Sharklasers

Hey guys,
I'm new to the forum, I work for the Canadian legacy but read your forums green with envy . Anyway someone posted a Fox article on our forum where some kid was saying he was selected into a united internship out of flight school and going straight to the major.
Is this a thing that happens?

Airlines battle growing pilot shortage that could reach crisis levels in a few years | Fox News

Airhoss

Even interns have to meet the minimum qualifications, so the guy might be able to skip the regionals but they’ve still got to get the minimum quals. AND being an intern is no guarantee of a job at that airline. In fact many do not get hired at the airline they interned at.

flightmedic01

IMO, interns getting hired right into a major from a flight school is a slap in the face to all the guys and gals who do it the old fashioned way of earning it. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't go to a doctor who went right into private practice after graduating medical school and skipped the many years of experience in a residency program.

crflyer

What an a$$ that kid sounds like. Some people get lucky, but I hope reality hits him in the teeth. Can’t stand that attitude.

Duke990

What a joke. They are quoting an entitled college kid that says the 1500 hour ATP requirements are not needed and not related to safety. Way to represent United you jacka$$.

McNugent

Oh give lil' Scotty a break. He's just young and doesn't know any better. I was an intern once for a regional and thought I walked on water until reality slapped me in the face. He'll learn quickly or be shown the door. He'll also probably be disappointed when he has to go fly a regional jet to get some real experience. The horror 🙄

awax

Agreed.

20 years ago I participated in a mentor program for company employees and pilot family members and I'm tangentially familiar with the intern program.

UAL Flight Ops internships have been around since just after the 1985 pilot strike, it's nothing new. The basic premise is UAL invites accomplished students from aviation universities to spend a semester working in a clerical job that's fundamentally a 3-month long job interview. There are some bonafide educational opportunities, but way more stapling and collating duties.

The idea, as I understand it, was to identify kids low on experience but high on academic achievement and potential (as viewed by the airline). I think the military does something very similar with their pilot selection program

I know it's hard to believe the airline would be so forward thinking, but over 20 years ago they were playing "what if" the pilot labor market tightens. The intern program won't meet labor shortage demands, obviously, but UAL may have decades worth of outcomes that could be applied to an ab initio program. I say may have because I really don't know if the program survived the merger intact.

The UAL Intern program has NEVER resulted a guaranteed job offer, only a guaranteed interview after successful completion of the internship, university graduation, and requisite (somewhat minimal) flight experience.

So back to this kid from Colorado who's excited, presumably high achieving, but totally clueless:

That's an unfortunate quote, but he'll be in flight ops somewhere in the system this spring. I'm sure he'll get straightened out My guess is he's just regurgitating the same marketing BS he's being fed from the university. I've heard similar over-promises coming from UND and other collegiate flight departments.

majkjohn

[QUOTE=Sharklasers;2487112]Hey guys,
I'm new to the forum, I work for the Canadian legacy but read your forums green with envy . Anyway someone posted a Fox article on our forum where some kid was saying he was selected into a united internship out of flight school and going straight to the major.
Is this a thing that happens?

[url=http://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/2017/12/20/airlines-battle-growing-pilot-shortage-that-could-reach-crisis-levels-in-few-years.html]Airlines battle growing pilot shortage that could reach crisis levels in a few years | Fox


FAKE NEWS!

kbronc

While the interview may have been the guaranteed case in the past that has not been so since the merger.

awax

Is there any preferential treatment in the pilot hiring process for interns, or has the program become a source of cheap flight ops labor?