Jet Blue to hire Pilots..no flight experience necessary.

fatboy33

Well-Known Member
Jet Blue to hire non military applicants for training to become full fledged pilots. If this plan works, it could slash carrier costs significantly. High school diploma or GED required and must be 23 years of age by the end of training. Training cost is expected to be around 125,000 per applicant.
Now if this becomes a successful business plan, how soon, if at all, before X follows? If one weights the cost to train vs what is cost to pay an X pilot, it may be something for the future. How many 23 year old, GED holding, kids would say no to a low ball salary of 80,000 a year for working only 6 months out of the year? The company could make back the money it invested in training in 2 years time. Jet Blue is liable for the souls on the plane. X is liable for the packages. seems the higher risk is with Jet Blue not X.
 

FedGT

Well-Known Member
I don't think they are covering the $125,000 believe they are charging that for potential applicants. Doesn't sound like anything that a regular flight program in a college doesn't offer besides not having to take the other classes required to graduate a college. Who knows if that $125,000 would cover fuel costs for those hours or not.
 

Artee

Well-Known Member
Scary.....What 23 year old goes from driving his Miata to his part time job at Taco Loco with no flying experience to 18 months later flying an A380 full of people. I know a FedEx employee that had been flying for nearly 20 years, including flying a traffic reporter around every morning for many years, that is completing his flight training on a particular jet, to get on with FedEx or another airline. Do you and your family want to be flown around by a guy that was refilling the salsa bar 2 years ago or by a pilot that has been through some situations
 

STFXG

Well-Known Member
Scary.....What 23 year old goes from driving his Miata to his part time job at Taco Loco with no flying experience to 18 months later flying an A380 full of people. I know a FedEx employee that had been flying for nearly 20 years, including flying a traffic reporter around every morning for many years, that is completing his flight training on a particular jet, to get on with FedEx or another airline. Do you and your family want to be flown around by a guy that was refilling the salsa bar 2 years ago or by a pilot that has been through some situations
Most pilots at regionals are straight out of school. That's where they get the experience to move on to larger carriers. A lot of regional airlines work with colleges to have a pipeline of new candidates straight out of school. I was in the SkyWest program through my school back in the day. It guarantees a foot in the door when you get done.
This JetBlue program isn't that big of a deal. They are bringing in new hires and training them with their own instructors while charging the students. Seems like a good way to make some extra cash. They have to train all new pilots on whatever type of aircraft they will be flying anyways... Might as well take their money in the process.
 

FrigidFTSup

Resident Suit
If one weights the cost to train vs what is cost to pay an X pilot, it may be something for the future.
FedEx will NEVER go down this path simply because they do not have to. Cargo airlines such at FedEx and UPS get hundreds of applications for every pilot they pick.
How many 23 year old, GED holding, kids would say no to a low ball salary of 80,000 a year for working only 6 months out of the year?
Except pilots don't work just 6 months a year. It isn't some easy 2 week on 2 week off thing like everybody thinks.
 

FrigidFTSup

Resident Suit
Scary.....What 23 year old goes from driving his Miata to his part time job at Taco Loco with no flying experience to 18 months later flying an A380 full of people. I know a FedEx employee that had been flying for nearly 20 years, including flying a traffic reporter around every morning for many years, that is completing his flight training on a particular jet, to get on with FedEx or another airline. Do you and your family want to be flown around by a guy that was refilling the salsa bar 2 years ago or by a pilot that has been through some situations
I went to school for aviation. A few of my buddies are flying regional jets around the country right now and one just made captain. I witnessed him get drunk on tequila and streak in front of sorority houses in college. Guy now is responsible for 76 passengers and 3 crew members every time he takes to the sky.
 

fatboy33

Well-Known Member
I went to school for aviation. A few of my buddies are flying regional jets around the country right now and one just made captain. I witnessed him get drunk on tequila and streak in front of sorority houses in college. Guy now is responsible for 76 passengers and 3 crew members every time he takes to the sky.
A classmate of mine joined the AF out of high school. This is the same guy who nearly wrecked the car I use to drive in high school with me and 3 other people in it. Now he flies for UPS....small world.
 

Artee

Well-Known Member
Most pilots at regionals are straight out of school.

Completely understand that. Don't think JetBlue is considered a regional airline though. They are like the 5th or 6th largest airline. Unless they have a sub-division which is regional where they throw these guys into some puddle hoppers to get their hours.
 

FrigidFTSup

Resident Suit
Completely understand that. Don't think JetBlue is considered a regional airline though. They are like the 5th or 6th largest airline. Unless they have a sub-division which is regional where they throw these guys into some puddle hoppers to get their hours.
They have a flow agreement with Cape Air.
 

Artee

Well-Known Member
I went to school for aviation. A few of my buddies are flying regional jets around the country right now and one just made captain. I witnessed him get drunk on tequila and streak in front of sorority houses in college. Guy now is responsible for 76 passengers and 3 crew members every time he takes to the sky.

Makes sense. Being Captain of a small bird is one thing, but at this point he is not flying 767's. Starting at the bottom and working his way up.
 

FrigidFTSup

Resident Suit
Makes sense. Being Captain of a small bird is one thing, but at this point he is not flying 767's. Starting at the bottom and working his way up.
It's less about size and more about speed. Yes weight does make a difference, but when you're starting out getting over the big speed jumps is the biggest factor. When I was in school we started in the Cessna 172. Our approach speed on that was 90 knots. We'd set up for our approach about 10-15 miles out. So about 10 minutes. Then I went the Piper Seminole. Approach speed jumped to 110. Had to start our approach preparation 17-20 miles out. Finally when I got my type rating for the CRJ we'd do the approach brief 35 miles out because by the time we had it plugged in and ready to go we were being vectored to final since our full flaps speed was about 145 knots.

Planes fly the same no matter the weight. The speed makes all the difference when transitioning. I had a professor who flew 777s for Delta and then went to business aviation. Said the Learjet was by far harder to land because you were screaming in at 160 knots.
 

59 Dano

I just want to make friends!
FedEx will NEVER go down this path simply because they do not have to. Cargo airlines such at FedEx and UPS get hundreds of applications for every pilot they pick.

Except pilots don't work just 6 months a year. It isn't some easy 2 week on 2 week off thing like everybody thinks.

It's not too shabby. I know pilots were limited to 1000 flight hours a year at one point but don't know that it's still the limit.
 

Artee

Well-Known Member
Cape Air serves destinations other than Cape Cod.

Oh yea? Maybe Hawaii? The Ukraine? Maybe you could provide the complete list of all the destinations they serve, so if I ever travel the 3000 miles to the east coast I could consider taking an airline 80% of the US population has never heard of.
 

bacha29

Well-Known Member
Planes are so computerized that most pilots are so dependent on the flight information that they really don't know how to fly a plane because they were never trained to do so. A few years ago when that Air France plane fell into the ocean off the coast of South America the flow tubes were showing that the plane was flying much faster than it actually was. When it stalled the crew didn't know how to restart and correct the engines . As result it fell out of the sky and killed everybody.
 
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