Would this internship hurt getting hired as pilot?

Cherokee_Cruiser

Cherokee_Cruiser

Bronteroc
I'm looking at the NTSB Air Safety Investigator internship. Question is, would doing this internship hurt my chances of getting hired with an airline as a pilot?
Only ask because I got the vibe from another forum that airlines "frown upon" the NTSB investigators.

Thanks!
 
Re: Would this internship hurt getting hired as pi

common sense would say that it would not hurt you, but common sense does not always apply in the stupid politics of the airline industry. I would think that an internship like this might help you, as many airlines send representatives to help the NTSB when something is being investigated. For example say a 747 goes down, the airline will almost always send a few 747 pilots from that airline to help answer any questions about the day to day ops of that airline in that specific plane. As well as if you knew anyone who was involved they may ask you a few questions, etc.
 
Re: Would this internship hurt getting hired as pi

The NTSB is well-liked among most of the aviation community, so I wouldn't worry about it. The real investigators are usually high-time pilot with advanced degrees. I heard that internship is fun. Mostly office work, though. Unless you have a PhD, you won't be on their "GO" team, which utilizes a GV to get on-site.

J.

PS - If there aviation indsutry ever frowns upon the betterment of safe flight through the NTSB, I would not want to work anywhere near the field.
 
Re: Would this internship hurt getting hired as pi

Thanks for your responses!


I dunno... I just don't want a recruiter who'll think that I'd be the kinda guy who'd refuse to fly if the coffee maching is broke...
 
Re: Would this internship hurt getting hired as pi

DUDE, you'd be surprised how many pilots wouldn't fly if the coffee maker wasn't working:)

But seriously, the NTSB is not as anal-retentive about the regs as some ill-trained FAA employees (note that I said "some" - I hate making broad statements, as I have worked for the DOT and, believe it or not, there are some really good people). They're really not about the regs as much as safety aspects. I view the NTSB as the Inspector General's Office of the skies. They investigate, show cause, and later make recommendations (sometimes good, sometimes not so good).

Lastly, I think the NTSB is changing and becoming more progressive. My father, a sleep researcher, battled with them for years, as they wouldn't acknowledge the fact that pilot fatigue played a major factor in accidents. Now, they have a unit specifically for fatigue awareness.
 
Any company that is afraid of an employee with intern experience at the NTSB is probably somewhere you wouldn't want to work anyway! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Seriously.

But to answer the question, I do not feel that it would hurt.
 
Re: Would this internship hurt getting hired as pi

Highspeed - good point, but that's why I added this in my second post:

"They investigate, show cause, and later make recommendations (sometimes good, sometimes not so good)."

If you think about it, though, the NTSB is just trying to do their job. Just like our adversarial judicial system. I think the back and forth works in this case.

J.
 
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