USN Rotary to Airline Transition?

[Purdue]

Has anyone actually applied and been accepted into the program yet? Any feedback from the inside?

Yup. I applied, interviewed, and was accepted.

Application was pretty easy... and I was reached out to very personably by the Envoy recruiters. They walked me through the application process by e-mail since I was deployed, then as soon as I was back stateside they were easy to call and set up the in-person interview.

I was flown to Dallas for the interview and they put me up in a La Quinta for the night before. Super nice.

The interview was very straight-forward. I'd spent a long time refreshing on IFR stuff and studying Jeppesen charts. I'd researched online and discovered a site that lists most of their technical interview questions. I made flashcards. I was way over-prepared. Apparently they don't ask Rotary guys any of the technical, 121, or Jeppeson chart questions. They only required an HR interview with one of their captains. It was really great, and they offered me a position after the short 40 minute HR interview. I signed on the dotted line, got fingerprinted... and they dropped me at the airport for my free flight home.

Over-all an amazing professional outfit, and a great experience. I'll update this thread when I show to the hour-building flight-school out in San Diego, and letyou know how that all goes. I'm pretty excited.

Also... apparently there's a cash award "recruitment bonus" if I recruit any other pilots to the program... so, if you're thinking about it... PM me. ;-)

 

[ChuckM]

I'm currently one of the Multi instructors (one of four) at Coast. I've seen two guys complete the program within the last couple weeks. They are National Guard H-60 drivers out of Kentucky. Both had ZERO airplane time, leveraged their military competencies and added on all of their airplane ratings with the free hours and GI funds. In the process they depleted most of their GI bill benefits using them as vocational training dollars (~11.5K/year of eligibility). Otherwise it's a really damn good deal. A Navy/MC pilot with significantly more airplane training and equivalency ratings should have no problem getting through the program using no more than a years worth of benefits.

One thing I will offer is that San Diego has to be the WORST FSDO (read most stringent) when it comes to check rides. Make sure you have your civilian (FAR/AIM) knowledge wired. I would probably have failed my oral if I did it here instead of FL. That is not to say its all that hard, they just review the entire scope of commercial knowledge instead of most other FSDOs and DPEs who treat it as differences training. Don't be dissuaded by this, as the benefit of the HUNDREDS of free hours well outweighs the cost of a hard check ride. You as a prospective student are just owed full disclosure as you make the decision to join the program. Come prepared!

The waiting list is growing as word gets out. Get in early.

If you have any questions feel free to float them. I'll get you answers.

 

[rotorhead1871]

GREAT JOB!!!

get that ATP!! and get that 737 type rating.....then get the good paying job!! but....airport food still sucks!

 

[fc2spyguy]

GREAT JOB!!!

get that ATP!! and get that 737 type rating.....then get the good paying job!! but....airport food still sucks!

Everything I'm hearing is that a 737 type rating is a waste of money these days. Not required by SWA anymore . . .

 

[zippy]

Everything I'm hearing is that a 737 type rating is a waste of money these days. Not required by SWA anymore . . .

Not required, but currently still the largest points gainer on the application... I know several dudes with Helo background who got the interview right at having SWAs fixed wing mins because they had the type rating... as with all things, YMMV.

 

[rotorhead1871]

Not required, but currently still the largest points gainer on the application... I know several dudes with Helo background who got the interview right at having SWAs fixed wing mins because they had the type rating... as with all things, YMMV.

it would be a plus for sure!!

 

[DanMa1156]

it would be a plus for sure!!

Says the HR Manager at Southwest over here...

 

[Randy Daytona]

Not good for offshore oil helicopter jobs - on the other hand, Bill McKibben and Tom Steyer must be losing their minds.

