contrail67

Last time I checked United typed everyone that went for training....on United's tab.... $27,720-$8000????

Some have to pay for the type to get the job...and if that is what it takes then so be it....

upndsky

I think what he meant was that people got the type, didn't get hired at SWA and ended up somewhere else, ie. UAL.

contrail67

yep....to some it is not worth the risk, because it is only a last resort.

JetPiedmont

How about this...

- $27,720/year + $8,000 type rating = $35,720 total first year value at UAL!!!

Kdog18

As a WN commuter (read: not a flight *****), I easily average 110 tfp / month (block anywhere from 70 - 95 hours per month). Well I used to, the last year or so has been a bit more challenging. As an FO it is easy to work 110 tfp/month; been my standard for the last 4+ years.

Point is $47.70 tfp * 110 * 12 = $63,000 and still had 15 or so days off / month. Second year was much better.

It was the best 8 grand I ever spent, hands down. I hope the tradition continues.

A steer back on topic: internals are not the most common but definitely possible. Don't expect a turbine PIC waiver, will not happen, you'll need to have at least the minimums. However, having an employee number gives you HQ access which could help tremendously on getting an interview. Good luck friend.

shoelu

Got the job offer without the type. Then, paid for the type out of my own pocket and will never regret it. The investment paid for itself first year.

dojetdriver

True, but paying for the majority of your training, hoping to get a job, when other employers do that for you, and rationalizing that it's an "investment" can be open to varied interpretations.

contrail67

and, if you did not pay $8000 for your type rating you would not have been hired....You got a "job offer": if you came up with $8000 for the type you end up on the payroll. That is about as clear and simple as it can be. No need to rationalize.

highsky

It's called Pay For Training. As long as guys are willing to do it, this disturbing practice will continue.

This, of course, has always lowered SWAs costs, putting downward pressure on other airlines to do the same. This, in turn, has reduced other pilot unions' negotiating leverage during contract talks.

OscartheGrouch

Well it is nice to see that the same old people are still afflicted with HSW syndrome (Hate Southwest). A thread that started with a simple question about internal hiring has degraded into the same tired argument about the type rating requirement at SWA.

Fact is some did not pay for the type rating. Military utilizing the the new GI bill (payed a third), pilots at failed airlines got it paid for through their unemployment benefits, and some recieved "scholarships." So really the tax payer subsidized many of those type ratings. Others went to other airlines and left for SWA once they were typed in the 737. Frankly this discussion is old and boring.

To those who wish to continue calling those who came to SWA desperate for a job (and therefore their only chance of getting a job at a major is to get a type rating), you are fooling yourself. Most if not all had qualifications that far exceeded what the other majors required. Using terminology such as buying your job, last resort, their only chance at an airline job, etc. is obviously a way to try and disparage others when really some are questioning their own career choices (or a least their career fortunes). Make the best of what you have made and we here at SWA will do the same.

The Oscar