I will be separating from the USMC this year with 5 years of service. My MOS is 7560 or simply a pilot and I’m looking to take those skills to the civilian workforce. However I am quite short of the 750 flight hours as required by the FAR/AIM, therefore does anyone know of or have heard of regionals airline companies hiring on pilots in as trainee at reduced pay, with to sole purpose to mentor those trainees, help them gain flight hours and a class and type rating then promoting them to a fully qualified pilot? If so, who is offering this and when?Also, is it true that airline companies are offering flight hour waivers in order to be hired on at 500 flight hours?

 

No to all.

The lowest possible number of hours is 750, for a military-winged pilot with an R-ATP, that's federal law and is not waiver able.

I think SKW may a program where non-revenue repo flights are flown by retired PIC's and Cadet SICs, neither of who can fly pax. Ask on the SKY forums.

Some regionals have cadet programs, which gives you some benefits like travel. Many pay bonuses, and I believe some may pay off some training debt.

But nobody (in the US) is hiring people and paying them to build time (yet). They would have to maintain a fleet of trainers.

Jetblue has a true cadet program, where you're accepted with perhaps a PPL and after training go right to an airbus, but you pay $100K for the privilege (and have to pass the presumably rigorous screening).

That all applies to 121 operations. If you want to fly part 135, you probably have enough time (IIRC 400 hours) to get hired as an SIC... Great Lakes is the most notorious such 135 airline. But they fail a lot of trainees, which will be a permanent stumbling block on your record forever. I've flown with many Lakes alumni and they were all pretty good, but that was the 50% who didn't fail out...

 

Republic Airline will pay for your last 100TT in their "flight time initiative" but it takes what you spend out of your sign on bonus.

Thank you for your service, I hope this helps.