Att Airline guys and pilots

[rsmith]

After serving 11 years in the USAF and 7 combat deployments to Afghanistan my son is as of 1/1/15 is now a civilian looking for an airline or corporate flying job. He has applications in with American,Delta,Southwest I know we have a few Airline guys on the forum. Any input or help would be appreciated. I can tell you he served heroically under difficult conditions.
Feel free to PM me.
Thanks
The following is his resume.


Robert Smith
Lincoln, CA



OBJECTIVE Air Force Pilot Seeking Civilian Pilot Position

QUALIFICATIONS Airline Transport Pilot License
E-8C Aircraft Commander
MC-12W Aircraft Commander
BS in Business Management

PILOT C EDENTIALS Hours: 3,269 Total
1,812 PIC
2,849 Multi-engine Turbine
1,603 PIC Turbine
805 Instrument
1072 Night
2069 Combat
160 Simulator
FAA: Unrestricted Airline Transport Pilot License
Class I Medical
FCC: Radiotelephone Operator Permit

EXPERIENCE E-8C Aircraft Commander
U.S. Air Force: Robins AFB | 2009-2012
Responsible for leading a crew of over 30 in providing near
real-time strategic intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance
(ISR) to the combatant commander. Additionally managed
squadron IT department and pilot scheduling.
MC-12W Aircraft Commander
U.S. Air Force: Beale AFB | 2013-Present
Leads a crew of four in providing real-time tactical ISR
and airstrike coordination to the ground forces commander.
Assistant director of Plans and Exercises, represents the MC-12
program across the Department of Defense, Homeland
Security, and other various agencies.

EDUCATION U.S. Air Force Academy
BS in Business Management | Colorado Springs, CO

SPECIALIZED Undergraduate Pilot Training, Laughlin AFB
TRAINING U.S. Air Force, 2009

AWARDS
12Th.Airborne Command and Control Squadron “Co-pilot of the Year”
11thOperations Group “Co-pilot of the Year”
7thExpeditionary Airborne Command and Control Squadron
“Company Grade Officer of the Month”
379thAir Expeditionary Wing “Team of the Month”
Air Combat Command’s nominee for the Air Force Association’s
“Crew of the Year”

 

[jim rosenthal]

One of my close friends flies for JetBlue. Likes it a lot. Her husband is a Navy helo pilot. She has flown for other airlines and likes this one the best after two years. I don't have any influence, but it would be worth applying there as they are expanding their fleet from what she says. I think they fly Airbuses, which she said took some getting used to.

 

[season]

Jet Blue also has a fleet of Embraer 190's that are utilized on some of the shorter legs. I fly them to Ft Lauderdale out of Raleigh non stop. Nice plane.

 

[rwappleton]

I know of two companies that are hiring now. Avenge and L-3. They both are contractors for the government doing the ISR mission overseas (I worked for Avenge). Rotations are 60-60,pay is excellent,living conditions are fair to good.

If he wants to go that way PM me and I can help.

Where is his HOR? I might can help on the corporate side also.

 

[TommyG]

This is a great time to be hired by a major airline. Delta, American, and United are hiring in unprecedented numbers. These airlines will be retiring half of their seniority lists in the next 10-15 years, so advancement should be rapid. The pay and benefits, which had taken quite a hit after 9/11, are starting to be restored.

Your son's resume looks pretty strong-- if he doesn't have applications in at the big three airlines, he should do so ASAP.

I've been flying for 27 years for one of the major airlines, and have enjoyed nearly every minute of it. Feel free to PM me with any more questions.

tom G.

 

[rsmith]

I know of two companies that are hiring now. Avenge and L-3. They both are contractors for the government doing the ISR mission overseas (I worked for Avenge). Rotations are 60-60,pay is excellent,living conditions are fair to good.

If he wants to go that way PM me and I can help.

Where is his HOR? I might can help on the corporate side also.

CACI has been after him but that would mean going back to Afghanistan as a contract pilot. After 7 deployments there he's not anxious to go back.

 

[Maynard Rupp]

I flew for a corporation for 35 years. I would not recommend that route today. We have 3 American and one UPS pilot living on our pier in Miami. They all agree that most of the major airlines are beating their pilots up pretty hard. The pay is also a lot less than it was a few years ago. They all agree that the best choice for a flying career at this time is Fed X or UPS. They have far better pay, better working conditions and benefits.

