Competitive Hiring Flight Times
 

Hey everybody, I was hoping to get a bit of guidance to help maximize my competitiveness for Spirit. I'm currently flying as a Challenger 300 captain for a part 91 company and flying only around 250 hours/year and all of my experience is Part 91. Current credentials:

Total Time - 3350
Total Turbine - 2750
Turbine PIC - 1750
3 type ratings, OBAP job fair meet and greet, no degree

If I'm not in the mix now, my current job isn't expediting the process. So I figure that I have three different options. Which option would expedite my competitiveness with Spirit?

1. Part 135 PIC
2. Part 121 SIC
3. Finishing my degree by May 2019 (staying at current job while I finish)

I would get some 121 time, and finish the degree, or at least work on it.

You will be more competitive by upping you SA! (only a joke!)

https://www.airlinepilotforums.com/s...ght-times.html


good luck!

Free advice (FWIW), I am not involved in hiring. But if you are only interested in NK I would go at least 135PIC. If you want to be more competitive for bigger and better things in general, I would go 2+3. Honestly not sure how much 4yr does for NK, I didn't have one and was 91K before, but I would still recommend 4yr for everywhere else. Also I think having only 91 time is seen as a risk for training as there is a very big variety in the amount of SOP/CRM/training.

We seem to be attracting a lot of corporate guys. Why is that?

Pilots are now seeing Spirit as a career. New contract, better pay and brand new planes. Life is good here.

I meant we seem to attract more corporate pilots than other airlines. Are corporate pilots favoring Spirit over the 6 other airlines that compensate better.

It could be that we call them before the legacy’s have a chance to call them.

Could be a lot of corporate flight departments reside in southern Florida (as well as the 135 operators). Not many decent options for a southern Florida base for junior guys to walk into. Spirit is pretty attractive in that regard.

Hey man, give it a rest already. I mean this as respectfully as I can, we all know you voted no for your personal reasons but each post you make has a jab regarding your displeasure of the new contract. I agree with you, it isn't perfect.

Those same personal reasons you had which made you vote no? The folks trying to get on at Spirit are coming or attempting to get on for their own personal reasons.

Wasn’t a jab at the contract. I actually am interested in why we seem to draw more interest from corporate pilots than the other majors do. I hadn’t thought about a lot of Flight departments being in Florida. I didn’t realize it was more weighted than New York or LA or Chicago. I don’t know anything about corporate flying

My guess is because we seem like a good place to spend a career and also we are looked at as one of the career destinations who might call first. Better shot at getting called equals more interest

I've actually been really lucky to work with some nice 91 companies that have pretty descent SOP/CRM. I've also done all my type and recurrent training at FSI/SimCom/CAE, but I definitely understand why the airlines would be worried about snagging someone who did their training at Jim Bob's weekend citation type course; I know some who have.

Spirit is the end goal for me. Almost everybody that I've talked with really likes working there, and the compensation and lifestyle is something I could retire at. Maybe I'll look into some 135 PIC opportunities then.

I’m corporate and interested. Don’t have chief pilot, check airman, etc time so not likely to get a call from a legacy. Frontier is a dumpster fire from everything I read, jet blue is meh, Southwest I would never make captain before retiring, Alaska is too far from home, cargo is a no for me (my ability to stay up all night is nil), Allegiant is maybe possible but those old airplanes! Kind of leaves spirit. Don’t now anyone there, no internal recs. I have corporate 135 time, 4 year degree, house trained, so who knows?

New planes, long legs, I like South America/Central American flying, piques my interest.

Just make sure you don't let the Spirit recruiters know that they were you last choice. :D

my guess is that corporate pilots have a harder time getting hired at the majors (compared to mil/regional/121). so they go to where they get the offers.

Just over a year ago it could have been argued we were also a dumpster fire. Not saying we're quite in as bad a spot as those guys but it was pretty bad. At least we'll have to wait 5 years for ours to start up again.

Just so you're aware we do quite a bit of night flying. Red-eye jungle turns and LAS/LAX/OAK/SEA to XXX.

Certainly had schedules where I didn’t see daylight at work for months. Somewhat by choice but even if you try to avoid the night flying it’s kind of unavoidable depending on base and seniority

Average age of fleet down to 13 years at allegiant, compared to 20? CMIIAW at DL. Last summer I lost my day currency (2 day landings out of 52 total in 3 months), every time with the exception of OE I’ve flown south it was dark. FO pay at SWA is pretty close to CAP pay here when you include scheduling efficiency, I think JB would be a good choice with their new contract. Have to agree about F9 though.

