Three Strikes
 

Strike one Not an ex-military pilot. That is one strike against you.

Strike two You don't come from a prominent aviation family with strong ties in the airlines. That is strike two.

Strike three You have a DUI, are overweight, no college, older than most, took to long to upgrade, was fired during initial training at a regional, are not overly attractive, can not play golf, Lack people skills, HR gal was having a bad day and a huge number of other silly reasons that you can have your dreams rubbed out.

It is possible to get hired at a major with three strikes but not very likely. If anyone does a little research on new hire classes at the majors it becomes easy to find a pattern.

Skyhigh

Guess I am screwed. Oh well, it sure beats trucking.

Trucking
 

Are you sure about that? I know more than one guy who left a command position at a regional to pursue a life as a long haul trucker.

SkyHigh

When they start making us fly 70hrs a week and sleep in the plane, while being woken up by skanky *****s. Maybe then I will go back to it.

Your point is?
 

Strike three You have a DUI, are overweight, no college, older than most, took to long to upgrade, was fired during initial training at a regional, are not overly attractive, can not play golf, Lack people skills, HR gal was having a bad day and a huge number of other silly reasons that you can have your dreams rubbed out.




Why would anyone hire someone with all that baggage? (dui, firing, no people skills, no college).

Point
 

All it takes is one.

If you do not have a solid case for getting hired at the majors before you even start then you already have two strikes against you.

SkyHigh

Similar research can be done looking at your posts. You try SO hard to get your view on how a career in aviation is a mistake, it is starting to get pathetic.

Use the ignore button...

He's right about the military part...

Add "United States' to the beginning of the school you went to and HR is inrterviewing the other people just to cover their / company behind...

Golf, family ties, etc....All critical in careers / jobs / companies that have lots of applicants for very few positions.

Every applicant will have the techincal aptitude / skills required. Its HRs job to eliminate the 'clean kills' and then sort out the top candidates. Many times a manager will know who they want they tell HR and the paperwork is processed. A mock interview is set-up and a few chumps show up all excited only to realize the guy with USAF fighter experience is the only one going home with the job....

-LAFF

Perspective
 

I present the information from different perspectives. I have never said that a career in aviation is a mistake for everyone. If you are an F16 pilot with a dad who is a check airmen at UPS then you have got it made. Outside of that you have got a lot to worry about.

Skyhigh

Yeah since pulling down 6 figures and flying boxes is the only way to be happy. :rolleyes:

You hang around this forum for some reason. What is it?

I respect your opinion, but give it a break. I think most guys here has read and know what you think about the career in aviation. There is no need to preach it. Whats next? Knocking on doors in your neighborhood trying to convert non-believers?

Why
 

I enjoy writing and sharing my experiences and opinions. I also miss my avuiation comrads.

I am forced to assume that most here have airline intentions since it is called "Airline Pilot Central". In addition is makes no sense at all to blow a small fortune to become a career CFI.

SkyHigh

Well
 

I honestly feel that everyone here should chip in $20 to a fund that sends an informative CD to every new student pilot applicant.

Outside of that everyday thousands of people log on to this forum. Most have never heard of Skyhigh or of his crazy ideas.

Skyhigh

Oh, c'mon skyhigh, you want back in again:D I know you do, HAHE
Seriously why not try for Alaska? From what I understand thats where you wanted to be. Go get current, take a leap of faith and try it again. Get back on horse. I may be a young buckaroo here but, I do know big rewards don't come without big risk. Take the risk

Since you "care" so much about how others spend their money and their careerpath, you might be on to something. I suggest you sit down and spend some of your time making that CD since you have so much information you want to share.

Thanks Man !!
 

Yes of course I want back in. I think about it everyday. I do have an application in at Alaska Airlines but I am not holding my breath. Outside of that you guys can have it. :)

SkyHigh

You overlook the fact that some people may be happy flying King Air at a small charter operation. Its not always about the money.

Send the money
 

I need my 20 bucks first. :)

SkyHigh

Money
 

I know a guy who was still flying a Kingair for the local FBO at 66 and still lived with his mother. Money becomes important over time for most.

SkyHigh

If you promise you NEVER will post anything about a career in aviation your $20 might be closer than you think.

His mother would be pretty old and probably needed to be taken care of. :)

If not, he had a different problem besides money:rolleyes:

I would much rather go to work and love what i do even if i make just enough to pay the bills then to go to work and hate what i do even if i brought in loads of money. I know many people who do that, they drive a porsche and live the american dream, but it doesn't make them happy. I truely love flying and while i wish i got payed more doing it, i wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

The reality is that the most a pilot can expect these days is a regional career. Anything more than that takes luck and connections. It will take many years to be financially secure in this career. I hope nobody replies back with, "Oh 24,000 is perfectly ok for a family of four," it's not. This is not a bad career you just have to know the limitations and realities.

