Like many others piloting small airplanes, you may have fantasized about driving an airliner hither and yon, chock-full of adoring passengers. If so, have you tested the waters? What if there were a way to connect with some of the major players in the regional airline industry and have a heart-to-heart talk about the possibilities? No pressure, no gimmicks—just a chance to go one on one with recruiters from such companies as SkyWest, Republic, Air Wisconsin, Endeavor, and other regional carriers. If you’d like to drop off a résumé or fill out an application at the same time, then so much the better. In some instances, you can interview on the spot and launch your airline career. If you have already earned your stripes at the regionals or in corporate aviation, you can interact with some of the major airlines.
Pilot job fairs have been a staple product of an organization that is universally known simply as FAPA. Anyone who has observed airline hiring for a long time will recall its previous monikers, such as the Future Airline Pilots of America and the Future Aviation Professionals of America. FAPA is now Future and Active Pilot Advisors, a name more aligned with its current mission of support and guidance for those in or entering the business.
Since 1972, one of FAPA’s missions has been to facilitate a connection between future airline pilots and potential employers through job fairs held periodically at venues across the United States. The job fair and a half-day educational seminar are focused on two different pilot sectors: those who are seeking their next cockpit opportunity—as well as students who may just now be considering a pilot career.
One of FAPA’s key objectives is to monitor the pulse of airline hiring. In a recent FAPA bulletin, there was great news for anybody heading to the front seat of an FAR Part 121 airplane. FAPA’s leader and president, retired Northwest Airlines Capt. Louis Smith, wrote, “The nine U.S. major airlines collectively hired more than 26,000 pilots in the last 15 years. That number will double in the next 15 years.” He said the record hiring is triggered by industry growth and the attrition of senior captains who have reached the mandatory age-65-retirement point in their careers. Pilot staffing at regional airlines, where carriers are already grounding aircraft because of a shortage of crews, “is only the beginning,” according to Smith.
Other sectors are also affected by the major airlines’ pilot demand. “Even corporate flight departments, traditionally a stronghold of job security—as well as the U.S. military—are losing experienced aviators due to the lure of major airline pilot jobs,” Smith said.
A key staffer at FAPA is Michael Schukert, who has served on the faculty at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, The Ohio State University, and Middle Tennessee State University, and as president of the University Aviation Association. Thanks to Schukert and his exhaustive research, not only do FAPA members benefit from timely hiring and compensation data by airline, but they also have access to a unique resource in its aviation colleges comparison. It is one of the most comprehensive listing of collegiate aviation programs available today, and features name, date of origin, number and type of aircraft in the fleet, number and type of simulators, degree types, number of years required for degree completion, and estimated costs for more than 40 aviation programs.
The staff at FAPA, which comprises highly experienced and respected professionals in the airline industry and academia, offers a variety of additional pilot services, including interview preparation, mock interviews, résumé review, career counseling, career workshops, and financial services. Additionally, there are helpful articles on a variety of career-related subjects available at no cost on the FAPA website.
For the wealth of services offered there is, naturally, a membership fee. The basic membership is a one-time charge of $49 plus $4.95 per month. This includes hiring information for nearly 300 airlines, discounts on job fairs and other products, an annual complimentary résumé review, and guaranteed interview prep when upgrading to premier membership. However, for anyone currently enrolled in professional pilot training at an aviation college, university, or academy, FAPA is waiving the basic membership initiation fee and monthly dues for a limited time (www.fapa.aero/aopa).
When in pursuit of a lifetime of flying professionally, it is a wise person who acquires as much power as possible. FAPA could very well be the source of that power.
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