Go where you can get hired. With that said stay far away from F9 like it's herpes. :eek: I'm referring to the management hacks, not the pilot group. :cool:

You're in for a rude awakening when you get here. Take it from a former TCE at one of the above as the FSI/SIMCOM/CAE training is a joke largely dependent on whether your check has cleared yet or not.

This will be the hardest thing you've ever been through. Don't plan on 50 minute coffee breaks in between 10 minutes classes. Three retrains and you're going home without a job. Know your flows both seats on day one.

Lots of corporate guys here that made it through but don't underestimate the uphill battle you have coming. And genuinely, best of luck.

I appreciate the honesty and I look forward to the opportunity (if I ever get a call). I'm confident that I'm up for the challenge and wouldn't take the training lightly.

I have had great training at FSI. Training here at NK is a joke. Sure it’s lots of info, but there is no training culture..(see JEtBlue). I left a NJA to come here, it seemed that the majority hire was SWA and FDX for guys with lots of pic time. For those of us with low pic times, NK and Atlas were popular.

FWIW


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The training is only difficult because of the compressed nature of the footprint. Show up knowing your memory items, limitations and flows by heart. View the systems videos. Take a look at the AOM, but don’t pull your hair out when you don’t understand a bit of it without operating some buttons.

It’s an Airbus. Not a Colonial Battlestar.

crap fooled me. Of course, I haven’t learned a new plane in forever. Right now just having a hard time deciding on what to study going into the oral. Starting to get apprehensive. Lights and switches is what I’m thinking.

If you can get through every limitation and memory item without a hiccup, you are about 75% done. After that, it was mostly straight from the oral exam guide. Try not to stress, we all felt that way going into it.

Memory items and limitations is the first thing you'll be asked.

I used the brainscape flashcard app to prep for switchology and systems knowledge. The spirit oral exam guide is uploaded though an answer or two are a bit dated. By and large its very accurate and helpful. Takes about two hours to go through all the flashcards. Go through all of them 3-4 times and you'll be amazed how much gets packed into the noggin.

I have friends at AK/VX who uses it and our oral exam guide for their orals. It's outstanding. I went from apprehensive to confident in about 3 days.

Also, when you have time, and that's probably not right now, read AOM 1. Very simple, and it clears up some things that you're probably just trying to memorize by rote because there are only so many minutes in the day.

Of course it was.

I don't know how many times I've said this. Training here can't possibly be all that hard, since even I made it through, both initial and upgrade. In my fourth language, for goodness sake.

You should remove yourself from these forums and consider entering Common Sense Academy. 6 months post contract signing you are here often "jabbing" at the contract. Get over it or go to another carrier. Plus, you actually think the economy would have done better under Hillary. Not sure if Common Sense Academy can do much for you but it is worth a shot.

I’m a regional guy that is interested in spirit but the reason I don’t pull the trigger and apply is I don’t want to deal with training that isn’t AQP I know a lot of guys will give me crap for it but it’s just nice having a more laid back training atmosphere where every little thing is cut throat.

Wow..... enjoy the safe space provided by mommy and daddy. We don't need people with you're weak minded personality in the first place so thanks for not applying to our scary airline.

This is one of the more ridiculous posts I've read in awhile. Based on how painful it was to read/understand your post, I'm gonna guess you need a non-jeopardy environment.

I never once said I thought the economy would have done better with Clinton as president. I said I’m not confident Trump is a better president than she would have been. The measure of a president is more than how high the stock market is. They both were poor picks for the job. It’s a matter of who would be worse. I was saying that after almost two years I don’t know if Clinton would have been a worse president. Never mentioned the economy. Never said I was a fan of Clinton. Only said I voted for trump and wish I hadn’t.

Maybe the two of you should read the title of this thread.....
Go PM each other to death about your political views. Leave this thread so new hires can share information with prospective new hires.
Sheesh.....

Honestly, I hope our AQP push fails because of this post. Stay in your safe space please.

Thanks for your clear headed sober analysis Ace. Opinions like yours are like ***holes. Everybody's got one. I'm in agreement with you about one thing. Qotsa needs to leave this forum.

If you're being serious, you should quit this profession.

I have been AQP and I think it is FAR better as a learning and teaching tool vs the "cut throat" non aqp we have here BUT your attitude is that of an entitled child who has always been handed everything to him.

By the way, I am a millennial so don't even think of saying it's a generation vs generation fight.

If that's what he's after, AQP is not for him either. There is plenty of jeopardy there too, just the format is different.

Every year I hear that we are going to have AQP. Current system seems to be working just fine.