I promise you, we Mil Pilots are proficient at ADFs, Holding, raw data approaches, hand flying, raw data point to points, LOC approaches, VOR (non DME) LOC BC, etc. The philosophy is “something might fail some day, so let’s always fly as if it has failed.” I’m not bragging, it’s actually quite absurd the way we operate.

 

What's an "ADF"? Is that some kind of super-secret stealth tech?

 

I haven’t started SWA training yet, but I’m guessing we don’t do many ADFs. I’m hoping I’ve shot my last one.

 

All MIL guys, with the exception of possibly Army Warrant officers, have "collateral duties" that mean they are working on numerous projects, taskings, "honey-do's", etc from their chain of command, in addition to simply flying an airplane. The doctor flying his Bonanza does not have the regimented standardization program, safety program, and instruction common to MIL aviation.

A fighter guy may spend 2+ hours in briefings etc to go fly one hour. Etc. Indeed some "learning curve" exists to take a guy from single pilot fighter cockpit to a glass cockpit crewed 737. But we are not talking accomplishing the impossible.

MIL pilots at airlines are like the chicken and the egg. Which one came first ? Sure, the MIL pilots are highly trained, by default all have 4-year degrees (many Masters), and are flying highly complex aircraft usually, but remember that the largest Alumni network in the world is "I am ex-AF" or "I am ex Navy". The bro network is well established at all airlines, from the CP office down, and no doubt this is partially "the why" so many MIL dudes get hired.

You know what ? More power to them, I "get it" - use it if you have it

 

Neil Armstrong had a total of 2,400 hrs when he was selected to be an astronaut....but I'm sure the Cessna driver with 2,400 hrs is just as good. You know, the time being equal and all.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Armstrong#Test_pilot

 

How about debrief...😬

 

Yep, test pilot, Cessna driver, hours are hours. No difference.

I did enjoy reading about the B-29 that he had to bring down on 1 of 4 engines. Sure anyone who flies a 172 on the weekend in clear weather could do just as well.

 

Nobody’s insinuating that a civilian with 1,700 TT should get hired over a fighter jock with 1,700 TT. What I find ludicrous is that there are thousands of 10,000+ TT RJ captains with oodles of turbojet 121 PIC time that don’t have skeletons in their closet and yet can’t get an interview while someone with zero 121, crew, high density airport, CRM, etc. experience gets hired with 1,700 TT. That to me is ridiculous. Nothing you can say will change my mind.

 

Ultimately it's not our choice, it's the opinion of the HR department that matters. Look at what was recently discovered about fedex's process, with internal recommendations apparently counting against applicants. We don't get to choose what any particular HR department counts as positive or negative, all we can do is choose which company we want to work for and try to meet their requirements. Delta has their process that appears to be a fairly rigid stack of swiss cheese you have to pass through. SWA wants to hire people who will be proud to be a part of the SWA family. Frontier wants to hire people who are cool with a 2 year training contract, while spirit hires on personality and seems to rely on a tough training program to weed out people who can't keep up. United hasn't called anyone for 6-9 months so who knows what they want We don't have control over much in the hiring process, but it ought to be pretty clear what kinds of pilots each company is looking for, based solely on what their hiring process looks like. Choose wisely and keep applying for your "dream job" because you can't possibly know if/when you'll ever meet their criteria until suddenly you do.

 

Totally agree. HR sets out the hoops and the applicants decides if they want to attempt jumping through them. Doesn’t mean that those of us observing from the sidelines can’t criticize the types of hoops they set out.