Yea, I heard this one. It's almost as good as the "everyone on property will upgrade in 3 years with the current aircraft order" one.

 

You can certainly have poor candidates from all backgrounds, I agree.

The program itself is not great. However, when other airlines were not hiring or hiring very slowly Spirit hired very few corporate pilots because they showed a pattern of having issues with the program. When the other airlines started hiring, Spirit entered the backside of the growth curve, and management showed their colors in negotiations, Spirit hired many corporate pilots and lower time 121 pilots and training failures skyrocketed.

I’m not saying all are bad because many are great but there is a pattern.

I recommended an all 91/135 guy. I gave him all the advice and help if he wanted to be successful in the program. He was shown the door and really never took responsibility for it.

 

Straight from our CP's mouth: corporate guys have the highest failure rate of all new hires.

 

You’re mixing the two liberally. There’s vendor training and small 91 operators/ corporate flight departments, and then there are guys who fly in very structured 135/91k environs with excellent in house training and procedures.

I’m sorry, the Spirit training program is difficult because it is condensed and has very few sims. It is not difficult because of the material covered.

 

That’s why they struggle. Of course it’s not the material. Most corporate pilots are used to a relaxed pace with little consequence.

 

You're telling me nothing bro. I'm former 91, 91k, 135, and I was a TCE for a large 142 training company. The deficiencies of the above are vast.

 

And I was a check pilot for a large 135/91k operator. I’m not worried about any of my former colleagues coming here and struggling with the training. No one was taking 50 minute coffee breaks there, and you had better know your stuff in the oral, in the sim, on the line and during line checks. Frankly, that training is among the best I’ve been through, and that’s a common refrain for former coworkers who’ve moved on to the 121 world at all manner of operators.

121 isn’t special. It sure as heck isn’t hard. Spirit’s training is difficult because of its footprint, but pilots coming here with a history of non-vendor training won’t have a problem. Ones who flew 100 hours a year with a nodding acquaintance with flows and procedures might.

Flows, memory items/limitations and familiarity with normal procedures isn’t some majic dope reserved for the airlines. In fact, the burden is considerably less now that you don’t have to deal with all the ancillary stuff that large corporate operators consider common.

 

I don't disagree. But the fact remains that our 91/135 hires have the highest failure rate of all new hires. Period. So, if a guy or gal is coming from that background then they had better show day 1 with their **** together.

 

Again, you’re mixing them liberally.

Everyone better show up with their ******* together. That’s called professionalism and being ready for training. Guys being coddled in the vendor process probably need to up their game, but not all. I’d love to see the failure rate of NJ/FJ etc. vs those of Mom and Pop’s Jet Charter, Hair Care and Tire Center. Because to my knowledge my former colleagues are batting .1000.

 

Either 135/91 guys suck as aviators or their previous training hasn't prepared them for the airline world. My bet in on the latter. But the fact remains that they don't do as well. And, right or wrong, that weighs heavily with our recruitment team.