So it's been a few weeks since my interview, and now I've received an email saying I've been placed on the "preferential hiring list" with no statement on potential class dates or fleet type(s) I'm being considered for. Is this the CJO or equivalent, or is this different than that? Other than wait for an indeterminate amount of time, what do I do now?

 

Unfortunately I’m not :/

 

That’s the CJO equivalent. For some reason Atlas HR doesn’t want to use the words “job offer” until it’s a sure thing, meaning they offer you a class date. If you’re not super low time, you could be considered for all fleets. If they call you with an offer and you would prefer another fleet, just ask if a class date for that fleet is available. They’re not going to hang up on you and blackball you. They may tell you that this is the only class you’re being considered for(I’ve heard of this only twice, and I believe it was due to their specific experience level), at which point you have to decide if you want it or not. Decide now which fleet types you will accept and which types you won’t.

As far as when that call will come, I can’t even guess. Maybe somebody that has been through the hiring process recently can help with current timelines.

 

747, 4-6 weeks. 737/767, 3-4 months to who knows. There are pilots from October who still are waiting for a class date on those fleets..

 

There's always a chance you burned a bridge, but there's always a chance whoever interveiws you decides you like the wrong football team, like football too much, don't care enough about pro sports, don't care enough about laser interferometers and gravity observations. My point is why worry?

Apply. See what happens. If you want to come here and we say "no", try again.

 

Whoa! Did you see that Vacancy award ?? Must of had at least 8 CA upgrades across all fleets.

what’s that like .003% of the list ?

New hires should be a CA in at least 10 years with numbers like that.

 

Yes yes yes, we are the worst airline in the industry and nobody should come to Atlas. Anything else?

 

You should quit working here. If you truly believe what you say, month after month, year over year you should heed your own advice and take a job doing something else somewhere else. If you did that, you'd have a more predictable future to count on, even if you only have a few years left to work. You wouldn't have to stress our imminent demise as a company. However, if you choose to stay, you must see something a little more promising to do with your remaining career and life than you let on. It follows that you must have been seeing a more hopeful picture all along since you've chosen to keep flying airplanes with me here.

 

777 was about 6 months for me. October 25th interview, and scheduled for April 11 class date.

 

Well, since there are only 5 or 8 retirements every month, the upgrades and hiring to fill the new jets was last year, and the company stated a pause in 76 and 73 CA upgrades to "catch up" and reduce the training delays, this seems to make perfect sense.

I have been moving up about 20 numbers every month since August. At that rate I'll get into the left seat of the 76 4 years and 4 months from now...just past my 5th Anniversary. Even when my rate slows as I get more senior, I seem to be tracking to upgrade as expected.

People will leave, people will stay, jets will be purchased, jets will be parked. Upgrade times will fluctuate. Stay the course, bank on minimum guarantee, and be happy for the small victories.