i think you’re being constructive here but the “why” seems pretty obvious for this and so many other well paying professions with steep barriers to entry and steeped in tradition.

Also, as a kid in the 80s I was a voracious reader of everything about aviation’s history. Yeager, Boyington, all the boys from the Right Stuff, Doolittle, Lindbergh and Rickenbacker featured prominently. They were all legit trailblazers - I still think they’re all incredible for their aviation accomplishments - but I can’t think of anyone save Earhart who deviated from that typical background.

There’s more than a grain of truth to “you can’t be what you can’t see”

That may have been what was advertised in the beginning, but it's not what is currently happening. The quickest way to a United job is from another airline's regional feed, NOT from one of United's Aviate partners. A good number, maybe even a majority of United's classes are being filled with AA wholly owned regional pilots (both CAs and FO's).

What’s this ‘big change’ coming next week supposedly to Aviate?

Do you own a white sheet with two eyelets cut out by chance?
Set fire to any crosses lately ?
When is the next rally ? I’m sure you know .

Better sit back and relax as it’s not about you.
Its not about slightly overweight angry white guys.
Its about the customer and as Delta says, we have a choice and we appreciate you choosing Delta.
The customer pays your wages Jack.
The customer pays for everything you own, your second house, your 401k, trophy wife #4 and that bass boat you really couldn’t do without.
Customers have an opinion, are finicky and most importantly they have an option which is within $50 of your airline’s fare.
Customers may want to see a little more representation then just the I’m-the-Captain-now male white Christian right wingers.
Thats how market mechanics work.

no…they just want the safest “person” up there whatever gender or race they may be.
Even overnight white guys.

You don’t know that, you’re just projecting your opinion onto the flying public. I would have thought price competition was the leading driver in ticket sales, but the company’s market research suggests brand loyalty is actually a huge player. I think UAL is betting that social conscience is going to be an effective element of their brand. Are they right? Only time will tell, but my sense is that while most people will probably not give much thought to the issue, there will be far fewer people offended by diversity initiatives than appreciative of them.

We all live in our bubbles, but I think it’s possible you may be overestimating how many people see diversity & immediately assume standards must necessarily have been lowered to achieve it.

The standards are a GED, 18, US citizen. I don't think anyone is arguing that people participating in Aviate have met that standard. But to prove that more accomplished candidates have been turned away because they weren't in the target demographic for aviate would take a lawsuit, which will never happen. Aviate isn't UT or Harvard with hundreds of thousands of rejected applicants.

To be frank, the interview conducted for Aviate candidates is comparable to normal regional interview. The difficulty level to receive a phone call for the Aviate program if you meet a certain uncontrollable benchmark is comparable to a normal regional interview.

You pass that Aviate Santa Clause interview, you hold CJO at United airlines.

The standards are set lower, no debate. Now is it intentional? No it’s not, but when you’re interviewing a candidate who just stared swinging the bat, you can’t throw them a professional 97 mph fastball and expect anyone to receive a CJO. Yet United still holds those type of standards for guys and gals already on the line at said regionals/ULCC’s/135. It’s a confusing hiring metric at best IMHO.

And because I know you love to debate specifics, I’ll giver you a specific example.

I still have friends/connections through the University of North Dakota where I attended school and flight instructed. So let me inform you of a incident that was brought up recently in a group chat.

A former instructor at the university fired (not going into the specifics, but it’s “certificates should/could have been surrendered”, bad). Before they received an interview with Aviate they got a TBNT from both SkyWest and Envoy, after the subject of termination was brought up at their recent instruction time at UND.

Turns out they received a CJO with their Aviate interview, and they proceeded to interview with GoJet, currently on the line flying for GoJet.

no…all I see are people making a big deal about the pigmentation of skin or how much progesterone is in your body. All totally ridiculous and all divisive. Let’s just focus on safety and it that “person” is a he/she black/white or whatever then so be it who cares!. Why the big focus on so called diversity. To me it’s just division. Why is it so hard to comprehend that people want the most competent pilot up there whatever they are. I don’t see color or sex and neither do most people I know. I just see if your a nasty person or not. That’s all…but hey it doesn’t fit the cool woke narrative that’s in fashion for the moment.
I see guys on here constantly bashing angry overweight white guys. I guess if that’s what your life’s worry is about then so be it. I think it’s sad….why can’t people just see through color sex and sexual identity? To keep us infighting perhaps?