I'm 40 but with the body of a 56 year old!

 

Congrats on getting in!!

 

I've toured the Training Center as well. What stuck out to me the most were all of the family pictures on the walls.

Are they calling people without types yet?

 

Can't tell you. I have one if that matters. I have ridden the jumpseat with a female Q400 Capt. who had a class date contingent on her finishing her 737 type.

 

You answered yourself in another post -- SWA is great at saving money. If they hire age 40+ pilots then they spend a lot less time at the top of the seniority scale making the big bucks. I can't say I'm an authority figure on this but my guess is most civilians probably already have a job by the age of 40+ at some other airline and aren't applying at SWA -- not all, but most.

0 hours of 121 time could be a good thing. SWA probably has a way they like to fly and by having no previous 121 time they don't have to make guys unlearn bad habits they learned elsewhere.

As for wishing you could do it again and join the military, that is a very easy statement to make and a difficult one to live up to. Maybe you think you mean it, but the reality is the military has been ridden hard for the past 20 years and it has been anything but an easy lifestyle. I certainly wouldn't choose to join the military at age 22 so at age 40+ I'd have a chance to be hired by SWA.

 

Sorry to ruin your theory, but SWA newhires are going to be at FO pay for the majority of their career, if the next decade plays out as it looks right now. SWA is more likely going to have retention problems going forward than worrying about paying Pilots five more years at the top.

This made me laugh out loud. Anyone else care to comment?

 

I try to please. I very specifically said I'm no expert. It does appear SWA prefers the 40+ mil guys with 0 121 time. There must be a reason, easy to pick at others but offer no reasons of your own.

As far as retention problems at SWA, possibly, but only at the bottom of the seniority list. Other airlines seem to do ok replacing the bottom of their seniority list as legacies gobble them up -- in fact I've read in JB threads it works out in the company's favor if the new hire stays at least a year.

 

Oh they DEFINITELY have their own way of doing things

 

I think I touched on this a few pages back, but the hiring of ex-military is a tax break for U.S. companies. Southwest is not hiring all military, but reading guys with just King Air time (no jet) that are ex-military get calls over guys with heavy time, or with family there, speaks volumes. And it seems at the current rate of expansion, the right seat will be home for a long time for a lot of people. But as it is today, it is the best place to sit right seat in the U.S. industry.

 

Thats one of the nicest things you have ever posted !!! : )