I'm currently an FO, however I was a CA at one point, so I meet their requirements. I know some guys didn't meet the requirement and bought tickets anyways, I don't know if they had a chance to talk to the recruiters. The people at Aero Crew didn't check my resume to see if I meet the minimums or not.

 

In a recent company email the current expansion plans were advertised at 200/year until 2021.
At 1200 pilots, we are halfway through this growth plan.
2015 new hires should expect to be captains by the end of this plan.
Like others have mentioned, this summer the contract needs to address how to attract candidates.

Good luck!

 

Are you saying you are not attracting enough candidates?
How big is your DFW base? Is it junior?
Any plans to drop decrease the total time requirement?
Spirit would be a great gig for me, hopefully you will still be hiring and expanding in the next 3-4 years.

 

I'm pretty sure we're attracting quite a few candidates. Applications on file probably aren't a problem. Infrastructure might be a bit, as the hiring department I'm sure is very overworked.

DFW is a medium size base for Spirit, I'm guesstimating around 200 give or take a few. Not near as big as Fort Lauderdale or as small as Atlantic City. All bases are junior, with continuing growth, all domiciles can be had in relatively short order.

Don't know about any plans to drop total time requirement, but it's all supply and demand. Right now the demand is high, but so is the supply. We'll see what happens in the coming years.

 

I want to say DFW is Spirit's largest base now, in terms of block hours flown and number of lines, no?

 

2nd behind FLL in terms of # of pilots and lines. 180ish crews compared to 100ish.

 

This seems like a good place for this post. I've been researching where I want to hang my hat for last year and if Spirit will have me its where I want to be. Reasons: QOL due to time off and bases that I'd like to live in, Everyone I've met there is nice and it seems like a fun place to work, Growth, International expansion, Excellent equipment, and most importantly a long track record of hiring people from the 135 world i.e. people like me.

I've applied and just finished the initial cog test and psyc test and I felt good about it, I have a take a number ticket to DFW, I'm planning on prepping with Aero Crew before the fair, I'm studying the airline and the test prep from Sheppard and I have a friend that lives in FLL that is really going out his way to get some Spirit friends to recommend me (wish I new someone but I'm isolated in the 135 world). This is all the great info that I've learned from you nice gents over the last year about how to get a job at Spirit.

I've been flying 135 for 12 years, 7000 total, 4000 multi, 3300 turbine PIC, 1230 Jet PIC (citation 560), almost all my time is 135 PIC, IOE instructor, SMS development and safety promotion with current company, finishing my 4 year degree in Oct and most importantly after much consideration I have no plans or desires to go to a Legacy.

The reason I had to bore you with all that info is because the information is need to answer these two questions.

Is there anything else I can do to help with a transition to Spirit?

What are my chances given my experience, and good attitude ?

Thanks in advance!

 

It sounds like you have your bases well covered. After the job fair, some candidates get a call the next day, others, like me, received a call months after. If this is the place you want to be, persistence pays off. They do take note of the guys who make it to multiple job fairs. Also, don't let the contract talk on this forum scare you too badly. Most pilots are awesome to spend a trip with; we just tend to be hard on each other here because we know what we are all worth.

 

Thanks for the info. I won't let it get to me, in fact you guys go ahead and hash all this stuff out before I get there, OK?

My understanding is that its discussions like what goes on here, and pilots that know what they're worth that have made Spirit a great place to fly.

 

I attended two job fairs and kept bugging guys for more information about Spirit on here. Continued interest in Spirit is what got me onboard.

Continue to slug it out, keep up on the Spirit of NKS thread, continue studying the financials and be ready when they call, that's about the best info I can give. The longest wait is for that first phone call. After that, things move very fast.

Spirit is growing, growing fast and they're doing their best to keep up with the growth, but the infrastructure is a bit lagging.

It'll catch up though. It's a great place to be, full of fantastic people, excellent training and great work rules. The planes are new, the Airbus is an awesome office to have. Don't get discouraged by some who post in the Spirit thread, at the end of the day, everyone loves working here.

Best of luck, hope to see you on the line soon.