For that example I'd probably agree. But wasting class time by asking the CKA how to pack for a 4 day or how to jumpseat to OAK just shows a lack of knowledge/where to access that stuff (Swapa, classmates, etc)....easily fixed just like figuring out you need to call ramp to push before you talk to ground, etc. You don't know what you don't know....just like I'd prob sound like an idiot asking ?'s about a F-16 at an airshow to someone who's been flying it for a decade.

 

I'm not even considering what these applicants think about themselves. I'm applying my own judgement from working with, for, and adjacent to these people for over 20 years. I've seen them in good times and in bad times. At least one of them I kinda sorta caused some of their bad times (on purpose, long story no plot), and I made up my own mind on what kinds of people they are.

I don't recommend or even talk about the jerks I worked with and wouldn't want to sit next to on a trip of any length. Most people I worked with were great and I'd be happy to work with them again, so that doesn't come up very often at all. What does surprise me is when someone has literally everything going for them, and they can't even get an interview. They've got the hours. They're current. They have "real world experience" over decades of flying. They have spotless checkride and safety records. They've been recognized by previous employers as worthy of leadership roles. They have peers who will vouch for their credibility and character. And they're passed over to give interviews to people with under 3k hours on the basis of "more qualified". That is confusing and concerning. And none of it has anything to do with what those candidates personally feel about their own leadership qualities, because that kind of thing tends to come out in the interview, not in the application.

 

Big time congrats! Enjoy the ride! We complain with the best of them but it’s a great place!

 

"And I am not saying military people are worse" (reading skills).

When starting at a legacy RJ drivers are more qualified than military. Because they have relevant experience. Basic fact. Do military pilots have superior handling skills? Yeah, for upset recovery, for everything else less difference. Biggest plus with military is they are a known quality. Much harder to hide flying deficiency in the military. I thank you for your service. I have a lot of respect for the job and sacrifice. But it is a different job with a different skill set. I was military ATC, pilot now for almost 3 decades, think I have enough experience to have a valid opinion.

 

Hey welcome aboard matey! Please don’t ever do any PAs from the cabin interphone.

 

Right, so going by that logic why do so many former military have a hard time adjusting to the 121 world?

 

How about being a personable human id talk to again after 4 days in the cockpit?

 

I’m a longtime military guy that went straight to SWA. It was definitely a whole different world. I don’t think any of this was hard but unfamiliar and I didn’t possess the battle rhythm for it. It took a few months to really get spun up. I like to think it would be the same situation for a life long civilian aviation guy. Give him a few months in the military world and he would catch on too. The only difference is the huge variety of mission sets vs 121 routine. I wouldn’t make a hiring decision based on one or the other. Also, The military is certainly not the same experience for everybody. Different branches, different airframe communities, different crew makeups, different missions, different complexities, different duty positions… declaring a guy as “military” is like referring to a guy as “white”. Not enough context to know anything about him. If you approach the transition with humility, as an opportunity to learn something different, you’ll catch up pretty quick. Let’s not act like this is super difficult.

 

Exactly. It's basically meaningless. The reason military guys are sought out is because there is a built in 10 year screening program. Guys slip through, but they are the exception.

Rehashing the whole mil vs civ thing is dumb. I have flown with complete douche canoes from both backgrounds. We all suck equally.

 

Amen! All true words