Just like the zero to Frontier hero deal through ATP, rumblings of a RTP are in the works.

 

I would support this over the ATP flow any day. At least we would be getting proven pilots vs a CFI with 1500 hours.

 

I'd takes an ATP CFI over a helicopter pilot.

At my old airline I used to do interviews and every ATP instructor I interviewed was very sharp and competent. Helicopter pilots are known to be single pilot cowboys. At least ATP guys are trained from the ground up to be CRM focused airline pilots.

 

Lol.
You have no idea...

 

This reads like someone who has no idea of what military helicopter pilots are like and the rigors, training, discipline, CRM, etc. required to operate in the military environment. That may be true about some civilian helicopter dudes, but that’s far from reality when it comes to mil rotorheads.

 

I painted with a broad brush, and I shouldn't have. Of course there are fantastic military helicopter pilots. However, there is generally a huge cultural difference between airline pilots and helicopter pilots (mainly speaking of single pilot and civilian guys)
A surprisingly large number of civilian helicopter pilots fly VFR only, and are generally a lot more cowboy in their thinking than a crewed airline flight deck. Helicopters are just a totally different animal and often require very different thinking. Flying a vfr only equipped helicopter - single pilot is about as different a kind of flying from what we do as possible. I personally have an intimate knowledge of some of the stuff going on at a large helicopter operation. And I don't like what I see.

That being said, obviously there are fantastic helicopter pilots. But there are also a relatively large number of crazy cowboy pilots. But the reality is, there is a looming pilot shortage and airlines like Frontier are going to have to get creative. We need to hire more than 1000 pilots in the next 4 years. They need to look at different options to get there. I get that. From my experience, I would take an ATP CFI who has over 1000 hrs of dual flight instruction given in a twin engine airplane over a helicopter pilot. It's not up to me though.

 

Could be a very old opinion that was never updated. The Kiowa Warrior was technically single pilot but not fought that way since Desert Storm? Last of the single pilot aircraft left the war fighting formations in the mid-nineties....

 

My knowledge of helicopter pilots is from a large civilian operation. That's where I expect guys to apply to Frontier from. We won't be taking the badass special ops dudes who landed in Bin Ladens compound..... unfortunately

 

Same has been said about Ag pilots being cowboys. We have a handful of them here at Frontier. Literally some of the best pilots I’ve had the pleasure to fly with! They have nothing to prove, and excellent stick skills.

 

LOL, stereotype much?