I wouldn't say "happy" exactly.

You aren't getting hired without a 4 year degree unless there is something significant in your background. For example, pre-merger 98.5% of all UAL hires had to have 4 year degrees. I'm guessing we've kept that practice post merger.

An example of someone hired without a 4 year degree would be a Naval Cadet (a program from WWII that ended in the 90s) where someone with 2 years of college would go through Navy flight training and then get their wings. They were military pilots without 4 year degrees. Very few of them, but we have a bunch at United. Some of my friends were NAVCADs but no 4 year degree and they are all at airlines.

 

For what it is worth, right now Guam is our most stable base. Not much movement in or out. I can't say for sure what the chances of a new hire getting based there are but I am guessing not very high. You more than likely WILL get a mainland domicile as a new hire.

If he in fact WAS hired in 1993, he is a 747 First Officer. 1993 hires don't have the seniority for 747 Captain yet.

Bottom line is you can live anywhere as long as you can reliably get to you domicile when you are required to be there.

 

1993 hire a 747 captain? No.....He'd be a 747 F/O and not overly senior at that.

I know of a guy who commutes from Auckland NZ. Sounds pretty miserable to me but he does it as a line holder on the 777.

 

Thabks so much for the info fellas. It's all good to hear.

 

Right. These guys have all been beating around the bush, too polite to give you the straight facts.

Mate, you have two chances of doing what you are talking about: None and f@ck all.

You can't get hired by Qantas (disregarding the fact they're not hiring) because you aren't prepared to go back and do year 12 maths and physics. Yet, you expect to compete with Americans, all of whom will have a four-year university degree and thousands of hours in the Military or the Regionals. Oh, and you don't have citizenship, or the right to work in the US. Then, after you're hired, you expect to move on to one of the most senior aircraft, one on which a guy hired 20 years ago is only a junior F/O, and commute 13 or 14 hours home. Do they not drug test in PNG?

It's a pipe-dream and you're better off focusing on something at least in the realm of possibility.
Cheers, T

 

Actually, I hate to say it but ^^^^^this is pretty much spot on.

 

4 year degree preferred basically means you have to have a degree unless you get the job by some other means than applying and interviewing. United Airlines is a very difficult company to get on with. There are thousands of applicants for hundreds of jobs. It may get easier in a few years, but your chances are nil without a degree and competitive hours.

 

Man, I should've said I'm from Australia too. You guys were way nicer to this guy than I typically see when questions like this are asked.

 

He's an Aussie, so he'll get this...

 

There is a HUGE misconception amongst some folks in foreign countries that because there is a large amount of hiring going on that it's easy to find a major airline job in the United States. There is also a misconception that some foreigners feel that their training and rating system is superior to the FAA system. That US airlines are going to be tripping over themselves to hire these foreign candidates due to their "superior" training.

That is NOT how it works. Keep in mind that the average candidate that is getting hired at legacy airlines has a 4 year or higher university degree. Has either a military background or has in the 5,000 to 10,000 hours range, with heavy turbine PIC experience.

Coming over here with no green card, no university degree, and no serious PIC turbine experience and getting snagged up by a U.S. Legacy carrier is a pipe dream. If you are counting on your Australian ATPL to buy you any special credit in the hiring department you need to think again.

What you could do is come over and get a job with regional and build experience. But you'd better be working on that 4 year university degree at the same time as you simply are not even remotely competitive without it.

As far as commuting back to Australia while doing all that. As we say here in the states FAGEDABOUTIT! You won't even be making enough money to BUY a ticket home on your limited days off and almost nonexistent vacation time.

I did fly with one Aussie here at UAL. He was a retired RAAF F-111 pilot who was married to an American girl. He is the ONLY one I've ever met at UAL though I'm sure there are several more.

What you are asking is possible IF you were willing to move to the USA, get a green card and basically start over with a college degree, a US ATP and taking a bottom feeder job to start with. And even then there is no guarantee that you will ever get to a legacy airline.

I am not trying to be mean or rude. But that is pretty much the hard cold truth of the matter.

PS,

I was hired in 1997 this was my third airline, my second major airline I had over 5,000 hours with lots of turbine PIC, DC-8 and 737 experience. I am now entering my 18th year of employment at UAL. If I were to bid the 747 right now I'd be in the bottom 1% and on reserve for the foreseeable future as an F/O. I won't be able to hold captain on the 747 until I am in my late 50's I am now 46 years old. The only base in which I could hold a line on the 777 as an F/O would be Newark and that would be a jr line. Just to put it in greater perspective.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.