CODs4ever

Damn. Well I hope they at least interview/hire me first, before they keep dropping/lowering the minimums:

3600 mil hours
1700 turbine PIC
737 type

....interviewed back in 2006, patiently waiting for another shot.

OB Pilot

Do you have any SWA pilots who can look over your app for you to see if there is anything else you can tweak?

CODs4ever

Yes, and I am mostly good there, except for the column: "hours flown in the last 24 months"

Looks like the only thing that needs tweaking is building up my currency in turbine aircraft and I am doing that little by little, flying King Air 200/300/350 in my off hours. I think once I break into the 50-100 hour range, within the last 24 months, I will be looking better for a possible interview in 2016. That's the goal, at least.

I have a handful of friends over there who are doing their best to help me. Obviously most of that help will come post-interview as internal recs don't buy you much as far as getting an interview, from what I understand.

Julio

Yep. Looks like a currency issue

OB Pilot

I agree with you that the recency of experience is probably keeping you from an interview invite. And you are correct, all of your recommendations, both internal and external, don't matter until the decision board meets to consider your record after the interview.

John Carr

Agree with that.

For RIGHT HERE, and RIGHT NOW, there ISNT a shortage of applicants. There NEVER has been at SW.

YES, we all "hear" about guys not showing up for class or leaving class for (insert airline here). But it's hardly an epidemic, and likely won't EVER BE. Back to my "full circle" comment (can't wait for that to be misread again.....) we're in a situation not UNLIKE pre 9/11. Pilots have options, the most we've seen in almost 16 years, pilots are going to take advantage of those options. They'd be stupid not too.

Pre 9/11, even with the type requirement, it's NOT like SW was having a hard time finding enough applicants, filling classes, not canceling flights due to crew shortage, what have you.

When we start hearing of pilots that just broke the 1000 TPIC mark getting cold called enmasse, THEN they'll consider it. When they make the college degree a "preferred" requirement, THEN they'll consider it.

And granted, it's ONLY 3 guys I know. But of those three recently hired at SW, 2 were LCA's with over 5000 TPIC, no job fairs, etc. Both were surprised to get the interview invite, neither one had the type. The other was around 4K TPIC, not an LCA, and no type rating. Lots of volunteer work and attended the last 2 years of WAI and OBAP.

And even though FedEx went from required to "preferred" on their TPIC requirement, it's doubtful that their classes wil suddenly be filled with pilots that don't have ANY. Despite heavy/wide body/int'l experience and type ratings, what have you.

KODI3

Can you clarify the recs impact on interview pass/fail?
If interviewers give a thumbs down, does applicant even get to decision board?
Or does decision board review interview notes and all recs before making final pass/fail determination?

CODs4ever

OB Pilot and Julio,

Thanks for your replies. At 15-20 hours/month (not much less than I got when I was on active duty) I figure I should be "current enough" to interview by early summer, when the hiring really ramps up for that summer travel boom and all that JA flying.....

Julio

Sounds good. I'd imagine the ramp up has already started to meet the summer demand. I'm not even in training yet so what do I know. I heard 100hrs in the past 12 months was what they were looking for but again that could just be BS.

CODs4ever

I heard that 100 hour number as well, that is until I heard of another retired mil pilot (last 4 years no flying) who got called to an interview just a few days he after passed the 50 hour mark at a Regional.