What am I doing wrong?
 

Had my stuff in for a couple years at least.

7500+ TT
4000+ PIC TURB (Jet)
Master’s Degree
Currently 91/135 but have 121 Experience.

I am wondering if my times matrix is screwed up.

Are there head hunters out there or someone in recruiting I could call? I’m really bummed...

Many thanks in advance.

Have you successfully landed the space shuttle on an aircraft carrier at night at least 10 times? If so, you may just get an interview OTS.

I don’t know whether to laugh or cry with this one.

My guess.....

Currently part 91/135... nothing wrong with that but out of sheer numbers 121 gets more results.

And 7500hrs is about average..many from the lost decade are over 10,000 with thousands more PIC. Your times are competative, but so are alot of others.

I think AA also has a large flow deal that requires a lot of slots be made avail. to certain applicants.

So I’d have to go back to 121 to get a shot? Don’t think I can take that haircut, unfortunately. My three-plus years in 121 doesn’t count?

I should open a pawn shop or something. Ha ha.

You're too male and too pale

Networking is the key

https://www.alliedpilots.org/Committ...ership/NewHire

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

It may help to go somewhere else first, like Kalitta, Omni, etc. Getting a new type rating, big jet, and intntl experience has helped a LOT of pilots get to where they want to go.

PSA, Piedmont, Envoy have direct flow through to AA...you just have to wait.

Also very quick upgrade opportunities, and several hired outside the flow from PSA.


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Maybe you can re-classify yourself as a transitioned female to male?

It’s frustrating for sure waiting to just get a shot!

I think it’s just the odds. We hire most of pilots from flow agreements and the military, so the rest of the pie is tiny.

My cousin ran into the same thing here. Ended up going to SW then FedEx.

How many LORs do you have? How many internals do you have? How much volunteer time do you do? Are you a member of WIA and OBAP and go to those job fairs every year? For non-military OTS hires, these seem to be the biggest factors for someone with your TT. That being said...there's not a lot of non-mil OTS hires. My class was 50% flow-throughs, and of the other 50%, 90% was military. Not saying it's impossible, but with maybe 10 non-mil OTS hires a month on average, you gotta be better than the other 1000s of applicants that AA has on file. Be a pest - go to EVERY job fair, make calls, make AA know how badly you want it.

I've heard check airman and/or sim instructor helps. There was an OTS guy in my class from Spirit who was a sim instructor. Also, don't limit your options. I had a very competitive app in with my "previous first choice" for years and heard nothing even during robust hiring when all my friends were getting called. Now that I'm at AA, I know it's where I'm supposed to be and I don't intend to leave. Your "future first choice" might be waiting for you somewhere else that isn't on your radar right now. Best of luck to you...I know it can be puzzling.

Non flow through, non military pilots only make up about 10% of AAs new hire classes.

Your TT is probably good enough, but how recently have you beefed up your resume with additional training (upgraded/new type/check airman/ comapny instructor etc.) and extra curriculars like community involvement, membership of an AA favorable group?

From the non flow 121 side of the house it looks like LCA experience or membership to an AA preferred group the most common attributes of the folks I know who got picked up as OTS hires at AA. The networking piece is also important as well...

When’s the last time you went through a full training course? New type rating or upgrading from FO to CA in the same type. In the past 5 (?) yrs was the cutoff.

AA’s civilian OTS hiring last year was 9%.

DL published avg civilian hiring data - 7600 TT and 4100 PIC.

Your resume, in a competitive market, is dead center average.

Half a dozen type ratings, two years overseas flying into places a lot of people can’t pronounce, more crossings than I can count, etc.

I worry that my application is messed up and I’ll never know it.

Someone mentioned networking. All the guys I know are as confused by the process as I am. One of my friends just got to United, for example, yet for a couple years all his FOs were upgrading then getting the call instead of him.

Thanks all.

Got it. Maybe United is a better shot.

Thanks.

Thanks all for the input.

