its a small world, The guy you fly with today in the Twin-Otter might find his way to a regional and then he might be in a position to help you out, and so on. Go to AirInc conventions and the like just to meet people and get ideas on what to do next. I do know of a
guy who got hired at Alaska after meeting some of the higher ups at the Women in Aviation conference.
I hope this helps.. Good luck to you.
Adam