Originally Posted by
Vibe
Hey everyone, I'm brand new to APF so I apologize if this has been posted about before but I'm looking for some career advice. To give some background, I'm a 19 year old freshman with my PPL attending a part 141 university and am currently working towards my instrument rating. The two majors I really want to fly for are Delta and United. There's a career fair coming up on campus and I know for a fact Republic recruiters will be there. Here's my question(s): Would it be worth my time to talk with these recruiters? Obviously I'm just a freshman with very little in terms of a resume, but I have heard it would be beneficial to get my name in with local recruiters as early as possible. And looking towards the future, would it be worth it to join a regional cadet program? I've heard a lot of horror stories regarding these programs (especially Republic's), and people seem pretty divided on whether or not you should go with a cadet program or apply as soon as you reach R-ATP mins. I have also heard that if I want to ultimately fly for either United or Delta, I should apply to an American Eagle regional and then transition from a captain from an American WO instead of trying to fly for a United/Delta WO and wait for them to automatically transition me to United/Delta. Is this still the best course of action? I guess the crux of my question is for someone in my position with the goal of getting to the majors as fast as possible, what would you do if you could start over? Obviously I know so much can and will change in the next 4 years for when I start my applications but I know that there are some cadet programs that you can apply to as early as a PPL and I'm wondering if the lure of a CJO is a little too good to be true at this point in my career. Thanks!
It never hurts to talk to a recruiter. I'll let others weigh in on the merits of various cadet programs, as they will have much more current info on that than I do.
As far as going to a non branded WO (like Endeavor if you want to get to DL), that was true during the post-Covid hiring surge. It's not nearly as true today. I think that's some stale/old info.
If you really want to get to DL, shoot for the Propel program. I'm sure UA has something similar. It's a fantastic path which is assured once you get in. But you have to be attending a participating university.
Best advice on getting to a Legacy ASAP, is to grind as hard as you can. Don't take the summer off. Get your ratings and 1500 hours as quickly as humanly possible. Continue to ask questions here, or elsewhere, as information changes over time. Find a wise mentor if you can, who can help guide you as you progress. There will be some lackluster advice here, but also some really good advice. Be discerning in that... Best of Luck!