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CFI in 90 days!!! Hey Chris, I was reading your bio and noticed that you started ATP after first getting your PPL. My question is what other credentials made it possible for you to finish your ratings in just 90 days?? I ask this because I am soon to be starting my PPL while still in the military and will most likely finish up my ratings with ATP as well.
The program (with credit for Private) used to be ninety days long. FAA examiner shortages, plus some other changes to the program structure have turned it into the current six month program. it is sometimes possible to finish the program early, but I wouldn’t expect to be near ninety days.
I did have all of my writtens complete when I started the program.
In your bio I see you were fortunate enough to jump to the majors in 2 years. I’m sure this is not normal by any means, so I was wondering what you can attribute that to if anything? I’m sure you had lots of connections with family in the airlines for years.
My father had been a Continental pilot from 1977 until the strike in 1983. He ended up at US Airways, but still has several friends at Continental when I started to apply. Some of them were even guys that he had helped get hired himself back in the 70’s. These were extremely senior pilots who were more than happy to help me.
I also knew that I would have a chance to interview sooner rather than later, so I prepared diligently. I was involved in several aviation related groups in the community, did union work, paid for my ATP myself (the rules were different then), carried resumes with me all the time, and knew our manual forwards and backwards.
My timing was also right. Continental was a major, but I would not describe it as a top major by any means. The applicant pool was big, but was not what Southwest’s or Delta’s was. Continental would occasionally higher low time pilots, I was lucky enough to be part of that.
One more thing, when I interviewed the gentleman conducting the interview asked a lot of questions about my father and how he had done after the strike. His career was good, but it was not what it would have been in Continental management had not brought down a strike. I will always suspect that I was hired in part in an attempt to right a wrong.
Well good for you! I assumed the connections helped to get an interview, but I also had no doubt that you were very well prepared. Very cool!
Do you have any idea what the current pool of pilot applicants are or point me in the direction of where I could find that info? I have found what the airlines “plan” to hire, but just curious how gigantic the pool is.
No and I do not think you will be able to find that anywhere. The airlines keep their applicant numbers close to their chest, particularly in today’s hiring environment.