How to fly for a top airline?
09-12-2019, 09:09 PM
#1
New Hire
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Sep 2019
Posts: 2
How to fly for a top airline?
I am a history major on track to graduate from The University of Virginia in the Spring of 2021 with about a 3.2 GPA. I have only completed a discovery flight and afterward I realized my dream to become a commercial pilot. In high school and college combined I got nailed with 4 standard speeding tickets. I have learned from my past and ensure I do not speed anymore. What is my play to get to United/Delta/American asap after graduation?
09-12-2019, 09:38 PM
#2
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jan 2019
Posts: 310
Originally Posted by rdb4ee
I am a history major on track to graduate from The University of Virginia in the Spring of 2021 with about a 3.2 GPA. I have only completed a discovery flight and afterward I realized my dream to become a commercial pilot. In high school and college combined I got nailed with 4 standard speeding tickets. I have learned from my past and ensure I do not speed anymore. What is my play to get to United/Delta/American asap after graduation?
Cadet Academy | American Airlines
09-13-2019, 04:24 AM
#3
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2019
Posts: 196
My GPA was worse than that, and I had just as many traffic tickets but two of them were plead down to something much less than speeding, and one was more severe than speeding. They never came up in any interview and neither did my GPA.
First, get a 1st class medical just to make sure you can get one. Then you’ll need to get your certificates through commercial pilot, instrument rating, and multiengine. Then get a job and start building those hours. I’ve seen guys go from 0 hours to a flying a regional jet in as little as two years, maybe even slightly less. And if correctly networking, getting to a major in less than 3 years after that, but plan to be at a regional for possibly longer.
First, get a 1st class medical just to make sure you can get one. Then you’ll need to get your certificates through commercial pilot, instrument rating, and multiengine. Then get a job and start building those hours. I’ve seen guys go from 0 hours to a flying a regional jet in as little as two years, maybe even slightly less. And if correctly networking, getting to a major in less than 3 years after that, but plan to be at a regional for possibly longer.
09-13-2019, 05:59 AM
#4
Prime Minister/Moderator
Joined APC: Jan 2006
Position: Engines Turn Or People Swim
Posts: 39,232
The tickets won't matter at that young age (it would matter if you had 15, or were still getting them after age 25).
The bottom line...
1. Get your ratings and punch as many tickets as you can, including any leadership/training postitions: flight school check pilot/chief pilot, any training position or leadership position at the regional including ground instructor (often available for even junior FO's), or any volunteer/leadership positions at the union.
Re. that last... might avoid HIMS. Reason being that unions typically prefer HIMS alumni to support that program, and if you're not actually a HIMS grad then you don't a major to suspect that you might be.
2. Keep your training record clean... the part 91/61 and even 141 GA training system is NOT fair or consistent. Do your research on schools and especially DPE's before you use them (same applies to regional training programs but 121 is more consistent for the most part). If you don't like a school/instructor, communicate and get a new one if you can't resolve the issue. Do not take a checkride unless you're certain you're ready. Do not ever do hail mary checkrides, might get away with it once but between student pilot and major airlines you'll typically take about 20 checkrides (airlines you get one at least every year, or more often).
3. Stay on top of your systems knowledge and memory items, especially at the regional. If all is going well, it's a pretty easy job but when it goes wrong (about once every 3-5 years in my experience) your performance is recorded and will be scrutinized after the fact... so real airline emergencies are basically a surprise checkride. Be ready.
4. Obviously stay out of trouble. If you get a DUI, 30 years later as you taxi your obsolete cargo turboprop full of rubber dog poop past a gleaming legacy widebody you'll REALLY regret not spending that $7 for an uber.
5. Network. You'll have plenty of opportunity, get peoples contact info and stay in touch. You'll need LOR's and never know who will be in a position to help.
Major jobs are very competitive, they offer pay, benefits, and QOL that are better than most other job sin and out of aviation. It's rarely as simple as meeting the mins and getting a phone call, the folks who aggressively pursue career opportunities and network get ahead.
The bottom line...
1. Get your ratings and punch as many tickets as you can, including any leadership/training postitions: flight school check pilot/chief pilot, any training position or leadership position at the regional including ground instructor (often available for even junior FO's), or any volunteer/leadership positions at the union.
Re. that last... might avoid HIMS. Reason being that unions typically prefer HIMS alumni to support that program, and if you're not actually a HIMS grad then you don't a major to suspect that you might be.
2. Keep your training record clean... the part 91/61 and even 141 GA training system is NOT fair or consistent. Do your research on schools and especially DPE's before you use them (same applies to regional training programs but 121 is more consistent for the most part). If you don't like a school/instructor, communicate and get a new one if you can't resolve the issue. Do not take a checkride unless you're certain you're ready. Do not ever do hail mary checkrides, might get away with it once but between student pilot and major airlines you'll typically take about 20 checkrides (airlines you get one at least every year, or more often).
