DANGEROUS TK Hiring Practices

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Quote: AH-
I've always wondered about that but it seems to be a historic way of doing things..
But, I wonder- and hopefully it's answered here..
Does the USNavy do the same? What about the USArmy and rotorcraft? I'm aware the USMC doesn't have their own basic flight school, and uses the USN.. but do newly minted Marine Corps Aviators turn around and teach?

What one organization does, doesn't always translate to another organizations thoughts.

I have never thought is was a good idea to take newhires and turn them into PI's. But then again, I also don't thing you should be hired without a College Degree, or without some 121/135 Captain Experience or military flight background.
Guess I'm just that old guy now.. lol

Having gone through 2 full courses at TK this year, I can say that the instructors for the most part were ok. Some better than others. But-
The first course it was myself and another senior FO going through the 78 (full) course. We "knew" the game and didn't fall for some of the BS.
The second course I was with a NewHire (great guy) and again, I "knew" the game and I had to step up a few times.

What happens with 2 newhire FO's being instructed by a low experience PI?
I had a senior PI tell me that there are times when two newbies just don't get everything done in the sim and he gives them an incomplete. Not their fault.. it's the way the sim are syllabus is set up.

Management has one goal. Make Money.
They do that by cutting corners wherever they can.
The reason we are seeing the influx of super junior pilots into the training department is no different that what has happened with the narrowbody Left Seat Vacancies. Midlevel and Senior Pilots don't want the heartache (and pay associated with it) and those junior pilots don't really know what they are getting themselves into!
End of the day, we both know that the 1.5 year on property PI will be able to instruct the 1.5 year on property New Capt along with a New Hire FO.

BUT..
Should it be that way?!

Good Discussion~
Always
Motch
I’m not defending the hiring practices at TK. I’m simply serving some food for thought. Others will have to answer the questions about other military organizations and training practices, I’m of pure civilian background.

I was in and out of TK for 13 years and am a newly minted LCA, with 25 years on property and about 5 years total on my current fleet with about 3k in type. My LCA class were all very experienced.

The complaint I’m hearing about TK from my old instructor buddies is that since GG took over it’s all about quantity at the expense of quality. It’s become a training factory producing volume pilot widgets.

The product I’ve been exposed to on the line with IOE has been pretty good so far but I’m a rank beginner in the LCA business. I do hear stories about troubles with new pilots, I don’t have any juicy stories of my own yet.

Just edited to add;

The civilian model of training is pretty much the same as the AF FAIP model. A pilot gets their CFI and before the ink is dry they are doing 100 touch and goes a week with brand new students. At least that’s what it has become. Of course most schools have older more experienced pilots running herd on the newbies.

Green on green training is the new industry standard apparently. I guess the question is, are we producing sufficiently safe and skilled pilots?
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Quote: AH-
I've always wondered about that but it seems to be a historic way of doing things..
But, I wonder- and hopefully it's answered here..
Does the USNavy do the same? What about the USArmy and rotorcraft? I'm aware the USMC doesn't have their own basic flight school, and uses the USN.. but do newly minted Marine Corps Aviators turn around and teach?

What one organization does, doesn't always translate to another organizations thoughts.

I have never thought is was a good idea to take newhires and turn them into PI's. But then again, I also don't thing you should be hired without a College Degree, or without some 121/135 Captain Experience or military flight background.
Guess I'm just that old guy now.. lol

Having gone through 2 full courses at TK this year, I can say that the instructors for the most part were ok. Some better than others. But-
The first course it was myself and another senior FO going through the 78 (full) course. We "knew" the game and didn't fall for some of the BS.
The second course I was with a NewHire (great guy) and again, I "knew" the game and I had to step up a few times.

What happens with 2 newhire FO's being instructed by a low experience PI?
I had a senior PI tell me that there are times when two newbies just don't get everything done in the sim and he gives them an incomplete. Not their fault.. it's the way the sim are syllabus is set up.

Management has one goal. Make Money.
They do that by cutting corners wherever they can.
The reason we are seeing the influx of super junior pilots into the training department is no different that what has happened with the narrowbody Left Seat Vacancies. Midlevel and Senior Pilots don't want the heartache (and pay associated with it) and those junior pilots don't really know what they are getting themselves into!
End of the day, we both know that the 1.5 year on property PI will be able to instruct the 1.5 year on property New Capt along with a New Hire FO.

BUT..
Should it be that way?!

Good Discussion~
Always
Motch
One key difference in United and the military is that we’re not dealing with “newly minted” aviators. I’m definitely not going to discredit the value of line experience at this company or the quality of military training, but the people that we hire into TK are already experienced aviators. One FO that I had recently is starting training soon. He was just off of probation here, but an experienced LCA at his regional, thousands of hours of jet PIC, and probably more aware of what is in our manuals than the majority of our line pilots. Being new to United doesn’t mean new to aviation and most of our junior pilots have plenty to offer the training department and our line pilots.
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Why do you all call it TK? Did someone not know Center starts with a C?
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Quote: Why do you all call it TK? Did someone not know Center starts with a C?
My understanding is that it came from an old internal mail code: DENTK. Not specifically an acronym
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Quote: My understanding is that it came from an old internal mail code: DENTK. Not specifically an acronym
And, DENTC was already taken.
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Quote: Why do you all call it TK? Did someone not know Center starts with a C?
I’ve always wondered that myself. 🤷‍♂️
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Quote: My understanding is that it came from an old internal mail code: DENTK. Not specifically an acronym
Reply
Quote: Why do you all call it TK? Did someone not know Center starts with a C?
I heard it stands for Training and Knowledge, sometimes jokingly called Training Kingdom.
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Quote: I heard it stands for Training and Knowledge, sometimes jokingly called Training Kingdom.
The original purpose was the Denver ticket center, which was in the basement of the original building. TK for ticket.
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