How did people used to find flying jobs?

gomntwins

gomntwins

Well-Known Member
I'm not sure why I started thinking about this, but I'm curious, 20 or 30 years ago, how did people find flying jobs? In today's world of the internet it's easy to see who's hiring and who's not, but prior to the internet how did one go about learning if the major's were hiring? Or better yet... how did one learn if a 135 job 2000 miles away was hiring or even existed? Were there publications devoted solely to aviation jobs? I know there is (or used to be) an aviation jobs publications printed, was that how people learned of job openings? Or was it mostly word of mouth? Or did the majors advertise for pilot's in major newspapers nationwide?
 
I know word of mouth works well. I've gotten a couple jobs by word of mouth. But, I also know a lot of people that have gotten jobs off of climbto350 or other websites. My question: how did the companies advertising on the major websites advertise prior to the internet? Hell, how did any national or international company advertise prior to the internet? I feel like I'm making myself sound really young, but I am curious.

And, even with the word of mouth deal, most of the word of mouth info I get is now via internet forums not truly word of mouth.
 
jspeed87 said:
yeah word of mouth networking at the airport. Maybe even in the newspapers... lol
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Don't laugh bub. I found my first flying gig through a newspaper classified, and minor networking. This was before internet was popular, or cellphones were anything common. In fact, back then, pagers were the thing!
 
MikeD said:
Don't laugh bub. I found my first flying gig through a newspaper classified, and minor networking. This was before internet was popular, or cellphones were anything common. In fact, back then, pagers were the thing!
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Did you walk up hills both ways to work too? W/O any shoes?
 
If anything, I would guess that it was easier to get the job back then, since you didn't have internet postings. You probably wouldn't have 5,000 pilots appyling for 1 job.
 
MikeD said:
Don't laugh bub. I found my first flying gig through a newspaper classified, and minor networking. This was before internet was popular, or cellphones were anything common. In fact, back then, pagers were the thing!
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Beepers! :rotfl: I remember how cool they were back in the day.
 
Taking it back more like 40 to 50 years ago, there was a lot more "luck" to it. Timing was everything. A lot of guys got hired because they walked in the door the day the operator decided they needed to hire a pilot. Remember, back then the requirements to be in the right seat were the ability to throw the gear and keep quiet unless spoken to.
 
Guy said:
Taking it back more like 40 to 50 years ago, there was a lot more "luck" to it. Timing was everything. A lot of guys got hired because they walked in the door the day the operator decided they needed to hire a pilot. Remember, back then the requirements to be in the right seat were the ability to throw the gear and keep quiet unless spoken to.
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Adding to that, I got this job because one of the former pilots happened to walk into the airport that i was instructing at and said they were looking for pilots. I got the job because they needed someone from the area and took a chance on a 600hr noob.

We just hired a guy with 500 hours whos grand dad rebuilds our engines. Dont discount word of mouth.
 
I think Trade-a-plane had lots of stuff too. They don't atm, but part of that is the economy.

But yeah, word of mouth was the key. My Dad got his first flying job like that. He was at the Oshkosh airshow and my Grandpa and this guy were chatting about some airplane, well they found out he was the cheif pilot for TWE... he got that job. According to my Dad, he said is interview was really just a formality.

Things have changed a little now, but word of mouth is still #1. I do think the interviews for regional level jobs are harder, with more tech questions and sim rides (before the real sim). Back then it was, Can this guy drink??? Yes... he is hired. But they required more time too, I think my Dad had 2500TT w/ the ATP when he got hired to fly a Metro.
 
My first real job in aviation was Grand Canyon tours. It was totally word of mouth and networking. My first 135 multi job was Corporate Air out of Billings. The ad was in trade-a-plane. This would have been 1987.
 
Of course the sure fire method has always been to marry the Chief Pilot's daughter.
 
Back in the 80s Kit Darby was there with FAPA........ 1-800-jet-jobs and lifetime subscriptions that turned out not to be lifetime. A magazine, monthly news letter, 3 ring binder, sectioned tabs, the infamous Salary Survey, etc. Most of that info is easily obtained free now on the web.

Remember before deregulation (1978) Airlines did not spring up and go bust over and over so there wasn't the mad scramble of going from one job to another, then another, then finally have your airline go bust or merge. You had military time, an excellent connection, or good luck and got hired by 30 or it wasn't going to happen. While the absolute number of flying jobs has increased, the number of career positions remains dubious at best while the number of pilots chasing them has grown substanitally creating a very unsure future with a few 'haves' and many more 'have nots'. The only constants since I started this whole thing in 1976 are: (1) change and (2) pilot shortage is near, right around the corner. There has been a whole lot of change. Still waiting for the catastrophic pilot shortage to hit, 34 years, still waiting........
 
Pound the pavement, Iv'e been on both sides of the fence and even in today's world I think the job Websites give you an idea of the overall Job Market , but it's still who you know and who you talk too.
 
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