Not if you ever want to be a pilot at Delta.

 

Actually, it's not. Community service is one of the least preferred metrics for the majors. Leadership is where it's at. Own your own company. Management experience. Lead people. Do something besides wiggle a yoke and push a thrust lever around all day. As is evidenced by all the posts here on APC, pretty much anyone who is willing to spend (quite) a few dollars can do that.

But they (majors, and even the LCCs to a smaller extent) want leaders. People who can function outside the cockpit. People who have had real jobs outside of the cockpit. Being a pilot is simple. Proving your CRM skills with a crew of two is not too impressive. Try managing 850 employees, or contracts worth millions or billions of dollars. THOSE are the skills that will set you apart from the thousands of "throttle monkeys" who apply for jobs with the "big guys", yet never get the call.

 

If I'm in the back of the airplane, I want a "throttle monkey" who can fly the damn plane when the shat hits the fan. I really could care less if they own their own business or manage contracts worth billions. I want a damn pilot who is good at what he/she does. Period. End of story. They are being paid to function inside the cockpit.

 

Really, own your own company to get hired? That's dumb. In fact A LOT of majors love community service. I didn't have any and still got hired but especially at places like FedEx, UPS, Delta and United they eat that up. Y U no like community service bro?

 

Are you BobJenkins re-incarnated? You are a joke whoever you are and have no clue what you are talking about. I'm sure there are hundreds of pilots at the majors who managed 850 people or managed contracts worth millions or billions. All the while they were flying F15s around as a side gig. You seem to have it all figured out, it is amazing with the life you live that you have time to enlighten all of us on APC.

 

He was probably too busy "throttling his monkey " and wasn't thinking clearly

 

I'm sure most people share your sentiment, but it's a reality that Human Resources runs the ship when it comes to hiring pilots at most majors. When I was interviewed, they had far more interest in my prior positions of Chief of Flight Safety, Assistant Chief Pilot and Assistant Director of Ops than they did about my specific flying accolades.

Not saying it's "right", but that's "how it is".

 

I didn't say they don't like community service. Of course they do. Because it shows that you are capable of leadership outside a cockpit. As does owning a business, or managing one. Community service is an acceptable substitute for those who have not managed in other capacities. Just trying to point out that people who complain that they aren't getting calls from the majors, when all they have is a ton of hours, it's probably because they don't have any of that leadership outside the cockpit that they can demonstrate. Community service is a small price to pay if it makes your resume rise to the top, right?

 

Don't disagree with you at all. But at the end of the day, how many truly good, safe pilots are there at the regionals who qualify to fly heavier metal? I mean face it, if you can fly a CRJ/ERJ, you can learn to fly a bigger plane that has more automation. What will set you apart from your peers is the OTHER things on your resume. Flight time should be at the bottom of said resume, and take up only a small portion of it, if you truly want to get rise like cream to the top. A degree (which I think is rather unnecessary in our profession), and leadership, are two metrics that set people apart from the "rest of the pack". Don't get mad at me for pointing out the obvious.

 

So they basically want you to be a "hobbyist" who doesn't need to get paid and has "multiple income streams" like one undercover boss used as his rationale for poor pay at his airline. Well, of course they want that! I'd love to employ people who didn't need to get paid much, but were willing to do a competent job. But you know what, I'd like to see how many of these board members are volunteering their time. After the economic crash caused by Wall Street and govt. cronyism, there appeared all this hype about teaching "ethics" in business and I suspect this new requirement stems from that.