Rumor Mill: SkyWest mins lowered

aloft

aloft

New Member
An RJ FO friend of mine at SkyWest told me tonight that the company is having a difficult time hiring pilots, they'll invite 10 to interview and four or five will show up. He also heard that they've lowered their TT mins to 750 hrs, I asked about ME time but he didn't know. The website doesn't reflect this, so take it for what it's worth.
 
Can any of the other Skywest guys confirm this? This is pretty big news as Skywest was always known for NEVER lowering mins.
 
I know guys who do the ATP jet program can apply with 800 TT even though its not advertised. Atleast thats what a few of thair CFIs told me recently.
 
Hmm, the rumor I heard was that they would soon be lowering to 800/150 so I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
 
John Herreshoff said:
Can any of the other Skywest guys confirm this? This is pretty big news as Skywest was always known for NEVER lowering mins.
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On one part of thier website they list the mins at 1000, but under the open position of pilot they list this:

Requisition Number 0000001337
Post Date 6/16/2006

Title First Officer Pilot
City OPEN

Minimum Hiring Range Will Discuss at Interview

Department Flight Operations
Description All qualified applicants interested in applying for the pilot position are invited to attend one of the following open houses:
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That could lead one to think it may be lower.:confused:

Hey. Lloyd, they have an open house coming in Memphis...... ;)
 
aloft said:
An RJ FO friend of mine at SkyWest told me tonight that the company is having a difficult time hiring pilots, they'll invite 10 to interview and four or five will show up. He also heard that they've lowered their TT mins to 750 hrs.
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Dear SkyWest HR Department,
Here is a cutting edge new idea. Raise the pay and people will show up.
 
NJA_Capt said:
Dear SkyWest HR Department,
Here is a cutting edge new idea. Raise the pay and people will show up.
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Ding Ding Ding ...

I figure it's going to take these regionals at least another year or two to realize they've done this to themselves, and then it's going to take about three years to start seeing a rise in available pilots (i.e. applying) ...
 
I rode home on ASA last night and apparently they're having a hoard of FO's quitting to go elsewhere or just leaving the profession entirely. The captain was quitting after they close the SLC base and the FO was going into a non-aviation field.
 
Doug Taylor said:
I rode home on ASA last night and apparently they're having a hoard of FO's quitting to go elsewhere or just leaving the profession entirely. The captain was quitting after they close the SLC base and the FO was going into a non-aviation field.
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This combined with the utter lack of new pilots training for the professional level (sure there are a few but it's at an all time low) and the "coming retirements" (and it's not just airlines facing this problem, every major field is having trouble with the 'baby boomers") all leads to a bonafide pilot shortage ... and it's here.

It's just manifesting itself at the "entry level" but it'll work its way through the system in a few years.

When "respectable" regionals like SKW can't even fill interview ... something's up.
 
I think it' s a lot to do with the cost. The cost of training a brand newbie today is a lot different than it was for some of us old farts. Plus the career expectations are a lot different.

I think a lot has to do with the "portfolio" concept and the amount of newbies willing to sell their soul to burn Jet A. Couple that with the amount of old farts at the majors that are deathly afraid of putting up a fight and voila, here we have the pilot profession in the new millennia!

"Let's just get the jets on property, woo! This beats flight instructing!"

"If we don't take cuts, they'll get my pension! Daggummit they done got it anyway"

Then the group is slowly gets the rates to a more respectable level and then the flying is subcontracted out to a lower cost capacity source.

On the major passenger level, it's going to be "But we're just recovering! You're going to kill the bronze-plated goose!"

Rinse...

Repeat.
 
Doug Taylor said:
I think it' s a lot to do with the cost. The cost of training a brand newbie today is a lot different than it was for some of us old farts. Plus the career expectations are a lot different.

I think a lot has to do with the "portfolio" concept and the amount of newbies willing to sell their soul to burn Jet A. Couple that with the amount of old farts at the majors that are deathly afraid of putting up a fight and voila, here we have the pilot profession in the new millennia!

"Let's just get the jets on property, woo! This beats flight instructing!"

"If we don't take cuts, they'll get my pension! Daggummit they done got it anyway"

Then the group is slowly gets the rates to a more respectable level and then the flying is subcontracted out to a lower cost capacity source.

On the major passenger level, it's going to be "But we're just recovering! You're going to kill the bronze-plated goose!"

Rinse...

Repeat.
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It's a mess, anyway you figure it, and it's gonna take a few more years to sort out ...
 
pilot602 said:
This combined with the utter lack of new pilots training for the professional level (sure there are a few but it's at an all time low) and the "coming retirements" (and it's not just airlines facing this problem, every major field is having trouble with the 'baby boomers") all leads to a bonafide pilot shortage ... and it's here.

It's just manifesting itself at the "entry level" but it'll work its way through the system in a few years.

When "respectable" regionals like SKW can't even fill interview ... something's up.
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There is no pilot shortage. If there was Mesa couldnt fill there classes. And nobody would be working for 19k a year period.
 
aloft said:
An RJ FO friend of mine at SkyWest told me tonight that the company is having a difficult time hiring pilots, they'll invite 10 to interview and four or five will show up.
I heard that same story last year. Well if they are having such a hard time filling classes they can call me. My paper and online app have been in for a year now with 1800tt/600multi.
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Hootie9750 said:
There is no pilot shortage. If there was Mesa couldnt fill there classes. And nobody would be working for 19k a year period.
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Take a look around; Mesa CAN'T fill classes (or interviews) - MESA is hiring street captains for crying out loud because their FOs don't stick around to upgrade; SKW can't fill interviews or classes (SKW now pays for training, too - think that's out of the goodness of their hearts?); XJT can't find folks with over 1,000hrs; people are bailing from the industry outright (see Doug's post) and very few are going into training for a professional level.

It's the '60s allover again.

People say there's never been "shortages" but there have been. Just because airlines have never stopped flying due to lack of pilots doesn't mean airlines haven't scrambled to fill seats.
 
Hootie9750 said:
aloft said:
An RJ FO friend of mine at SkyWest told me tonight that the company is having a difficult time hiring pilots, they'll invite 10 to interview and four or five will show up.
Click to expand...

I heard that same story last year. Well if they are having such a hard time filling classes they can call me. My paper and online app have been in for a year now with 1800tt/600multi.
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Have you updated it lately? They may be having a hard time finding folks but you still have to be a little proative.
 
If i had 1800/600 i'd be bringing coffee every morning to the CP at skywest's gate. I'd keep it up until i ran out of money, or got tired of hiim trying to run me over.
 
aloft said:
An RJ FO friend of mine at SkyWest told me tonight that the company is having a difficult time hiring pilots, they'll invite 10 to interview and four or five will show up. He also heard that they've lowered their TT mins to 750 hrs, I asked about ME time but he didn't know. The website doesn't reflect this, so take it for what it's worth.
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I suppose that anything is possible, but I know of at least one of the people who was at the group interview that I attended who had less than 1000 hrs TT, but had prior 121 experience (and was getting furloughed). They told him, thanks but try back when you meet the minimums... And that was just a few weeks back.
 
Hootie9750 said:
I update every three months
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I was doing the same thing. Updating, updating, updating. For a year I was updating.

Personally, I don't think that the online thing does much. If you really want to work there, (and unless you know somebody who works there who will walk your resume in) I'd go to one of the group interviews that they are holding.

Tuesday 07/25/06 Memphis, TN, Memphis Marriott East 2625 Thousand Oaks Blvd Memphis, TN
9:00 AM - 2:00 PM (Presentation will begin at 9:30 AM)

http://www.skywest.com/careers/events.php
 
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