 

[krush]

I don't understand why anybody would want to be a pilot for a living today. The career just lost so much respect and your livelihood (because of seniority) is determined by a bunch of jackass executives. If the airline you fly for goes under, you start out at the bottom of another.

Sure, a few heavy international pilots hit the jackpot. But I see lots of gray hairs flying regional and short line narrow-body routes in the aiport....some even as FO!

 

[Maynard Rupp]

Krush speaks the truth. The guy with the boat behind ours is 55 and because of a merger he will never have enough seniority to make captain. He is an FO on a 737 for American. It is true that , right now, Fed X and UPS are great outfits and take good care of their pilots. The only negative is that they fly mostly at night.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

My cousin just got out of the AF and got a job with Delta. He used to fly the Raptor. Now he does guard duty in the F15. It all seems to work out. Hopefully your son will find the same type of thing.

 

[jim rosenthal]

RE: FedEx and UPS: boxes don't complain. They don't get up and go to the head. they don't carry knives (although I suppose people can put bombs in them) They don't mind waiting on the runway if traffic is bad. And they don't care if they are on time, although their owners might. If I were trying to get into that game, I'd fly boxes. Better than people. Oh, and no flight attendants to complain to you, either.

Boxes- best gig in flying, IMHO. My pilot friends tell me this, anyway.

 

[krush]

I'd rather fly boxes too.

When I first got my license in college, lots of people asked me if I wanted to become a pilot for a living. That idea never crossed my mind. In the eyes of the system, all the qualified pilots are equal. How can a hard worker that is willing to go the extra mile not become frustrated by such a system?

The new mandatory hour requirement to sit right seat (aka the kneejerk reaction from congress) just proves the point. The military puts junior officers in charge of the entire plane after proving he/she can handle it. Yet, now, these same officers are less qualified to sit right seat than somebody that buzzed around flight instructing in a single piston for 1500 hours.

If time in service and seniority meant everything as opposed to skill, brains, talent, and work ethic, then nobody under age 35 would ever be a millionaire.

 

[Fanfare]

BOXES!! What about all those cute young stewardesses........... The overnights.....

Oh, yeah.............

The seniority.

 

[krush]

I can't remember the last time I've had a "cute young" stewardess on a USA airline. Asian airlines....can't remember a non-cute young one lol.

 

[jim rosenthal]

Maybe my eyes aren't working very well anymore, but I haven't seen a cute woman flight attendant in a long time. And they are all in a bad mood anyway, which I would certainly be if I had their job, too. I just fly to get from one place to another. Air travel ceased to be fun a long time ago. Unless you like being a sardine.

 

[Artzco]

Maybe my eyes aren't working very well anymore, but I haven't seen a cute woman flight attendant in a long time. And they are all in a bad mood anyway, which I would certainly be if I had their job, too. I just fly to get from one place to another. Air travel ceased to be fun a long time ago. Unless you like being a sardine.

Amen on the flight attendants and sardine cans. Deregulation was good and bad.

 

[rsmith]

I don't understand why anybody would want to be a pilot for a living today. The career just lost so much respect and your livelihood (because of seniority) is determined by a bunch of jackass executives. If the airline you fly for goes under, you start out at the bottom of another.

Sure, a few heavy international pilots hit the jackpot. But I see lots of gray hairs flying regional and short line narrow-body routes in the aiport....some even as FO!

There have been some game changers like the new ATP standards that have made it more difficult for the flight school guys and even some of the FO's then there was the 60-65 age change kept a lot of would be retirees in the left seat. But like you say most of the cockpit crew are grey hairs that are a few years or one medical away from getting the boot. I know several AA 777 pilots that tell me they haven't been hiring since 911 and there is a huge void of experienced pilots coming up the line. Hopefully that will hold true.
He never wanted an airline job. His goal was to stay in and become a Genral officer. But the moral and conditions are so bad in the military he's just had it.

 

[jim rosenthal]

Yes, I have a friend that's planning his exit from the Navy for the same reason. An Annapolis grad and a pilot. Just wants to make Captain and three years in that rank and then out. He's fed up.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

You guys who think flying boxes is the way to go should PM Airpilot. He just retired from that and I think his stories of flying boxes may make you rethink it. Most of these guys end up overseas in places that are not so friendly.

At least when you fly passengers, you're more likely to end up on domestic flights.

 

[Maynard Rupp]

Sky is correct with the exception of FedX and UPS. They are very organized and have their own facilities at all the airports they serve. He should take a hard look at making a career of the military. It ain't so grand on the outside in the aviation business.