� Q: I have been trying to get a jet job or into a regional Part 121 airline for three years. I learned to fly and got all my ratings all the way up to multiengine airline transport pilot through Part 61 private instructors. I started flight instructing on my own to build hours. I started flying Part 135 as a freight pilot right at 1,200 hours. I did a little stint in a Part 121 airline at 1,500 hours flying turboprop Dash 8s. It didn’t work out, and they asked me to resign after initial operating experience (IOE). I have been flying freight as a single pilot for four years in multiengine piston aircraft and have more than 4,000 hours in a 135 environment. I have had interviews and find people with less hours and experience get offered the jobs, but they turn me down. Now these same companies are parking airplanes because they can’t find pilots? What are they looking for? My educational background is a high school diploma. I worked as an auto mechanic, truck driver, and a commercial pilot. I have SEL, MEL, CFII, and MEI, also ATP in MEL. I was at one interview with an airline where the interviewer didn’t believe I had an ATP. Hope to hear from you. –CK
� A: I am going to be honest with you. There are certain red flags in your email that might give some indication as to the cause of your challenges getting a flying gig.
You admit that you were asked to resign after the first 25 hours with an air carrier. Unfortunately, this situation will haunt you the rest of your career. As a result of the Pilot Records Improvement Act, your failing the IOE is now a part of your permanent training record with that airline. When you apply for another pilot position with any Part 135 or 121 company, those records must be transferred to the new employer. A prospective employer is unlikely to ignore the fact that you were asked to leave a Part 121 airline based upon your performance when there are many other qualified airmen out there looking for work. Also, the conventional wisdom at some airlines is that low-time applicants may be preferred to those with thousands of hours such as you, simply because they may be more trainable than those who already have bad habits ingrained in them through years on the job.
You also note, “I was at one interview with an airline where the interviewer didn’t believe I had an ATP.” I suspect that how you presented yourself may have prompted the question. How you present yourself in writing or in person is half the battle in getting a job with any employer. Your original email to me (which has been edited for publication) was ridden with misspellings and grammatical mistakes; if your cover letter, résumé, or application has errors such as those, the errors will affect the way you are perceived professionally. One expects an ATP-certificated applicant’s personal demeanor, style, written communication, and language to be at a professional’s level.
The pilot shortage is real, and airlines are hiring. But your training record and professional presentation will limit your opportunities with a name-brand airline, whether regional or mainline. This is not to say that you can’t find work as a pilot, as you have. My suggestion is that you could benefit from a professional consulting firm such as www.flightdeckconsulting.com, fapa.aero, or www.cageconsulting.com. Professional consultants provide services including application review, résumé assistance, and interview preparation to help you put your best foot forward.
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