2 jobs in 6 months (one quit one fired)
 

Me again. I posted up about quitting a job when a crew member threatened me here. https://www.airlinepilotforums.com/a...nviorment.html

I moved across the airport to the competitor within a few weeks. They had fired the pilot who had threatened me and heard what happened and offered me a job. Well I got fired after a month on the line. Passed my checkride and IOE with no concerns.

From my first day I found many maintenance concerns. Ironically the very things that the pilot who threatened me had complained about. It was so bad that in less than a month with the company I had 3 major emergencies in flight, including a fire.

The last straw was the 3rd major emergency with passengers on board, I had a major equipment malfunction that I had written up two times in the past week. Both times ended up as an ops check normal and back on the line with no repairs done. 20 minutes into the flight I had to declare an emergency. I found out later the company was already under investigation for the same sorts of issues and has been fined every year for the past 3 years for maintenance and record keeping issues.

I made some comments about the companies maintenance issues that the customers overheard (nothing profane just that maintenance didn’t seem to be doing a very good job to my FO). I did have 2 major emergencies with the same customers on board. And they canceled the contract with the charter company claiming concerns over the safety of the company aircraft. Well I got fired as a result.

I understand that I shouldn’t have made comments in earshot of the customer but nothing I said should have led to termination. This was clearly trying to appease the customer they had lost. I don’t want my job back. There will be a major incident any day now at this company. It's just a matter of time.

However I now have 2 jobs in less than 6 months on my resume. Both successful 135 check rides and IOE. One I quit with good reason and the other I was fired by the company trying to cover things up. Not a safety of flight concern in any way. If anything I should have been commended for getting the plane and passengers safely on the ground. Instead I was terminated.

I am devastated by how this played out. How do I explain this on my resume? Or in interviews? I've got around 2500 hours but no ATP and a family to feed. Regional life and pay is going to be tough on us. I get it, 135 sucks and I am actively looking at regionals but somehow I have to get past this black mark on my employment history and keep a roof over my families head after 2 job losses in 6 months. And to make matters worse the company is very vindictive. So I doubt any reference checks will go well with them. How can I explain and recover my career from this?

Time. That and doing a better job of researching a company before you work for them. With this history, you need to find a regional, complete probation successfully, and grind out at least a couple thousand hours. Even then it will slow you down - especially applying at any first tier major airline. Even if everything you say was just as justified as you say it was, they’ve got thousands of equally well qualified candidates without these sort of red flags that they don’t have to sort truth from fiction with.

Taking apparent shortcuts can be hazardous to your career.

I appreciate your response. Can you clarify two things for me. To what are you referring to when you type 'apparent shortcuts'? Second question, how do I explain this on my resume and interview? What was I supposed to learn from this that I have not yet?

I don’t have any real P135 experience but how are you a CA without an ATP? I thought that was required?

I would assume he meant ‘apparent shortcuts’ meaning be more careful where you leap when switching jobs in the early stages of your career. That “research” he mentioned in his post.

There is no way to spin it, other than to answer the questions asked honestly but without delving into ad-naseum details with some misguided need to explain the circumstances. If the interviewer wants to know more details then they will ask them. Treat it like medical!

Without getting into specifics of company and aircraft (again vindictive company) ATP not required for this job. But we were not flying large or medium multi engine passenger jets.

I am getting a lot of TBNT responses when they see the 2 jobs in 6 months on my resume, an assumption on my part though, rest of my resume is good. But they don't even ask for specifics. I suspect they think I failed two check rides or IOE, which isn't the case. Should I put down something like successful check ride and IOE in some way on my resume or try to explain it in the cover letter?

PC12 or Caravan gigs.

Unfortunately there is a common denominator here.
That’s how people will see it.
Make better choices.
Sorry.

I understand I am the common denominator here. And I agree that is how people will see it. The question is how do I explain it without saying I am a tool and can't fly an airplane, when clearly that isn't the case and I have company documentation to back it up.

If you were interviewing me as a potential pilot and I was explaining this situation what would you want to hear from me that would alleviate your concerns? I don't want to be standing there making excuses but sometimes things really are beyond the control of the individual. You can do everything perfectly and still be a failure. But I can't say that in an interview or on my resume.

As to making better choices I completely agree but with the information I had at the time this seemed like a good choice, same aircraft, same airport, just a different name on my paycheck. At the time I didn't have access to the company's history with the FAA. It's not like there is a easily searched database for fines levied against charter operators, not one I was aware of. Sure I had heard some of the concerns about the company, from the pilot who had been fired and then threatened me. So I took it with a large dose of salt. Pilots always complain about operators. Given all the info I had and no income this seemed like a no brainer. In hindsight I chose poorly. I'd like to say this will not happen again but we go with the info we have at the time and sometimes that info is bad.

Don't take this as me arguing with your response, I completely agree with it. Life isn't fair and stuff happens. But saying make better choices is like saying its the pilots fault for the crash when something important breaks and its beyond the skill or ability of the pilot, or physics to recover.

What I really need is advice on is how to move on from this to the next job when all they see on my resume is 2 jobs in 6 months without any info behind it and little desire to investigate further.

Are you seriously saying that no regional will hire you simply because of this?

Unless you know something I don't I am assuming so. At least until I can show I can keep a job longer than 3 months and a lot depends on what my last company is going to say for a reference.

All kidding aside about regionals only requiring a pulse these days, they do still have standards and while I don't have any accidents or enforcement actions, 2 jobs in 6 months is going to likely be a pass for the time being regardless of the reason.

I even applied to a couple of Alaska 135 jobs who I had good contacts at that went dark after they talked with my last employer. One of which worked with one of my references and they had a great conversation during my reference and all looked good up until they called my last employer then nothing, no response to calls or emails.