The wife unit says we're not moving anywhere...and I'm not commutable [at this time].
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USN Rotary to Airline Transition?
- Thread starter Purdue
- Start date
As someone newly switching up to the Airlines... who plans to commute, and recognizes it sucks... why are you "not commutable [at this time]?"
I don't want to commute...that's all. Luckily, our base [CVG] will stay open for another 3 years...if [when] it closes at that time, I'll be commutable.
Piedmonts MTP program is alive and well with its first group of Completors set to finish up flying next month complete ATP-CTP in August and be in the company indoc in their September class.
In addition to rotary wing pilots looking to transition to the airlines, Piedmont is also taking low hours fixed wing military pilots into the program- so there's an avenue for Hornet/Harrier guys who got Skosh hours in the fleet and getting crushed by the OBOGS downing of the T-45 etc. In fact one of Piedmonts first MTP applicants was a Hornet pilot who was lacking R-ATP mins.
I recently talked to a buddy who is a First Officer Pilot recruiter at Piedmont about folks interested in making the transition. His recommendation was to submit an Employee referral so the applicant would identified in a system outside of airline apps (which had withheld 75 application packages from the company between Feb and Jun... needless to say he's not 100% trusting of them anymore...) and be put in contact with an MTP program recruiter to come up with a package tailored to an applicants background.
When it comes to referrals, An AA wholly Owned Regional employee may refer a pilot applicant to their respective company and a Mainline AA employee can refer a pilot applicant to all three of the Wholly Owned Regionals.
There are now several AWers employed within the American Airlines Group (Mainline AA and the 3 WO regionals), so there is no reason that anyone interested in these companies can't make their applicant process easier by talking to someone in the system, and getting referred if they decide to pursue it.
My application process was made much easier by a buddy from flight school who is a mainline AA employee write a referral for me and follow up with an email to someone he knew in the hiring food chain so I would be more than willing to educate interested folks about Piedmont and refer them if they wish to apply.
I'll let others who are interested in offering education and/ or referrals for their respective companies speak up but I think starting next month there should be at least one AW at each of the Wholly Owned regionals and Mainline AA so their should be plenty of folks to answer questions and offer help for those interested in making the transition.
I will be all in on this in about 3 years. That is the plan. Just inside of four years before I can retire. Going to try and get orders to Corpus Christi to be a VT Instructor on the back side of my current assignment in order to slay some FW hours for my final two years. Currently sitting at 3200 with all but about 150 being in RW. I assume I should start the process for the transition about a year out from retirement.
To apply to the majors 12-18 months so you're not caught behind the power curve... currently for the AA regionals (and this may change a few times) you can defer starting for 6 months after an offer is given before you have to restart the process. Your best bet is start the process 4-6 months out so you've got time to figure out where you to go and weigh a few employment offers. Plan on it taking 2-6 weeks from application published to verbal offer extended.
I've already helped a few other AWers get hired on at Envoy. If anyone is considering the Wholly Owned, what Zippy said about knowing a current employee is SPOT ON.
I've been at Envoy since Spring 2017, I have a lot of gouge for Rotary (or low-fixed wing) bubbas looking to jump on at the regionals.
Contact Zippy if you're looking at Piedmont, contact me if you want any information on Envoy. My PMs get sent to my e-mail address and I'm happy to respond to them between legs while I'm sipping my coffee at an airport lounge and hitting on Flight Attendants.
Would one be better off doing ~two more years with a FTS VR/VTP gig, or retiring and jumping into a RTP right at 20? Could you check all the boxes for an airline hire in a three-year fixed-wing FTS tour? Is there any seniority to be gained by starting earlier at a regional in a RTP? If pay difference between regional and FTS FW tour wasn’t a big concern, what would the better option be?
How long until you can retire? What ratings/hours/quals do you currently have.
Going VFR FTS would be the better route in each scenario, at least on the C40 side. The C130 side is still reeling from the prop mx malpractice so a 3 year tour in Herkland may not get you the fixed wing multi engine time/quals to allow you to go direct to a major, but the experience you do get would be useful and help you succeed in a 121 training program.
RTP is a good program but so far it doesn’t seem RTP folks have broken into the big 3 without appreciable military fixed wing time on their resume. A couple have made it to LCCs (SWA and Frontier come to mind) around the 2-3 year point at a regional. As more and more RTP pilots enter 121 training there seems to be mixed opinions on their performance. Some do fine and others don’t. Extra training events are sometimes required which airlines don’t like. However, unless a black swan even reduces hiring demand, RTP is here to stay for the foreseeable future.
Any fixed wing military experience will help add to an applicants resume, give them more experience to help them succeed in 121 initial and upgrade training and shorten their time a regional provided they leave active duty flight current.
Going to a regional won’t get you seniority early at a major.
Experience wise: VR>VTP>RTP FO in airline eyes.
Don't regional guys still get a number at a major carrier that may own them? I had lots of copilots from Eagle that had gotten a number years before.
At least at the AA wholely owned, yes we get a mainline employee number, but that is not a seniority number. One only gets on the seniority list on the first day of class. Whether one gets to class via flow or competitive hiring.