When I changed my blog title from "Chasing a Dream" to "Living a Dream," many of you might have thought that this was the end of the road. It is an important, but far from the last step along my journey to the rest of my career. Someday, I'd like to work for a Delta or American Airlines flying passengers to exotic international locations. Unfortunately, you have to start as the low man on the outsourced totem pole first. So, this is my career progression report card.
What does it take to become a "Major Airline" pilot? Well, I'm glad you asked. I wish it were as simple as, "be awesome" as my friend Rich Young would say. There is certain minimum criteria and competitive criteria:
Minimum Criteria Competitive Criteria
Total Time: 1500 Hours Total Time: 4000 Hours
Jet Time: 1000 FO Hours Jet Time: 1000 Captain Hours
College: Bachelor's Degree College: Master's Degree
Other: ATP License Other: Community Service
Instructor/Evaluator
Military Flight Time Bonus
Other Leadership Experience
Internal Recommendations
As you can see above, there is what they say they are looking for and what they are actually looking for. Many might wonder why, with the looming pilot shortage, such a difference exists between competitive criteria and minimum criteria. The minimum criteria is just that. Insurance requirements for each carrier dictates what the absolute minimum time you must have to fly their airplanes. Because major airlines' airplanes are larger and more complex, the insurance companies require more experience to fly for them. The competitive criteria, though, is higher because of the decade long stagnation created following September 11, 2001. The major carriers like United, Delta, and American did not hire for over a decade while many pilots remained on furlough status. Until every single pilot who was on furlough was given the chance to return to active status, the airlines were not permitted to hire. The last of the pilots were given class dates at the end of last year, opening the flood gates for the largest hiring boom since the end of the Vietnam War. Consequently, since many people were not hired for more than a decade, combined with rampant expansion of regional carriers, there remains a large amount of highly experienced pilots to compete with.
So, where does that leave me? In the middle of July, I hit my first milestone of 500 Jet hours. This is almost half way to hiring minimums and I figure it will take me about 6-7 more months of steady flying to get the minimum required 1000 hours. Unfortunately, at my company, it takes a minimum of 3000 total hours to upgrade to Captain. As of this post, I have 2130 total hours. Below is how I compare to the minimum times.
Minimum Criteria Competitive Criteria Me Next Milestone ETA
Total Time: 1500 Hours 4000 Hours 2130 3000: August 2015
Jet Time: 1000 FO Hours 1000 Captain Hours 500 FO 1000 FO: Feb 2015
College: Bachelor's Degree Master's Degree Master's
Other: ATP License Community Service Some
Instructor/Evaluator No Earliest: 2016-2017
Military Flight Time Bonus N/A
Other Leadership Experience Former Military/USAFA Grad
Internal Recommendations Contacts at Delta/United
There you have it folks. As you can see, I am only 6 months short of being eligible to get hired. Unfortunately, as you can see, if I am to be competitive purely on qualitative factors, I have quite a ways to go. It is my hope that my connections at various airlines combined with a possible large bump being an Air Force Academy graduate/former military officer will push me to the top of the pile when compared to those without. We will all know this spring how much weight being a military academy graduate with connections holds with the hiring boards.
My Logbook with all the things I track near the bottom of the screen
My Logbook with all the things I track near the bottom of the screen
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