Delta Ponders Pilot Sources
04-21-2011, 07:27 AM
#31
On Reserve
Joined APC: Jul 2008
Position: MSP7ERB
Posts: 1,886
Interesting read from the beginning. Getting ready to retire from 20 yrs in MIL fighters and can only speak for my buds in the same boat: All are applying to FDX and SWA. Nobody wants to touch the others right now due to climate, pay, and uncertainty. Suppose things will change if the first 2 say no but the AA, UAL's, etc are not getting their "pick of the litter". Interesting to see how this translates when the current pilot pool dries up...
DAL had 5,500 applicants last year and hired 148 "off the street".
04-21-2011, 07:59 AM
#32
Happy to be here
Joined APC: Jun 2006
Position: A-320A
Posts: 18,563
Delta has no say so and barely cares who the DCI operators hire as long as they put someone in the seat. Delta has turned down plenty of pilots that fly in the regionals for delta. They are not good enough pilots to fly at delta but still talented enough to still fly the delta passengers in delta colors.
04-21-2011, 08:03 AM
#33
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Dec 2005
Position: M88B
Posts: 1,182
What do you mean by "not interviewable"? Do they not have enough Turbine time? No college degree? Criminal records? I just don't see how so many people would take the time to apply when they aren't even "interviewable." If they want pilots they either need to lower their standards or raise the pay to steal away other mainline pilots. I know plenty of good people they got turned down for whatever reason and are at other mainline carriers and some that went to Northwest and ironically are now at Delta.
I also believe there are PLENTY of qualified pilots for the next decade at the Legacy level. Now the regional's are going to bleed later this decade....but I also know ATP schools will slap a bandaid all over that wound.
All said though those of us in the career already will see better days ahead so smile it doesn't hurt that bad!
04-21-2011, 08:12 AM
#34
Back on TDY
Joined APC: Apr 2008
Position: 747-400 Captain
Posts: 12,487
04-21-2011, 08:16 AM
#35
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Sep 2009
Position: Ask scheduling
Posts: 384
I'm aware of that, but I find it ironic that the program Delta had in place and decided to sell off is now being considered as a possible solution in the future.
Also ironic is how the one-time cash cow that was CAA was sold off because nobody wanted to pay $100,000 to be a regional pilot forever.
One more irony is that Delta would consider a second-year regional pilot with a 4-year degree would be a good answer to their future staffing problems when there are already about 15,000 pilots at ASA, CMR, SKW, RAH, XJet, PSA, Mesa, Mesaba, AirWisc, Compass, TSA, etc, etc, etc, that already meet those requirements.
This "news article" is dripping with so much irony it's ironic.
Also ironic is how the one-time cash cow that was CAA was sold off because nobody wanted to pay $100,000 to be a regional pilot forever.
One more irony is that Delta would consider a second-year regional pilot with a 4-year degree would be a good answer to their future staffing problems when there are already about 15,000 pilots at ASA, CMR, SKW, RAH, XJet, PSA, Mesa, Mesaba, AirWisc, Compass, TSA, etc, etc, etc, that already meet those requirements.
This "news article" is dripping with so much irony it's ironic.
04-21-2011, 08:24 AM
#36
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jun 2007
Position: Legacy FO
Posts: 4,105
Interesting read from the beginning. Getting ready to retire from 20 yrs in MIL fighters and can only speak for my buds in the same boat: All are applying to FDX and SWA. Nobody wants to touch the others right now due to climate, pay, and uncertainty. Suppose things will change if the first 2 say no but the AA, UAL's, etc are not getting their "pick of the litter". Interesting to see how this translates when the current pilot pool dries up...
As a military guy, you should be applying EVERYWHERE. The last thing you need is your military pilot ego to be crushed when your top three picks don't hire you ... wait a second ... or even call you! A military friend of mine didn't get hired from his first pick and his dad is a senior check airman there.
There are plenty of former military pilots who have worked at other companies gaining lots of Part 121 experience that are applying to the same jobs you are. Equally so, there are lots of regional Captains who have thousands of PIC hours. Not putting you down, but your military only experience makes you a dime a dozen.
Use your contacts to the max extent possible, but don't set yourself up for failure. The best airline out there is the one that hires you. Apply everywhere.
04-21-2011, 08:32 AM
#37
On Reserve
Joined APC: Jul 2008
Position: MSP7ERB
Posts: 1,886
Not trying to single you out, but I see and hear from a lot of military pilots who think they're the shiznit and assume they'll get hired where ever they want due to their background. I heard a pilot recently from my old unit say, "I'm going to go fly for UPS when I get out ... yada yada yada". It just doesn't work that way.
As a military guy, you should be applying EVERYWHERE. The last thing you need is your military pilot ego to be crushed when your top three picks don't hire you ... wait a second ... or even call you! A military friend of mine didn't get hired from his first pick and his dad is a senior check airman there.
There are plenty of former military pilots who have worked at other companies gaining lots of Part 121 experience that are applying to the same jobs you are. Equally so, there are lots of regional Captains who have thousands of PIC hours. Not putting you down, but your military only experience makes you a dime a dozen.
Use your contacts to the max extent possible, but don't set yourself up for failure. The best airline out there is the one that hires you. Apply everywhere.
As a military guy, you should be applying EVERYWHERE. The last thing you need is your military pilot ego to be crushed when your top three picks don't hire you ... wait a second ... or even call you! A military friend of mine didn't get hired from his first pick and his dad is a senior check airman there.
There are plenty of former military pilots who have worked at other companies gaining lots of Part 121 experience that are applying to the same jobs you are. Equally so, there are lots of regional Captains who have thousands of PIC hours. Not putting you down, but your military only experience makes you a dime a dozen.
Use your contacts to the max extent possible, but don't set yourself up for failure. The best airline out there is the one that hires you. Apply everywhere.
04-21-2011, 08:37 AM
#38
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2008
Position: SLC ERB
Posts: 467
Interesting read from the beginning. Getting ready to retire from 20 yrs in MIL fighters and can only speak for my buds in the same boat: All are applying to FDX and SWA. Nobody wants to touch the others right now due to climate, pay, and uncertainty. Suppose things will change if the first 2 say no but the AA, UAL's, etc are not getting their "pick of the litter". Interesting to see how this translates when the current pilot pool dries up...
04-21-2011, 08:38 AM
#39
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2010
Posts: 432
[QUOTE=Dakota Kid;983537]I think he was talking about how some colleges are not considered "certified." All of the big universities are fine, but there are some small colleges and internet programs that are not considered certified. Someone posted a link on here once where you could look up colleges and see if they are certified, but I don't know where it is now.
04-21-2011, 08:45 AM
#40
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Aug 2007
Position: non acceptus excretus
Posts: 561
I think it's funny that people still think that SWA is THE place to be - I'm sure its a great place to work, but SWA has done a TON of hiring over the last 8 years or so. Anyone getting hired now is a the tail end of a very big wave - not to mention the uncertainty associated with the pending Airtran merger. Meanwhile, DL is looking at loosing over half it's seniority list in the next 15 years. You want to talk about climate, pay, uncertainty, just look at the numbers.
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