Advice Needed

[MikeNovemberMike]

I’m at a 135 making decent money and working a good schedule. Only downside is that the pay will not go much higher and my growing family will need more money to keep up.

I’ve got the ATP written done. I’ve got a class date for a regional, but I suspect I can skip the regionals with my experience (+2500, +500 turbine PIC) and try for American, Spirit, or Southwest. I’d like to stay at my next shop until 65.

Any recommendations are appreciated.

 

[dmcaso]

Plenty of guys with your hours getting hired all over the majors, but you’ll need an ATP first. Can you take a quick ATP check ride at a local school? Do you have a recurrent coming up to combine it?

You’re gonna kick yourself if you settle for the regionals without at least trying to go higher.

 

[CoffeeIcePapers]

If you don't have an ATP, you aren't competitive at a ULCC or a Legacy. Go to a regional, get the ATP, and move on.

 

[ClearedForOption]

Go to the regional, get the ATP, then go right to a ULCC or a legacy. (Or go to a Major.) Don't pass GO, collect more than $200, in fact make a bunch of scratch for the rest of your career. Enjoy the anonymity. The majors/legacies are hiring people straight out of IOE almost at the regionals. Get your number ASAP and get somewhere as soon as you can in case the music stops. (ie. SAVE/AzulNorte/SWA/TheDifferentAnimal) The downside: a couple of training events. That's gonna be a drag for sure.

 

[MikeNovemberMike]

Thanks for your input. I have recurrent coming up, I’ll take the ride then. I thought perhaps the majors were taking pilots with the written done and doing the atp ride when they got typed.

 

[CFI A&P]

Go ahead and get the ATP, then apply. I would guess that not having the ATP or previous 121 time might handicap the possibility of a moving to a LCC or major. You'd have to see which airlines are accepting non-ATP applicants then focus your efforts and thus narrow your options.

Here's some motivation for you, a friend of mine is about a year in at their legacy (but applied to more than one airline) and another legacy cold called them about their application and wanted to see if they're still interested. It wasn't just them either, some of their friends have received the same call. Yes, that's right - one of the legacies is cold calling candidates in an effort to fill classes.

 

[Bob Ridpath]

Without skin in the game but a lot of life's experience, might I encourage you to take the next step and get your ATP? Progression never relies on being stagnant. If you want more, although it might be down the road a bit, take the steps to be ready.

 

[Box hauler]

I’m at a 135 making decent money and working a good schedule. Only downside is that the pay will not go much higher and my growing family will need more money to keep up.

I’ve got the ATP written done. I’ve got a class date for a regional, but I suspect I can skip the regionals with my experience (+2500, +500 turbine PIC) and try for American, Spirit, or Southwest. I’d like to stay at my next shop until 65.

Any recommendations are appreciated.

If you have the written done you might have luck with Spirit. I’ve heard there are recent hires who only had the written but can’t confirm.

 

[GypsyPilot]

Go ahead and get the ATP, then apply. I would guess that not having the ATP or previous 121 time might handicap the possibility of a moving to a LCC or major. You'd have to see which airlines are accepting non-ATP applicants then focus your efforts and thus narrow your options.

Here's some motivation for you, a friend of mine is about a year in at their legacy (but applied to more than one airline) and another legacy cold called them about their application and wanted to see if they're still interested. It wasn't just them either, some of their friends have received the same call. Yes, that's right - one of the legacies is cold calling candidates in an effort to fill classes.

I find that hard to believe unless I’m just not understanding you.

You’re saying that a legacy carrier is cold calling people and asking them if they can attend an upcoming class? With no previous interview?

 

[web265]

I'm a little confused here (admittedly, not difficult to achieve this state) but how is it a "Cold Call" if he/she has an application in?

and another legacy cold called them about their application and wanted to see if they're still interested.

I would consider a cold call a completely unexpected, uninitiated contact about a job.

 

[CFI A&P]

I find that hard to believe unless I’m just not understanding you.

You’re saying that a legacy carrier is cold calling people and asking them if they can attend an upcoming class? With no previous interview?

Partially correct. Applicants are getting calls from recruiters with “We’ve noticed you haven’t updated or finished your application, are you still interested in a career with us ?”

 

[web265]

Partially correct. Applicants are getting calls from recruiters with “We’ve noticed you haven’t updated or finished your application, are you still interested in a career with us ?”

Thanks, that one answers my question as well.

 

[CFI A&P]

Looking back, I can see how my post led to the confusion. Recruiters are always trying to fill classes, but they aren’t just throwing people into class by skipping the proper steps. The point I was trying to make is that just a few years ago the airlines were not concerned if you didn’t update or finish your application.

A wild time to be alive.

 

[Skåning]

Yes, that's right - one of the legacies is cold calling candidates in an effort to fill classes.

Which one?

 

[CoffeeIcePapers]

I find that hard to believe unless I’m just not understanding you.

You’re saying that a legacy carrier is cold calling people and asking them if they can attend an upcoming class? With no previous interview?

AA cold called me and I’m in class now. I last updated my app in 2019. They thought I still worked at endeavor. Apparently, they’ve been cold calling lots of Endeavor pilots.

 

[MikeNovemberMike]

If you have the written done you might have luck with Spirit. I’ve heard there are recent hires who only had the written but can’t confirm.

Believe it or not, they called me the same day I applied. What a time to be alive!