Airline Pilot Central Forums - First officer programs

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Quote:

Originally Posted by floridaCFII (Post 744983)

Depends on who is doing your interview... you need to decide whether paying for your job now is worth the risk of someone who does know better interviewing you for your dream job down the road.

It is a pilot legend that future employers will know, care or even think it was a bad thing to buy a job. Why would SWA care if you bought a job when you were starting out? They want you to buy a type rating prior to employment. It shows incentive and a drive to fly.

The only ones who care are those who are climbing the ladder alongside and do not have the money to buy themselves a job too. Pilots lie, cheat and steal to get ahead (especially during hard times). Buying a job is low on the list of things used to get ahead.

No one cares. Buy a job. Don't buy a job. Aviation is a risk. Doing nothing when there is a valid opportunity on the table is not the best either. Others have dads who own planes or are on the board of a major airlines. If your only advantage is to buy a job then don't let others try and talk you out of using that as a means to reaching your goals.

Skyhigh

Quote:

Originally Posted by the King (Post 745941)

As bad as hiring is right now, I can't see that as a reason to justify PFT jet programs. It's my opinion that the money and time required to find and get into a program would be better served in building time through traffic watch, et al, followed by getting on with a 135 outfit. People used to do that, and it worked out pretty well for them. Nowadays, I think many pilots either forget or just want to skip over working for a 135 carrier. Whether it's charter or cargo, the time is good, it's usually in a turbine aircraft, all-weather flying. Most just don't want to get to 1200 hours anymore.

Wasted years of your life is far more costly than paying in cash to advance a career during hard times. Why endure years of dangerous flying that has no clear value to your ultimate career destination?

If the airlines cared about part 135 flying then they would make it a requirement for employment. Skip it and go straight to jets if you can.

Skyhigh

Quote:

Originally Posted by stbloc (Post 745592)

You may feel its wrong but I bet 90% of the will get to a left seat faster then the CFI guy. If you have the means to purchase a program I say go for it. You need to position yourself now for the next hiring wave in a few years. Once they cycle through all the furloughs, a mass hiring could take place. Retirements will be increasing which should free slots at the regional level. world wide airline which are expected to take deliveries of 1000's plane and many of the will come from the USA. This world wide demand and low flight school enrollment rates at flight schools will start a hiring frenzy like we saw a few years ago. Go pay for you turbine time and I bet you will be ask by your old CFI friends to help walk in their resume. mark my words 2-3 years they will be hiring 1000's to replace the age 62-65 guys and the others who jump ship to Asia or middle east. And my prediction doesn't even take into account domestic growth as the economy recovers. I would rather have 500 hours of PFT turbine time then BE-76 time when they start hiring.

If anyone disagrees please let me know. I research this information daily and this is my opinion. If anyone has articles that say another story please feel free to PM them to me. lets face it, its bad now but making the right steps now will put in in front during the next hiring wave.If I was a HR rep I would rater call a guy with 500 hours in a Falcon 10 then the 172 guy.

Ever been to an airline interview? The HR rep will walk you down the hallway to a conference room where a captain(s) will ask you about the 300 TT, 6 weeks employment as a CFI, and King Air SIC time and/or Regional Jet Training Program that is in bold type on your resume. After which they will suggest some instructing experience or 135 work and then invited you to update your resume in six months.

[quote=atpwannabe;746872]I find it interesting that in the US, PFT and/or cadet programs are frowned upon, whaereas in Europe, Africa, India, the Middle East and some developing countries, we (Americans) embrace the concept. Why is that?

My belief is that what is meant for me to attain in this industry/profession, I will get whether I'm flying 91,121, or 135. Nothing, absolutely nothing, will stop that from happening whether someone else takes the CFI/135 route or the PFT route.

JMO.

In the rest of the world "cadet programs" are not PFT, the airline pays you, and pays for your training.
Its Apples to Oranges.
The US has to many pilots already, they dont need cadet programs