ATP success rate/regional to "the show"

[KevinB-WI-708]

Are there cases where students complete the ATP program and don't get jobs with an airline? Or due the reported "pilot shortages" is it pretty much a sure bet that if you know your stuff, you'll get hired somewhere. As a side note, do all newbies follow the same path (regional first officer, regional captain, and then on to bigger planes) or how does that progression work?

[American Eagle Michael]

Hi Kevin,

Some students don't want jobs with the airlines. Some have contacts elsewhere in the Corporate world and decide to go that route. I can't say categorically that every student that interviews with a Regional does get hired. Some people don't interview well. Some have trouble in the H.R. part, some in the simulator part, some in the technical part.

However it is safe to say that if a pilot is trained well, meets all the requirements, prepares well, and can perform well, you are pretty much a shoe-in I would think. If you can pair that with a flight school that has a well known industry reputation, a great track record of placements, and industry contacts with hiring agreements, well that just stacks the deck even more in your favor. Is there much more you could do beyond that?

Yes by the way, you pretty much have the pilot career progression correct, of course there are exceptions. You typically start out somewhere as a regional first officer, then a regional captain, then a major airline first officer, to become a major airline captain. Sometimes pilots get hired as a major airline first officer without becoming captain at the regionals. Sometimes at any time a pilot decides to transition into the corporate flying world. It all depends on the company, their hiring requirements, and the airline industry at the time.

Regards,

Michael

[KevinB-WI-708]

Thank you for answering my questions. All of your answers have been very detailed and helpful. I sure hope ATP pays you guys for this because it is a great resource.

Kevin

[American Eagle Michael]

Well thank you Kevin,

I actually really enjoy participating in this forum. I'm happy to help if I can by sharing what I went through and what observations I've made along the way.

I am obviously a big fan of ATP because I was a student and a very happy and satisfied customer. But I'm not here to shove ATP down everybody's throat. It was a great program for me, and I think it is a great fit for almost everyone. But these are conclusions that each individual needs to arrive at on their own. And the best way to do that is through research. Which is exactly what you are doing now. It's a big step and a big decision for someone to make. It's your life, your time, your money, and your career. These are big issues. For me, I do not regret one moment of the entire process and would do it all over again.

Regards,

Michael