Flying
 

Well I would need a few thousand more to contribute funds for a few years before I was confident that my work is done. :)

SkyHigh

Some day
 

Some day you might trade flying for a better job. Every ones life changes. You might love flying but it also needs to love you back. Doing what you love does not give license to pursue irresponsible selfish wants. One day you will need to earn a real living.

SkyHigh

With that kind of attitude that is all you should expect. I just got hired at Alaska with no real connections, just a solid history of a strong work ethic and a clean backround. I think anyone's attitude shows in an interview whether they know it or not.

Heck.

Change “military pilot,” “aviation,” “airlines,” aaaaaaaand guess wot – that’s a whole stack of professions.

Nothing specific to the majors here, Ace!

well i got the first 2 strikes plus about 4 of the conditions in strike 3, and I'm still in the game.

Why not?

Yeah yeah, I know, the FAMILY! Well, not everyone wants kids. There is no requirement in life to have kids. I can be selfish my entire life if I choose not to have kids. Otherwise, you can pursue irresponsible selfish wants your entire life if you want.

While YOU are sitting here typing about how people have strikes against them, THEY are out there crossing them out. They are putting time between them and their DUI, they are losing weight, they are taking night classes for their degree.

They aren't from a family of aviation but darnit, they are out there networking and meeting people and getting into an airline's inner-workings through internships, through throwing bags and taking lessons, and being in the right place at the right time.

They aren't military and they don't need to be, 'cause half the pilots hired these days fit that bill.

SkyHigh, you could have been so much more than you are right now as you read this because your attitude totally sucks. And from what you wrote in strike three, it sounds like you are an ugly non-golfer who has no people skills.;)

Direct your abundance of negative energy to something positive in YOUR life.

My thoughts exactly

I agree!
 

Yes, we all can do whatever we desire so long as we are not hurting others. I always assume that most desire to have friends, family, financial security and perhaps even kids one day. To me aviation was supposed to be a path to those things when in fact it tears one from them.

Skyhigh

Positive Attitude
 

You are right about my attitude towards aviation "it sucks". It was created over nearly 20 years of wasted effort and from watching my peers be cut down by a pointless career.

Just because I am on the opposing side of the argument does not mean that I am negative. I am positively for filling in the entire truth about aviation.

SkyHigh

Three Strikes
 

I don't think that is as big of a "strike" against you nowadays as it was in the past. Considering that in the past it was just about the only way to get flight training. Nowadays there are tons of reputable flight schools that train pilots who are just as capable.

That "strike" can easily be elminated by some networking in the Aviation industry.

Some of these are valid, but others are not, plus things like weight you have control over.

Are you trying to explain to us why you did not make it in the Majors??

I think at most there are 1.5 strikes here. Not being in the military can hurt you, but not as much as it once did, I consider that about half a strike. The family thing is not a strike at all, like I said, all you have to do is go out and network and you'll have the same connections. If you don't network, thats your own fault. The last one has some possibly valid strikes, such as a DUI.

None of these are reasons not to pursue the career. Besides, what fun would it be and what sense of accomplishment would you gain if everything came easy?

Strikes
 

The strikes are very valid. The only reason that a high percentage of civilian pilots are getting hired is that there are only so many F16 pilots to go around. Watch things tighten up a bit at the regionals and you will see the number of military pilot increase dramatically.

Networking can only get you so far. In order to be successful most require a well liked captain to actively campaign on your behalf at the chief pilots office. The best most networking can do is to have a friend drop a resume on HR's desk. It takes much more to be a shoe in. If you are not from an aviation family then your best hope is to marry into one. Daddy does not want to see his princess married to a regional pilot.

I am trying to explain why this career is a facade for most. If you have two strikes against you from day one then your shooting for a slim margin.

SKyHigh

Military Preference
 

I once worked with an F16 guy at a local Jet charter outfit. He was a smart and well liked guy however he only had 700 hours of total time and most of it was in the F16. We tried to get him checked out in the Cessna 182 but it was like giving primary instruction. Then he was sent to the turbine twin and he struggled with prop feathering and the rudder. Finally he was reduced to flying right seat in the Learjet and there he stayed till six months later when he was hired at AA with less then 1000 hours.

It takes a considerable amount of high calibre civilian time to match up to an ex-military fighter pilot. If all else is equal the military guy will win out every time. If the guy has both CRJ PIC and is ex-military then the world is his oyster and he will have his choice of plum airline jobs.

Strike one. Not an ex-military pilot.

By for now. I have a house to paint. :)

SkyHigh

Maybe if your dad knows someone at FDX...no nepotism allowed at UPS so you'd be SOL. This secret handshake that you think exists does(in all aspects of life not just aviation), but it's not nearly as widespread as you claim it to be.

I agree but you have to play to win the game.