What airline?

Eagle

New Member
As some of you know I have no aspirations to fly part 121 airline, I am quite happy with where I am (the Bizjet side to the flying world). but am interested when people sign on and say Hi my name is Bill and I want to fly for American (or what ever)

What I don't understand is when you are so junior in your flying (stnt pilot, cfi) what makes you say I want to fly for a particular airline. I mean lets get real a job is a job, most of the contracts are neck and neck with each other, and with few exceptions it isn't as if you are going to be picking the equipment you fly, or that most of the airlines have like acft ( the MD-80 vs the Super-88)

what airline/job and Why.
 
I have wondered that myself? I would be happy to have a job working in the airline business. I could care less if it was UA, Delta,NWA, etc...I am actually looking at going the corporate/bizjet route myself. I am 34 and jsut about done with my IFR training. I may be to old, (can't believe I am saying that) to climb the ladder at a major. Who knows I could end being a 50 yr old FO. That would not be so bad.
 
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What I don't understand is when you are so junior in your flying (stnt pilot, cfi) what makes you say I want to fly for a particular airline.

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Great topic, Eag! I'll add my $0.02.

I did and still do say that I'd like to work for <insert airline here>. I guess, for me, it's a way of setting an ultimate goal. A target to aim for.

Admittedly, the target has changed since I started into this, but I do still have my sights on one in particular.

However....
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I mean lets get real a job is a job,

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..is ALWAYS in the back of my mind. Knowing the airline industry (or better said - getting to know the airline industry) over the past few years, I know that I will be happy when I get the call from just about any company that I send my resume to.... and there will be many.

But, for me, in the long run - choosing the airline I want to fly for one day was the result of research and finding what I percieve to be the kind of working environment that best suits me.

That being said, if I get a call from ANY major airline one day to come interview - you can bet your happy ass I'll be jumping for joy to do so.
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Just my take on the stich.

R2F
 
Personally, from the time I was about 1 (yup, I remember that far back) I wanted to fly for Pan Am. The first toy I ever remember playing with when I was little was a Pan Am 747. That's obviously no longer in the cards. I also remember having lot's of United toys during my early years, no idea why, just happenstance I guess. And, throughout my teens and maybe twenties I always thought; "Yeah, wanna fly for United if I ever get that far."

Now? Well, in the midst of a life/career change, I tend to agree with you, Eagle. A job is a job, and if I ever get one flying anything, I'll be mighty happy!
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I am actually looking at going the corporate/bizjet route myself.

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The money is better for you in the 135 route,

I got my Pvt when I was 32 (I think) now 7 years later I am flying Bizjet as a FO, (well my company just folded, but it is matter of a cpl of weeks and I will be with another company) But if you do the math, a quality company the starting pay for a FO is nearly twice the starting $ for a 121 regional carrier. Add in the longevity (fly past 60yoa) and you can see the bottom line pay is more. I suppose there is a cut off and I would guess it is in the early 30s to pick 121 vs 135 as an end goal.

For me it is all about the schedule and the money, and nothing about the company or the equipment.
 
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But aren't he minimums much, much higher at the bizjet level?

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the minimum is who you know.


I know one guy with about 500TT hired in the CE-500, and the same for some guys flying checks for smaller companies you meet a Butload of people, I got hired with about 1000hrs and 27 multi.
 
Depends, R2F. I got my King Air job with about 1100TT. The corporate side is a lot more about "who you know" ... the importance of networking is greatest if you want to fly corporate. Many jobs are not advertised publicly at all but filled with people who are already known to those doing the hiring. I interviewed for a Beechjet job last summer, and the only reason I got the interview was because I had taken the time to befriend the Director of Aviation at the company in question. Unfortunately, I didn't get hired, but I still keep in touch with the guy and have a great shot to get interviewed for their next opening.

FL270
 
Well for me, when I was very young I had planned on the military route. I always wanted to fly for the airlines, but that was after flying for the military... I really figured it was the way in. But as I got older, and after working the ramp at MDW, I knew what I wanted to do. I think for me the choices for airlines came from what kind of life I wanted. I looked at different airlines and the cultures of each, and kinda have made decisions about "targets" to set my sights on because of that. I desperately wanted to get on with Chicago Express since it was a small company, based at the airport I grew up at, in the city I love. I was very fortunate to get here. Now, I hope in the future to move on to ATA, Delta, Continental, or Southwest, since those airlines have a culture which I would enjoy. I've considered the bizjet world, but after flying 121 I know this is the place for me.
 
nice equipment with the hope of a decent schedule someday is my dream. Oh . . . . . . a pay check is in there somewhere too.
 
Looks like you boys missed the boat. I fly song and Jet Blue regularly and they have some groovy stewardesses. I'll be applying there first. On the other hand, Southwest has a lot of stewards. Not good. Low on the list. After all, the pay sucks so you might as well enjoy the perks!
 
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Looks like you boys missed the boat. I fly song and Jet Blue regularly and they have some groovy stewardesses. I'll be applying there first. On the other hand, Southwest has a lot of stewards. Not good. Low on the list. After all, the pay sucks so you might as well enjoy the perks!


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Sorry, but that has to be one of the most assenign responses and reasons I've ever seen posted here.

Good luck with that, though.
 
For me, it was based on type equipment. Before I had an hour in an actual 727, I had already passed 2, 727 ckeckrides and 1 loft. Nobody would have hired me to go into the DC-10 or the 747. Now, I could go to any airline, as an engineer, but not all of them allow upgrades. I love being an Engineer, yet I'm counting the senority numbers until my upgrade to FO.
 
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Looks like you boys missed the boat. I fly song and Jet Blue regularly and they have some groovy stewardesses. I'll be applying there first. On the other hand, Southwest has a lot of stewards. Not good. Low on the list. After all, the pay sucks so you might as well enjoy the perks!

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We just may read about you in a...ummm...harrasment lawsuit...hehehe
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Yeah, I don't really have any interest in flying for the airlines. Even if I did, the thought of trying to "choose" a particular one over any other wouldn't cross my mind. I'm just happy getting a paycheck.

Right now I'm getting a taste of what corporate flying is like (even though its in a lowly Bonanza), and I really enjoy that, but I think my next step is going to be to 135 freight. My ultimate goal isn't to fly for a certain airline, or fly a certain airplane- it is to keep getting paid to fly around. Of course I have my "dreams" about what to fly or who to fly for, but those are just that- dreams. There are no guarantees.
 
Gosh... I just want to fly in Europe. These darn beaurocratic laws just get in the way, so it may take a while. Scooping over the alps is a dream job.

I'm 21 and already have my retirement house picked out in southern Germany. It HAD BETTER still be there in 40 years.
 
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Looks like you boys missed the boat. I fly song and Jet Blue regularly and they have some groovy stewardesses. I'll be applying there first. On the other hand, Southwest has a lot of stewards. Not good. Low on the list. After all, the pay sucks so you might as well enjoy the perks!

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If you want to suceed in this industry, it would be best if you did not use the terms 'stewardess' or 'steward'. They are, well, rather antiquated.
 
I am also looking at the corporate end of things. I definitely agree with Eagle in that it's all who you know. I got the opportunity of a lifetime earlier this year when a friend of mine offered me a right seat biz jet job with only 800 hours, 20 multi. Unfortunately just before I was supposed to go to Flight Safety the insurance company said there was no way they were going to let it happen and it fell through.
The only reason I even had the shot was because I knew the right person.
 
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