Mjm8710

Just looking for some opinions when it comes to my background. I’m at roughly 4000 TT, 2600 of it in 121, and upgraded about a year ago and am trying to chip away at PIC. My hang up is I have two oral failures on my record (Commercial multi add on oral which I could have studied harder for), and my captain upgrade oral exam a year ago (which I honestly studied harder than anything in my life but I think nerves got the best of me and found myself blanking out during basic questions). I’ve always done well in the sim but orals have been a struggle since day one.

Also I am a ERAU grad but my gpa was horrible (2.7 in aeronautics). My first two years I was getting mostly C’s and a few D’s and F’s in calculus and physics. The second half of my college experience I matured and started applying myself more, studying harder, and finally started pulling mostly A’s and some B’s to get my gpa up.

I have no other failures in aviation besides by two orals, but I really have a feeling since the one was a 121 oral failure it could be a nail in the coffin even down the road. I’ve already come to the conclusion any further failures I will most likely be stuck at a regional forever with no way out.

Guess my question is between my grades and a 121 failure do I have any chance in your opinion? No need to sugar coat things either.

BeechPilot33

list your failures and what you have learned from them. no one is perfect. Even guys that have perfect records many times took the easiest examiners. My buddy would drive 500 miles to a "select" examiner, talking about GA stuff; its highly variable.

I would work hard and do all the extra stuff that everyone else never does and then complains about not getting a job. give back to your community and put in some good effort. There have been guys hired with failures in the past and certainly will in the future. Thousands will be hired in the next decade.

Try to make friends with a recruiter and network around. Ask them they will tell you. The paid services like EC will also be able you more accurate info than anyone else on APC can. They work with guys that got offers and know their background. Work your tail off and apply everywhere and get your app reviewed. Don't stress about what you can't change. My 2 cents.

rickair7777

Two busts is not the end of the world, better that you only have one in 121. Not a show-stopper.

But if you're looking for the top-tier, you're probably going to need more time, at least 5k+ 121 and 3k+ TPIC, maybe more.

No more 121 busts. Additional type ratings will go a long ways towards redemption.

Re. the GPA... probably not going to DAL. Others seem to use it more as a weighting factor as opposed to a hard criteria.

You won't be stuck at a regional, LCCs should take you eventually, they might even prefer your history since it means you might stick around. Failing that there's always fractionals. Different lifestyle but pays better than regionals.

Tell them this at the interview. You learned a lesson the first time, and then psyched yourself out. So it wasn't so much making the same mistake twice.

Silver lining: You seem to be able to fly OK. Repetitive practical test failures might suggest a fundamental lack of aptitude. Generally knowledge test failures can be addressed by study habits, so the problem can be fixed if the applicant takes the right approach. An interviewer would probably prefer you over a candidate with flight test failures.

Excargodog

How many apps do you have out? If the answer is zero, you have no chance at all. If the answer is every ULCC/LCC a year out from making captain you are competitive and it WILL happen in the next year. If you will settle for nothing less than top tier it’ll take you longer and you need to seriously prep for the interview, not because you are going to have to hit it out of the ballpark but you are going to have to avoid struggling like you did in the captain oral.

Mjm8710

Thanks for the answers everyone, it’s just something that’s been on my mind for awhile and figured I’d ask for opinions. Live and learn I guess. Totally agree I’ll need to study hard for the interview if and when I get one. Orals, interviews, not fun for me lol

565pilot

For RickAir777-- is the GPA that big a deal? what if you have master's degree in basket weaving with a 3.5? would that help?Not a 121 guy, just curious as i plot my entry..

thnx

rickair7777

Undergrad GPA is a somewhat big deal, most especially for DAL.

They consider that to be a candid indicator of the true person.

They assume that by the time you get around to doing a master's (or other things later in life) that you'll have wised up... you're probably the same lazy slacker you always were but you've learned to fake a work ethic when someone's looking. Most people who complete master's degrees do get pretty good grades.

That doesn't take into account your likely personal growth and maturity, but for some reason they value who were at age 19 more than who you are today.