NMuir

https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/black-or-white

Again, you fail to understand how the human brain works.

NMuir

You obviously haven't been paying attention to the labor market for pilots lately.

awax

Of course I'm aware that we're scraping the bottom of the talent barrel but I also reject the sentiment that if an organization fails to meet standards that they should lower standards.

PSA help

The point that you are missing is that if you have let your knowledge and skills erode since you were in school, they you are a failure as a pilot. Period. You are not qualified to be an airline pilot.

If you want to be an airline pilot, either at the regionals, ULCCs, LCCs, or majors, you need to be both skilled and experienced. You need to study on a regular basis. You need to practice your skills often.

If you got out of flight school and did nothing but tow banners in VFR and never study, then you are likely not qualified to be an airline pilot. You meet some of the requirements - you have the certificates and the total time required, but you do not have applicable experience and knowledge.

Fix it. Study approaches. Ask people if you can ride along as a "safety pilot". Make a friend at a small flight school and sit in the back seat when he/she is teaching instrument lessons (I did this several times). It is free, and you can learn a great deal, or at least refresh your knowledge, by sitting in the back seat of a 172 and observing.

There are more requirements to being an airline pilot than a Commercial MEL and 1500 hours.

Right now, many airlines are hiring people that they would not have taken a chance on a few years ago. I am not saying that they are all bad, but if someone has a 50/50 shot at making it through training and being successful, the airlines would have not hired them in the past. Now, many airlines are willing to take the chance and hire them. This is especially true for those that pay the least and have a reputation for hiring pilots that fail out elsewhere.

The regionals that pay the most and have the most to offer (the AA WO, Endeavor, and SkyWest are the ones that come to mind) are able to be much more selective.

I was hoping that the point of this entire thread would be to help candidates know what they need to do to be successful in the airline world. Now is the time to get into the industry. Pay is way up (at many places), and everyone is hiring. Movement is great right now, and it is a good time to be a pilot. There are some things that you need to do to be successful, however. You must not only meet the minimum qualifications, but you must also be a knowledgable pilot to back up those minimum qualifications.

awax

^^^^^^^^
This


First, thanks for the original post, good on ya for trying to help the next guy through. That's what this site is all about.

I agree that there's no valid excuse for lacking adequate knowledge and skill when it comes to interviews and type training. If you're not ready to step into the job, don't apply. Worse than missing a few seniority numbers is blowing an interview or failing training, that tend to leave a permanent mark.

NMuir

Both of you are disconnected from reality.

PSA help

Nope.

A good pilot is one who retains his/her skills and knowledge base.

If you are an commercial rated pilot who can not safely fly an ILS to minimums, you are not a good commercial, instrument rated pilot right now and should not be applying to work at an airline.

If you go and apply at an airline, they will likely tell you the same thing and send you home (a good regional will, at least).

Can you be a good pilot again? Absolutely! Study. Get some time in a sim. Get some time in the airplane shooting approaches. Then study some more. Practice.

Same can be said with most any profession or skill. I played guitar when I was in college. I was pretty good, and got paid on many occasions to play. Since then, I haven't touched a guitar. I don't even own one, and haven't in 10 years. Right now, I would be a terrible guitar player if I were to pick one up. But if I practice, I could probably be pretty good again.

Here's the difference...

Right now, I would not dream of showing up at a bar and start playing without practicing beforehand. But there are people showing up to work at airlines that are not prepared in any way. They have not put in any work to be ready to be an airline pilot. They think that since they have the certifications and a logbook that says they have 1500 hours, then they are qualified. They are not.

I will say it again. Some of the minimum qualifications to work at an airline include 1500 hours and a commercial MEL ticket. That is just part of the whole picture. There are many more requirements as well. Those include being a good, smart, proficient pilot that is able to take what he/she learned in school and show how they applied it to the experience that they gained in flying the 1500 hours.

Some people choose to get hours in any way that they can, but the best pilots try to get as many quality hours as possible along the way.

zondaracer

You could not have said it better. I know people who fit this description and it is so frustrating trying to show them that they need to get up to snuff but still don't see it.

MiLa

This is simple... If a pilot doesn't have the skills required to do the job, they shouldn't get the job/make it through training. It is each individual pilots responsibility to be prepared to do the job. It's called being a professional.... If you spend 1500 hours towing banners and don't stay up on your instrument skills, then show up without the knowledge and ability to meet the requirements of the job, that's on YOU.

PSA help

Since most everyone seems to agree with the original article, what things did the original article leave out? What other advice would you give to people interviewing or starting airline training?

How can they be better prepared?