Yeah I do the community involvement stuff, etc. I do that legitimately, not to get a job. Have not done the job fair thing yet. When’s the next one in Dallas or Houston? Does it matter which one?

Networking... I don’t even know enough folks at AA to come close on internals based on what I’ve read. Most of the people I know are SWA and United.

Well, I guess I can just ride it out here for awhile longer. I’m not going broke or anything, but in ten years I’d rather be on the AA pay scale.

How long have you been in your current seat?

Well over that five years someone mentioned above. Been left seat qualified almost exclusively for 15 years come to think of it (multiple types in that time). Was a Line Training Captain in my overseas gig. Not that it seems to matter much being it wasn’t 121. :/

I did the overseas thing to enhance my resume’ and check a box I felt I needed.

- Job fairs. Go to as many as possible. Make sure the recruiters recognize your face.
- Membership to NGPA, WIA, and OBAP. It shows your support for diversity and inclusion.
- Any positions in safety, training, union, recruiting
- Volunteer experience
- Internal recommendations
- Update your app every 2 weeks
- Hire a professional to go through your applications

“Support for diversity.” Ugh. Not sure I’m willing to sell my soul that far. No, I’m not bigoted, it’s just that diversity is becoming code for reverse discrimination. Hire the right person. Color/gender is not relevant.

But I guess one has to play the game...

WIA makes sense in a way. My teenager is toying with the idea of becoming a pilot. She might get to AA before I do, too. Lol.


Thanks for the input. That pawn shop idea is looking better every day.

This is getting ridiculous.
You’re not running for office.

1984 Double plus good.

Diversity and Inclusion is very important to American Airlines and many of us that work here. If it's not important to you, perhaps you should focus your efforts towards a company whose values align more closely with your own.

https://www.aa.com/i18n/customer-ser...-diversity.jsp

*Chortle*

:D

I think that diversity and inclusion is over used at AA. Why pigeon hole people into different categories? Just hire the folks that meet the standards instead of using other criteria. Our company is too PC. That is if you are a WASP then you are a target. Not everyone here is buying into PC stuff that is being pushed our way. Yet people are still treated with respect and allowed to do the job that they are qualified to do.
Don't let flydc comments scare you away.

Yes, there are services out there that you can contact. The fact that you are asking the questions suggests to me that you have not done your due diligence to ensure a tight package.

Yeah no kidding.. under AA culture on the link:

"So we must work to recruit, develop, retain and engage the very best people – those with unique perspectives and ways of thinking who can help us become the global leader we’re poised to be."

I think in context it is obvious what he means... and.. Wow. So are the very best people those who think the same way? Or does AA diversity include those who think differently lol. It's such a self-defeating philosophy. Can we just fly planes and take care of each other and the customer?

Supporting diversity brings income to the company...

Sounds very sanctimonious to me.
They’re an airline.

I've started wondering if Diversity isn't just code for "non-white" and Inclusions isn't just got for "non-straight".

There is a concept called "virtue signaling". Basically people or organizations jumping over themselves to show everyone how "great" they are at something. The funniest example was i think it was pepsi that spent a few million on a superbowl ad to show everyone they donated 100k in water.

Have you used an app review service? I know it sounds cheeky but I found it to be VERY useful.

It suggests I do my own diligence, not that I’m infallible.

If they don’t want me they don’t want me. Maybe there is something they see they don’t like. I have never had a problem getting hired anywhere I wanted in the past, so whatever it is I’m unaware.

I haven’t. Sounds like I may need to though. Then again, it sounds like I’m threading a needle in a rainstorm, so it may not matter.

Any suggestions on one?

Spot on. Reverse discrimination was my first thought. Virtue signaling a close second. It’s getting rather silly at this point. Like the other guy said, can’t we just fly airplanes and look out for one another?

Actually, it turns people off. Try supporting excellence instead.

Thanks, man.

Sounds like I don’t have what they want. That’s fine. I make a buck fifty without working too too much. I should just enjoy the flowers for now and see how it plays out.

This sounds doubleplusungood. And watch your thoughtcrime.