Best path forward to get to DAL?
 

Hello All,

I am currently in my 5th year and about to graduate from an accredited Part 141 university program in the Midwest. Along with my aviation major, I will have an aviation management minor and Political Science minor. I also had a paid internship with PenAir (now RAVN Alaska) this summer up in Alaska where I was a Customer Service Agent, and I completed the Alaska Airlines CSA training as a part of this.

I have no checkride failures, no speeding tickets or any other legal issues.

I am trying to figure out what I can best do to increase my chances of reaching my career goal, which is working for Delta based out of SEA.

So, a few questions:

1. My biggest concern is my relatively low GPA. I will graduate with about a 2.6 - 2.8 overall and 3.0, maybe 3.1 in my major. I know Delta cares a lot about GPA, and while this may change with the pilot shortage, I'd rather not bank on it. Given this, what are the best things I can do to offset this GPA on a resume?

2. Going off the first question, it also seems DAL cares much about volunteer work. I have done some in the past, but what exactly are they looking for?

3. As I will have a R-ATP of 1000 hours, I'll only need to accumulate about 675 more hours after graduation before I head to the regionals. Do the majors care about how you got the hours; ex, instructing, Part 135 work, banner towing?

4. My university offers an optional MEI program. Is it worth getting that rating?

Without getting too specific on some of the quals, in general Delta will be looking for the same things any company looking to hire motivated, qualified, employees with a sense of initiative.

Don't spend any time worrying over things that happened in the past, life is too short. It may have been in the past that Delta used the GPA as a discriminator in whether to call someone for an interview, but how else do you comb through 12K resumes (decade old data) and find 50 to interview; you need a lot of discriminators.

Todays hiring environment is a whole different animal (sorry Frontier) and there will be far more opportunity for the next decade for all in this industry. That being said, you should be focused on continuously improving your skillsets, earning more real life experience, and utilizing your initiative to excel in whatever opportunities present themselves.

Continue to find jobs that offer PIC time, find additional responsibilities either in the union, company, or community in which you can display your LEADERSHIP and INITIATIVE skills (this is where "volunteering" comes in). This will build you a basket of experiences and open doors of opportunity that you never considered as you wait for the opportunity to apply/fly for Delta out of Seattle someday.

BTW, Delta is just one company, during this time of aviation aplenty you should be applying to, and considering any opportunity that will further your goals. All the above will serve to make you a great candidate for new hire at any company, so while focused on getting hired at Delta, you may find that something else presents itself as an even more enticing opportunity.

Best of luck, keep flying in the most professional manner, network and enjoy life because in the end, life is a journey, not a destination.

My advice is to go get a speeding ticket because I have never met a pilot that hasn’t had one. 😂

1. With the flight training being successful with no failures, GPA will just be something they may discuss shouldn’t be a problem getting a call.
2. Volunteering is just that..being a volunteer. Nothing specific, just doing something in the community. Don’t know how much weight it carries in the scoring.
3. The best time building is something with an excellent training program e.g., military or 121 and a reputable 135. With 121 training events they get reported to Pria which seems to be desirable.
4. If you can build a lot of ME time to justify the MEI then definitely not a bad way to go to help get the time for the regionals.

Finally, keep your nose clean with the law and employers. Keep doing your very best in training and you will end up right where you want.

4. Never anything wrong IMO with having more ratings/licenses. Even if you never used your MEI, (I instructed exactly 2 hours in M.E aircraft, ever) I still say it can't hurt.

Fly, fly, fly. Get the good job flying a lot, in a jet and build time. Until that, nothing else matters.

Have a choice between a good paying Cush job flying a biz jet for 350 hours a year or a commuter job flying 900+? Commuter job.

You’re being hired as a pilot. So work on that the most. Fly, fly, fly.

I've never had one. Did run a stop sign one time though when I was 16.

Good advice. I know people that Delta was questioning why they haven't flown much in the past few years. They want guys that will whiteslip to max pickup then greenslip the rest of the month.

I had a marginal GPA as well... 2.8. Fly your butt off and keep that check ride record clean! The interviewer just shoved my college records to the side when he saw that I flew full time my junior and senior year and graduated with 1500 hours.

I think the MEI is worth it if nothing more than showing the desire to continue to learn and always expand your horizons... plus it's fun!

Another thing is they like to see a training program gone though in the last few years. It could be a change of aircraft, upgrade, becoming a check airman etc. He could wait and do the MEI a few years after going to a regional if he get stuck in his seat.