Man, I would never leave the house....!

The flight deck of U.S. airlines remains a predominantly white male landscape. {snip}
Today, 4.1 percent of airline transport pilots (ATPs) are women, 2.7 percent are black or African-American, 2.5 percent are Asian and 5 percent are Hispanic or Latino.Sep 24, 2014



Totals 14%. Leaves 86% for white males.

I think the truth is, in the eyes of those doing the hiring, experience, degrees, type ratings and even clean records are valuable only to a point. I'd argue that anything beyond a few thousand hours, 2 type ratings, and a 4 year degree is just background noise. Once that threshold has been met the emphasis is almost entirely on how one presents his/herself at the interview.

Put yourself in the interviewer's shoes.

Would you hire the young kid with 6500TT and 1200 TPIC with 2 types and a single 4 year degree who had a great attitude and made you like him?

Or would you hire the middle aged guy with 14000 TT 9500 TPIC 5 types, and 2 master's degrees who had an ok attitude but left you feeling ambivalent toward him?

I'm not saying this second person is you (perhaps it's actually me). I'm just saying the idea that we're marketable because we've checked all the experience boxes, educated ourselves to the hilt and picked up a nobel peace prize, is a self deluding lie. The same you that gets you that second date, is the you that gets you the job. Corny I know, but I think it's true.

Part of the problem was when a bunch of us (now 40 plus year olds) were coming up through the ranks this event happened (I think people have heard of it). We are now over the hill and over qualified, all due to timing. To add to the injury another event 7 years later put a bunch of us on the street yet again and now we are even further separated from the HR sweet spot, but now we have even more experience and further over the hill. Oh well, back to getting my ticket home from my multi nation two week tour.

Yep, I hear you Longhauler. Waiting on a class date at NWA at the tender age 28, all bright-eyed and eager (when the first event happened)...now stuck in the sandpit almost 11 years (came there thinking it would be 3-5 years). 14,000+ hours and early 40s.

From looking at all the AA new hire photos I would say that the majority of people coming here are 40 plus. Just an observation. Of course most of them are flow from PSA/Envoy/Piedmont


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I think the point some people are making is that minorities in this profession get hired with less time or comparable experience. I am not saying it to argue either way. Life isn't fair and someones good luck can always be excused away with jealousy.

Hell I wish I'm Black got over 11k hours 6000TPIC 2 types and I'm still on the outside looking out. Right now these airlines are cherry picking because they can and they're scared ****less of the fact that soon There's gonna butt load of pilots they're gonna need and they aren't ready for it


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Can you back that up with anything resembling proof?

I think if you happen to get a chance to walk through any pilot lounge, or the training center--you will be underwhelmed at the number of non-white non-male pilots.

Quoted for Truth