The Regionals are NOT desperate
 

I've seen various posts on here about guys who well exceed the mins NOT getting hired?..guys with 2000TT Turbine PIC?! What gives? DUI's? Tickets? Bad interview/not being able to identify the FAF? Crashing into a mountain on the sim?

You'll never get a straight answer to this question because everyone here is perfect. It's not just about a warm body to fill a seat. I'm sure the hiring managers know who best succeeds at their company and maybe people with twin otter jump plane time isn't what they are looking for? The person who comes here to complain isn't going to show their full deck of cards. Like I've said before, just because there is a shortage doesn't mean everyone gets to play. They would rather park airplanes than waste thousands of dollars on untrainable candidates or people with attitude problems who they'll have to fire after year one.

So most people who are not hired have attitude issues? Or something "hidden"? DUI, Jail, 10 busts?

Most companies aren't just going to hire anyone with a pulse even if they're short. You still have to pass the interview. People not getting hired are people who have some kind of personality flaw or flaw in their background that's causing them to not pass interviews or pass the application screening process.

Most of my friends that I went to college with and taught with as a CFI had 3-4 interviews lined up with different regionals the day they hit the minimums.

Whats involved in the application screening process referred to by rcfd? Is it strictly background/PRIA checks or also based on them asking a random coworkers opinion? Always wondered.

I just meant that there are specific questions on the application for DUIs, arrests, drug offenses, checkride failures, 121 PC failures, etc. Every company is going to be a little different on who they're even willing to give an interview to. It's the same "application screening" that you'd have at any other non-aviation job. They look at your application and decide if you're worth interviewing or not.

I see what you mean, makes sense.

I just wondered if there was something else you meant outside of the standard "fact checking" that's done.

They are making a judgment on how long they will be there. It costs training time and resources for a company to just be used for 121 time or simply getting current. The regionals know they're a stepping stone. They just want to minimize the amount of stepping. Sounds insane, but a DUI or a couple checkride fails may help you at the regionals these days. They know the DUI guy or the guy with PRIA issues will have more trouble leaving to the majors than a clean record guy. Crazy times.

Is leaving ground school at a 135 OPS early (after 5 days) for personal issues, then coming back a few months later and passing all rides/PC's PRIA reportable?

Martin, most regionals will balk at any number of perceived issues besides checkride busts or the proverbial skeletons in the closet. Some other factors may be

• skill or knowledge weakness exhibited at the interview
• race-gender-religion (EEO) mismatch to company needs
• age (old)
• perceived likely to resign soon
• personality
• background (ie. type of flying)
• credentials not in order

The operating phrase is "who will make us money with the least trouble". You may be an excellent pilot but also one who does not fit the company profile in any of a hundred ways. Airlines interview potential candidates for years on end and they collect tons of data. They have a clear idea whom they prefer.