 |
| Rank (9) |
 |
Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2009 7:57 pm
Posts: 1005
|
Hey, welcome to the forums. I'm going to try my best in answering some of your questions.
Quote: 1) Is it too late for me to make this career change? I don't want to put in years of my life buildling hours only to be turned down by a major airline (WJ, AC) because of my age. I know there are other options out there besides WestJet, however I just want to have a realistic expectation of what my future career options might be with respect to working for a major carrier given my age, experience and education etc. How much of a role does pilot age play in the hiring decisions? What are the most important criteria recruiters look for?
Too late for a career change? No. But the way you are looking at it already demonstrates lack of research in the industry which is cool because you're new to this. While airline jobs seem to be the more common goal pilot's shoot for in aviation, you will quickly come to notice that lifestyle in aviation will beat anything. A beech 1900 travels 300kts, a 737 travels 440kts, an A340 travels 470kts, and a Citation XL travels 550kts. At the end of the day, it's a piece of metal with one or more engines attached to it. Pulling on the yoke or joystick makes the plane go up, and pushing on it makes it go down. One of the planes will be able to get you to a destination faster, and other's maybe not so much. You will quickly realize that a plane is simply another plane. The sooner you realize this, the greater your chance of success as your decision on how to alter your career will differ than simply chasing metal. If after chasing lifestyle you NOW consider WJA/AC to be your goal, then you've clearly made a good choice. But please do yourself a favour and don't enter the industry with expectations that AC/WJA is where you HAVE to end up because you want to fly a 737 that has autopilot activated within the first minute of being airborne and usually not disconnected until the last minute or two of your flight. This kind of flying will really get to you if all you did was chase metal. If you enjoy the lifestyle that flying around for WestJet gives you, then you'll be a happy camper! The realistic view is that you'll make your career into whatever you want it to be. 25 years is a lot of years. I have a friend who is a captain at sunwing right now and he didn't start flying until he was 28. You being at 30 isn't much of a difference. As for what companies are looking for, it will differ as each offers its own diverse company culture - but for the most part, anyone can fly an air plane. It's your ability to be a forward thinker, leadership in a two crew environment, and having a good head on your shoulders that allows you to exercise common sense that gives you leads to be successful at this. You will be making mistakes, even at the so called airline level if you decide that it's for you. It's not about the mistakes, it's about how you recover from them and what you take from it to prevent that mistake from recurring. WestJet knows that you will not get a long with every human being in the flight deck. They know that you are a human and will have made mistakes. I'm sure they want to see if you can be honest with yourself, because that speaks volumes when they are going to one day trust you to take their 737 to Montego Bay and back safely. Hope this gives you a bit of perspective to answer your generic question in that paragraph.
Quote: 2) Will my education in accounting (being a certified professional accountant) help me in the aviation world? Will it help me in getting my first job, will it help me at WestJet? I have heard that companies who hire low time pilots might find me over qualified, but that major carriers such as WestJet will look favourably on it.
I think WestJet accounts only a couple percent towards the hiring matrix when it comes towards post secondary. A matrix where EFIS, 737NG, FMC, 4500, 500mpic time weighs into the majority of the percentile that scores you an interview. A/C has a bigger value towards the degree, but with the way it's looking right now, is A/C really a place that you see yourself investing a career into at the moment? After 10 to 15 years of being a pilot you have to settle for a pay cut to live in one of the most expensive cities? Food for thought.
Quote: 3) How much does it matter where I do my flight training since I already have a degree? I am considering attending a traditional flight school. However I know that there are Universities such which offer aviation diplomas along with your CPL. Universities take longer, are more expensive, and do not offer much flexibility. I am wondering if it is worth it to attend a University given my situation? I am leaning more toward the flexibility and lower cost of a traditional flight school since I can complete my training faster, and I already hold a University degree.
Go to a flight school that has the reputation to have instructor's that strive towards seeing you excel. If finances aren't of concern, try getting a class 2 or 1 instructor who is well respected to teach you how to fly. You won't regret it, and at your age you want to be as efficient as possible - and getting the most bang for your buck would be desirable.
Quote: 4) Assuming that I do manage to make it to WestJet in my late thirties, what could I expect from my career at WestJet? Can someone paint a picture of what a career path would be like for someone hired at age 40? With only 25 years before retirement age (65), is aiming for Capt on the Boeing 737 reasonable? Does WestJet have the same seniority system that Air Canada has? Does your ability to move up onto bigger aircraft depend on your years of service or your number of flight hours?
This question proves that my answer in why you are picking airlines has a big part to do with the "equipment" you fly rather than the lifestyle you get. I don't fly at neither airline. I get a serious good vibe from Dave Pobran's team over at WestJet - he showed me around and treated me with absolute respect when I was a 250 hour noob and honestly really sold me on the WestJet Product. I have a lot of friends at WestJet, just like any company they have their concerns but they are extremely happy and aren't drinking the kool-aid. I have friends that got to the airlines and looked around and asked themselves, "was this seriously what I was in such a rush to get to?" And no, if you want to go WJA, I believe their current upgrades are sitting around 12 years? give or take? So at 40 that would make you a captain around 52, and fly for another 13 years?
Quote: 6) I am very interested to hear advice given my situation from anyone who really knows and is currently involved in the aviation industry. Any insight from pilots who have followed my path would also be very helpful. I am hearing mixed reviews about what its like to work at AC vs WestJet.
My biggest advice is really do your research. I have a feeling that you are walking into the industry with a set path in mind (not faulting you because most people are in your exact shoes when they want to first start out). If I had a penny for every time a career progression inquiry was derived towards WJA/AC I'd be a billionaire. Really try and see what lifestyle it is you want. You may find that the lifestyle of being home every night is the one you wish to pursue. Perhaps a lifestyle where you do a lot of overseas flying, or the lifestyle of doing a lot of regional flying, corporate flying, charter flying, instructing. Who knows man! And if anything, get a good quality of flight time under your belt. Try everything - don't be necessarily narrow minded towards making the airlines. While it is a fantastic goal to strive towards, make sure you are picking the airlines for the RIGHT reasons, not the wrong ones. Once again, an airplane is an airplane and ultimately flies under the same principle. It's the life you have surrounding the cockpit you call "my office" that will make it worthwhile or not.
Congratulations on finally pursuing this and I wish you all the best!  |
|
|
|
AvCanada's Home Page
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
