Its a bit of a buyers market out there for qualified pilots looking to get 121/135 flight time... beyond just upgrade time here are some things I would want to know before I picked a path.

1. How many pilots have you hired this year? How many have made it through training?
2. Of the pilots that did not complete training, how many left on their own accord?
3. Do you limit the number of OE hours/legs you will give a new give a new hire pilot? What is that number?
4. If you dont have an official limit on OE hours, what is the largest OE time investment you have made in an individual pilot?
5. Of the pilots that have made it to the line in the last 24 months, how many have left for non-major employment?
6. How many pilots awarded Captain positions with your company dont make it through upgrade training? (plus all the above questions in relation to upgrade)


You wont get straight answers on these questions from your interviewer.. . and quite frankly.. with people being offered jobs over the phone within hours of posting their resume online... you really dont get the chance to even ask them... however consider this...

Leaving during training after being hired... not finishing OE... being unable to upgrade .. or leaving on short notice to make a lateral step (IE.... This place sucks Im outta here)... are VERY difficult to overcome in a short period of time... If you're headed to a major.. at least right now.. they are still looking for a bit of a track record...

Go talk to line pilots at your prospective future employer before you accept those phone offers...

 

I wasn't aware that failing captain upgrade/ excessive IOE for new hires was an issue. Anyone with 1500 hours SHOULD be able to be trained to fly an rj. Besides, if you KNOW that you're weak, why not just get better before trying to step up to the commercial level?

 

He raises legitimate questions. At times various airlines through poor training departments and/or internal politics can cause significant harm to new hire pilots just looking to make it to the line.

One regional had political "pink badge of courage" hit squads for a certain fleet. Even upgrading Captains on that fleet used their seniority to pick different fleets. Another had a massive new hire washout rate towards the end of its PFT days. One stuck dozens of pilots in limbo due to a lack of training capacity on a certain fleet, then fired them right before the end of their probationary year.

The reputation of an airline and its training program as well as how they treat new hires are all critically important, especially for someone's initial airline job. That we are potentially on the verge of a strong "buyers market" from a pilot's perspective will only elevate an airline's reputation for new hire pilots and play a significant part in where the limited supply chooses to go to.

 

Huge issue. Average OE time at my employer is almost double what it was when we could hire lower time pilots from a crew oriented training college or flight school. Empirical measurement of flight time has ZERO bearing on RJ train-ability.... ZERO.

Busting out of.. or walking away from a first regional job probably wont preclude getting a DIFFERENT regional job.. but will likely add YEARS to an individuals time at the regional level before being able to overcome the issue in a major interview.

 

Obviously I know that total time is not an absolute indicator of skill, decision making ability, or experience. I would venture to guess that captains exist at just about every company that slipped through the cracks; that's why I said they SHOULD be trainable. I also know what you mentioned has happened in the past, and my response was in no way sarcastic. What I meant was that I was unaware that this was an issue NOW.

 

not attacking..just responding

 

Yea there is a new breed of regional flunked out guys and gals that will be renslowing your loved ones. The barrel has been scraped hard. Only fix imo is $$$ to get cooperate guys interested. No other ideas besides more $$ to save lives.

 

Wow, that's scary!

 

Wow! Just WOW! What a wonderful employee you must be! Such bitterness!

As a past interviewer, if you asked one of those question in an interview, you would get an X on my copy of your resume, ask two and you would have no chance of being hired , Three and you would be asked to leave and four you would be escorted from the building by two men with sidearms. Five and you would be prosecuted as a terrorist threat.

 

This is stupid...