The US Geological Survey said Tuesday that it found what could be the largest deposit of untapped oil ever discovered in America. An estimated average of 20 billion barrels of oil and 1.6 billion barrels of natural gas liquids are available for the taking in the Wolfcamp shale, which is in the Midland Basin portion of Texas' Permian Basin. Based on a West Texas Intermediate crude oil price of $45 per barrel, those deposits are worth about $900 billion.

http://www.businessinsider.com/usgs...els-in-texas-wolfcamp-shale-formation-2016-11

The find also gives credence to those who think the Permian Basin could hold up to 75 billion barrels of shale oil. That would be the second largest in the world, behind Saudi Arabia’s Ghawar field.

http://www.voanews.com/a/mht-largest-shale-oil-discovery-in-permian-basin/3598292.html

 

[SynixMan]

@Randy Daytona Or, keeps oil prices down for longer term, keeping airlines profitable and growing.

 

[HokiePilot]

Not good for offshore oil helicopter jobs - on the other hand, Bill McKibben and Tom Steyer must be losing their minds.

The US Geological Survey said Tuesday that it found what could be the largest deposit of untapped oil ever discovered in America. An estimated average of 20 billion barrels of oil and 1.6 billion barrels of natural gas liquids are available for the taking in the Wolfcamp shale, which is in the Midland Basin portion of Texas' Permian Basin. Based on a West Texas Intermediate crude oil price of $45 per barrel, those deposits are worth about $900 billion.

http://www.businessinsider.com/usgs...els-in-texas-wolfcamp-shale-formation-2016-11

The find also gives credence to those who think the Permian Basin could hold up to 75 billion barrels of shale oil. That would be the second largest in the world, behind Saudi Arabia’s Ghawar field.

http://www.voanews.com/a/mht-largest-shale-oil-discovery-in-permian-basin/3598292.html

What does this have to do with Rotary to Airline Transition?
Have you not figured out how to start a new thread?

 

[Randy Daytona]

What does this have to do with Rotary to Airline Transition?
Have you not figured out how to start a new thread?

What it means is that a large number of the traditional high paying offshore oil rotary jobs might not be as plentiful in the future - thus rotary wing pilots might want to add that into their calculations of whether to stay rotary or make the transition to the airlines since low oil prices are bad for helicopter jobs but good for the airline business.

 

[Randy Daytona]

Webmaster.. That sounds like work.. I pulled off 122 hours pay last month, flew 3 out and backs.. If you want max pay for least flying then boxes is where it's at! I have been a 757 Captain for a year and still only have about 250 hours in type!

Question: There was an article in Business Insider detailing how the 757 is a tweener. It also reminded me of something I heard about the 757 - that the wake turbulence is much greater than you would think for an aircraft of its size. Any idea why this is? Also, I heard that the 757 is nicknamed The Lady - any truth to that?

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/airline-pilot-reveals-why-plane-143700998.html

 

[mad dog]

...Also, I heard that the 757 is nicknamed The Lady - any truth to that?

I've heard it called "The Lady" [or something to that effect] at Delta. I currently fly with quite a few dudes that flew the 757 as FOs...so I asked them what the deal was and they all say the same thing..."Oh, she's a hot performer, has long legs [landing gear struts], has beeg bewbees [big motors] and a hot body [skinny fuselage].

 

[FrankTheTank]

Question: There was an article in Business Insider detailing how the 757 is a tweener. It also reminded me of something I heard about the 757 - that the wake turbulence is much greater than you would think for an aircraft of its size. Any idea why this is? Also, I heard that the 757 is nicknamed The Lady - any truth to that?

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/airline-pilot-reveals-why-plane-143700998.html

Don't know many of the answers you ask. But I will say the jet is very slick and flys like my Mustang GT drives. Tight on the controls and lots of power.. I actually like the airplane a lot.. But I am leaving it in May to head back to the Airbus.. I haven't really noticed much with the wake turbulence but I will say damn near everything landing and taking off in KMEM is a heavy of some sort... A 757 is not a little airplane and just under the weight to use a "heavy" Callsign...

Oh never heard the lady thing but we call it the 'ice box' - jumpseat area very cold.
767 'shit box' - lav is in the cockpit
777 'tool box' - lots of a-holes and our less friendly crew members

 

[HAL Pilot]

757s are the exception to the rule on the heavy call sign. They are supposed to use it because the do produce a lot of wake, more than usual for their size/weight.

I've been bounced around in a A330 taking off behind a 757.