Originally Posted by SilentLurker

Flow is a nice back pocket security plan, but only when AA is hiring, and the wheels are turning. When or if that wheel stops recruiting number at ENY will take big hit. No doubt. Still nice to see light at the end of the tunnel (even if it takes 6-10yrs). Do not sit on your hands or only rely on just the flow to get to mainline. Apply yourself, exceed hiring requirements, stand out a bit, volunteer, and do community service, get a LOR, continue operating safely, and you will find your self at UAL, DL, SW, FDX, UPS, JetBlue, Alaska, before your "flow" timer buzzes to AA in the projected 6-10yrs. In this industry I recommend you make decisions expecting the worse, and hoping for the best.

If I may give you a little perspective... Do quick google research, you will find articles and hiring data which I recently heard and found out AA is behind the hiring curve in 2017 compared to DL & SW. I just heard last week from a CA, & also read how Delta & Southwest have been hiring far more Pilots in 2017 than American Airlines. What makes this problematic is that AA is set to retire much more CA's than any other Mainline. AA is falling behind the hiring power curve and DL /SW is trying to get ahead of it vs waiting until the last minute (remember FAR117 last minute implementation fiasco, they all saw it coming, yet some waiting until the last minute/deadline to implement it and ran into scheduling troubles and flight cancellations and a loss of millions in revenue). Again, AA has much more Pilot retirement than DL, UAL, SW, in the next 7 yrs, yet is drifting further behind DL & SW. Mainline hiring numbers will grow every year, but who will have the capacity and efficiency to train at Mainline? The biggest issue will be various Mainline training departments ability to plan, expand, the training department, sims and sim instructors to handle all the new hires they are expecting, and keep up with training cycles and growth. Looking at training backlog at many WO "regionals"' (ENY for example) and this what we can expect at AA or any major that falls into a training bubble (behind the curve).

Also, UAL & DL are growing Mainline flying, while it seems AA is trying to figure out the opposite and grow scope / increase its WO "regional" flying in efforts to squeeze out better financial numbers.

Give it 1-2 years, and the industry will look totally different. Does not hurt to join pipeline/cadet program. I know people who were in ENY pipeline, but went to other regionals 1yr later once at 1500. You have time. Next year, the industry could be a mess (in a good or bad way ).