CE750

I just have one question for all of you in this thread that seem to be in the 1500TT, small plane time category.... clearly most of you got into flying sometime in the last two or three years..


What the heck were you thinking? Were you all not aware of the job market or career outlook when you got into this? And do you all realize that statistically today, you're very lucky if you wind up working at a regional airline for the rest of your life much less a major?

USMCFLYR

With the jobs as hard to find as you hear on this forum, how did someone who only got into flying 2-3 years ago already amass 1500TT. They surely didn't fly for fun nearly 500 hrs a year - so they must have had job flying professionally.

Whacker77 - have you had the opportunity to tell your story (of the mishap) in an interview and then be turned down or are you not even making it to that stage because you are having to report your mishap on an application? I had what is called a Class C mishap back in 2000 and in both of my interviews I was asked to explain the details; of course neither were airline interviews either, so again it might be a whole other animal.

It is a tough hiring environment right now. In my opinion, of course someone who failed a checkride early in their career (or even later in some circumstances) is going to make a fine pilot if the right lessons are learned and if decision making, SA, leadership (or whatever led to the failure in the first place) is addressed and improved upon. It is no different in many ways than a person failing a class in high school or college and then later being a PhD. The problem is, like drug use or other run-ins with the law, your decisions or actions, successes or failures, early in life can have an impact on your future - for better or worse.
Now trying explaining that to a teenage girl!

USMCFLYR

CE750

I just threw out 2-3 years.... I'm referring to people who are in the early phases of a civilian flying career, which is usually such that you DO fly 3-500 hours a year as a CFI.. some take longer, and some (yes) do it faster... It took me 4 years to amass 1400 and get on with a "commuter" airline back in the mid 90's..

My point is, when I did that... there was some 90% or more of the entire fleet of airliners at the legacy and mainline carriers... and one had some reason to believe that he could achieve the goal of a obtaining a job at one of those carriers... fast forward today and it's 50/50 and shrinking and the time it takes to upgrade, much less wait for openings at the majors could be decades.. American hasn't hired a pilot in 10 years and won't for at least 5 more.. United/CAL merger is going to bread furloughs if anything.. and DAL is only hiring to fill retirements and Military pilots are taking 80% of the slots (fairly or otherwise)..

WHY on God's earth would anyone COME into this career field now? Save your money, your marriage/family life and go into a career with opportunities.

That's all I'm saying....

But what the heck.. don't listen to me and do what ever you want... maybe I'm just wrong.

Cruz5350

If I'm right I counted 6 busts? Well you give me some hope thats for sure. I think people like us will be fine just not right now.

elcidflyer04

I dont plan on going to the regionals ever. I work for a great company now. I just figured I would put my situation out there and ask the question to help other people. I am not ashamed of my busts. I learned from each one. I became a good flight instructor and a better pilot.

Cruz5350

That's how I feel too, I feel like I learned so much from each bust.

Purpleanga

Now? No. But with those numbers, they would have probably made you chief pilot during the last hiring wave. It's all about timing in this business.

stis202

Yea I didn't have any issue getting 3 interviews in 08 and hired with all 3 regionals. I had 3 busts. Of course about a week later all 3 announced they were going to furlough. Might be a bit before I can get an interview now.

Swedish Blender

I'm not sure why you think it's unfair or unreasonable. Airlines look at it from a liability standpoint. You were a CFI (captain), you let the aircraft get into a compromising position. What if you were a captain and it had been a RJ/TP with a full load of people? If you weren't sure the PPL (FO) could land in the wind, why let them. IMHO, the airlines look at is as poor judgement. Not trying to be a jerk.

DryMotorBoatin

take it one step further if you want to consider liability...as the new hire...who is the bigger liability...the instructor with 2500tt and 1 minor incident or the 250tt new hire with a clean record?