HotMamaPilot

skyhigh agrees with you; he just won't admit it. he is running out of young ears to spill his bs on. his time here is all borrowed.

SkyHigh

Hindsight is always 20/20. My time at Horizon Air was during the peak of hiring in the late 1990's. I knew few peers who even got an interview let alone a job at a major. It seemed as though Horison Air was in an aviation black hole. During my time there 4 guys went to Alaska Airlines. Each one had a deep connection of some sort. During the same time 80 were hired at Alaska from Skywest.

Others at the time left QX for places like Vangaurd, Evergreen and Polar and were able then to make the jump to Alaska. I too received an interview after leaving QX but mine was too late. Back then turbine PIC was not as important as it is now. I have over 3000 hours of PIC. It was not common to require it be in a turbine until the last five years.

Had I known at the time that I would have to spend most of a decade at Horizon Air before being able to have a chance at a major then I would have done things very differently. I would have never taken the job at Horizon Air in the first place. In addition I have never been interested in one of the cargo outfits.

SkyHigh

SkyHigh

Everyday new people are coming to this website. Lately it seems that it is the older generation that has taken an interest in me.

SkyHigh

BigWatchPilot

Well...I should say congratulations, there are very few people on this site that ever get a thread just for them. I can see where you are coming from since I thought I would post stuff in the regional forum in hopes of helping someone since I had people do the same for me. We are just on two different sides of the fence. You are the 'snake' to our 'mongoose'.

I offer this info to anyone that is starting a career in aviation and wants a job at Alaska or any other major airline. I grew up in the Northwest and Alaska would have been a great job...but since I turned them down in 01 when no one was hiring to work at FedEx I will never know.

I quoted you because for someone that studied aviation it seems you didn't do much homework if you wanted to work for Alaska...you mention taking jobs with promises of quick upgrade (no shortcuts in aviation). Did you ever get into your car and drive down to McChord AFB? Did you ever talk to a recruiter or anyone of the many C141 drivers down there...most of them all work for Alaska...and if not another major. You want a fast track to Alaska? Why didn't you go for a UPT slot...I could go on but you didn't do your homework...your lack of K-nolege in aviation history shows as well.

BWP...out

SkyHigh

I did my homework however back in the late 1980's there were few places to get good information. I patterned my early career after the only Alaska Airlines pilot I knew. I even worked for many of the same companies. Years later it was a senior Alaska Airlines check airmen who told me to go to Horizon Air. I also had the ability to got to Skywest at the time. I took the captains advice and it did much to kill my career. Often line pilots are the last to know how to get a job since it has been a few decades since they had to look for one themselves.

As for the military I made some attempts however at the time the military was in pilot shed mode and even my most ardent ROTC friends were not getting pilot slots. I made the best decisions I could at the time with the information I had.

SkyHigh