I began contacting numerous regional airlines by phone; I introduced myself and asked how a civilian-trained pilot could participate in their RTPs. At that time, no one was receptive to the idea as they remained focused on recruiting military-trained pilots exclusively. I kept asking them, why not hire someone like me? The time requirements (250 hours PIC) for a pilot with my experience makes me eligible for an ATP just like my military counterparts. In fact, with my total time I’d be eligible for an unrestricted ATP. After my thousands of hours in both single-pilot and crew environments, what were they looking for? After hearing so many say “no,” I finally received a “yes.”
One airline was allowing civilian-trained helicopter pilots to participate in RTP on a case-by-case basis and over the next few months, several regionals opened up their RTPs to civilian-trained pilots. For the most part, the civilian-trained option is not well advertised on most airline recruitment websites, as many still advertise towards military-trained pilots. Do not let this deter you. Contact them, speak to a recruiter and let them know what kind of experience you have. You will be surprised how many will be interested in you.
I looked at every regional airline during my research. SkyWest became the top contender, in part because many of its domiciles are in the West and I live on the West Coast. I spoke to a recruiter who said they did not have an RTP at that time, but they were organizing one. This is also when I learned about the Pilot Pathway (Cadet) Program, where I ended up receiving an advanced introduction to company benefits, background, and culture. I also received a seniority number and was provided a mentor, who is a line pilot in the company who checks on your progress during training and helps you prepare for your actual interview. It was a no-commitment way of getting to know the company better. Many regionals offer some sort of similar program, however some directly affiliate only with colleges and universities.
80
Mar/Apr 2019
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90