3. Stay on top of your systems knowledge and memory items, especially at the regional. If all is going well, it's a pretty easy job but when it goes wrong (about once every 3-5 years in my experience) your performance is recorded and will be scrutinized after the fact... so real airline emergencies are basically a surprise checkride. Be ready.
4. Obviously stay out of trouble. If you get a DUI, 30 years later as you taxi your obsolete cargo turboprop full of rubber dog poop past a gleaming legacy widebody you'll REALLY regret not spending that $7 for an uber.
5. Network. You'll have plenty of opportunity, get peoples contact info and stay in touch. You'll need LOR's and never know who will be in a position to help.
Major jobs are very competitive, they offer pay, benefits, and QOL that are better than most other job sin and out of aviation. It's rarely as simple as meeting the mins and getting a phone call, the folks who aggressively pursue career opportunities and network get ahead.
09-13-2019, 06:33 AM
#5
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: May 2010
Position: Baja Vermont
Posts: 5,172
Aviation schools that start with “United States....” are still the best solid gold route to the legacies and that’ll likely be the case for a long time. I know lots of Reserves “babies” that started in the early 00s that are near or actual legacy narrow-body captains while there are thousands of regional captains still waiting.
GF
GF
09-13-2019, 06:39 PM
#6
Line Holder
Joined APC: Feb 2018
Posts: 51
Originally Posted by rickair7777
The tickets won't matter at that young age (it would matter if you had 15, or were still getting them after age 25).
The bottom line...
1. Get your ratings and punch as many tickets as you can, including any leadership/training postitions: flight school check pilot/chief pilot, any training position or leadership position at the regional including ground instructor (often available for even junior FO's), or any volunteer/leadership positions at the union.
Re. that last... might avoid HIMS. Reason being that unions typically prefer HIMS alumni to support that program, and if you're not actually a HIMS grad then you don't a major to suspect that you might be.
2. Keep your training record clean... the part 91/61 and even 141 GA training system is NOT fair or consistent. Do your research on schools and especially DPE's before you use them (same applies to regional training programs but 121 is more consistent for the most part). If you don't like a school/instructor, communicate and get a new one if you can't resolve the issue. Do not take a checkride unless you're certain you're ready. Do not ever do hail mary checkrides, might get away with it once but between student pilot and major airlines you'll typically take about 20 checkrides (airlines you get one at least every year, or more often).
3. Stay on top of your systems knowledge and memory items, especially at the regional. If all is going well, it's a pretty easy job but when it goes wrong (about once every 3-5 years in my experience) your performance is recorded and will be scrutinized after the fact... so real airline emergencies are basically a surprise checkride. Be ready.
4. Obviously stay out of trouble. If you get a DUI, 30 years later as you taxi your obsolete cargo turboprop full of rubber dog poop past a gleaming legacy widebody you'll REALLY regret not spending that $7 for an uber.
5. Network. You'll have plenty of opportunity, get peoples contact info and stay in touch. You'll need LOR's and never know who will be in a position to help.
Major jobs are very competitive, they offer pay, benefits, and QOL that are better than most other job sin and out of aviation. It's rarely as simple as meeting the mins and getting a phone call, the folks who aggressively pursue career opportunities and network get ahead.
The bottom line...
1. Get your ratings and punch as many tickets as you can, including any leadership/training postitions: flight school check pilot/chief pilot, any training position or leadership position at the regional including ground instructor (often available for even junior FO's), or any volunteer/leadership positions at the union.
Re. that last... might avoid HIMS. Reason being that unions typically prefer HIMS alumni to support that program, and if you're not actually a HIMS grad then you don't a major to suspect that you might be.
2. Keep your training record clean... the part 91/61 and even 141 GA training system is NOT fair or consistent. Do your research on schools and especially DPE's before you use them (same applies to regional training programs but 121 is more consistent for the most part). If you don't like a school/instructor, communicate and get a new one if you can't resolve the issue. Do not take a checkride unless you're certain you're ready. Do not ever do hail mary checkrides, might get away with it once but between student pilot and major airlines you'll typically take about 20 checkrides (airlines you get one at least every year, or more often).
3. Stay on top of your systems knowledge and memory items, especially at the regional. If all is going well, it's a pretty easy job but when it goes wrong (about once every 3-5 years in my experience) your performance is recorded and will be scrutinized after the fact... so real airline emergencies are basically a surprise checkride. Be ready.
4. Obviously stay out of trouble. If you get a DUI, 30 years later as you taxi your obsolete cargo turboprop full of rubber dog poop past a gleaming legacy widebody you'll REALLY regret not spending that $7 for an uber.
5. Network. You'll have plenty of opportunity, get peoples contact info and stay in touch. You'll need LOR's and never know who will be in a position to help.
Major jobs are very competitive, they offer pay, benefits, and QOL that are better than most other job sin and out of aviation. It's rarely as simple as meeting the mins and getting a phone call, the folks who aggressively pursue career opportunities and network get ahead.
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