jetBlue to Train Pilots No Experience Required

[x635 4,066]

Hmmmm.

Quote

 

jetBlue Airways is taking applications for 24 slots in a new program to train novice pilots to fly a passenger jet — with participants in line to start their learning in Orlando.

 

 

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/tourism/os-ap-jetblue-pilot-training-20160307-story.html

[SOUSGT 357]

38 minutes ago, x635 said:

Hmmmm.

 

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/tourism/os-ap-jetblue-pilot-training-20160307-story.html

All you need is 125k.

Sounds like the graduates will wind up flying the regionals from Bombardier.

[SECTMB 612]

I struck up a conversation with the pilot of my last flight.  He was ex-military and I assumed so many other pilots were also ex-military.  He told me that while that may have been the case years ago, that only about 8% of the pilots hired today are ex-military.  I had always gotten a certain level of confidence in flying thinking that the pilots had military experience.  

[mfc2257 464]

4 hours ago, SOUSGT said:

All you need is 125k.

Sounds like the graduates will wind up flying the regionals from Bombardier.

Jet Blue doesn't fly any regionals and has no airframes manufactured by Bombardier. They exclusively operate Airbus A320/321's and Embraer E190/195's.  Both underwing powered aircraft.  I'm not saying this to rebuttal you but rather that rookie pilots flying larger underwing powered aircraft is concerning. Somehow I think they should cut their teeth elsewhere. 

[batt. 12 12]

27 minutes ago, mfc2257 said:

Jet Blue doesn't fly any regionals and has no airframes manufactured by Bombardier. They exclusively operate Airbus A320/321's and Embraer E190/195's.  Both underwing powered aircraft.  I'm not saying this to rebuttal you but rather that rookie pilots flying larger underwing powered aircraft is concerning. Somehow I think they should cut their teeth elsewhere. 

No it is truly about time the Airlines in the USA are doing this. For the most part the the Airlines in Europe do this granted it is very expensive, but you will be flying a $100 Million Aircraft. JetBlue Airways spends about $85 Million without the engines yes I said without the engines, the engines are Pratt and Whitney's and each engine costs about $10 Million. JetBlue is regulated through the FAA, IATA, and ICAO. I highly doubt any one of these 3 organizations would allow JetBlue to do this if it wasn't Safe. Besides it will take them 4 years to get there according to the article anyway, and the FAA states that a Pilot needs a minimum of 1500 hours to become an Airline Transport Pilot which is an additional License that must be obtained prior to becoming a First Officer for a Major Airline like JetBlue Airways.

 

Source I'm a former JetBlue Airways Crewmember. Yes my numbers a accurate because those numbers came from one of the Vice Presidents of Airline Operations.  

[mfc2257 464]

12 hours ago, batt. 12 said:

No it is truly about time the Airlines in the USA are doing this. For the most part the the Airlines in Europe do this granted it is very expensive, but you will be flying a $100 Million Aircraft. JetBlue Airways spends about $85 Million without the engines yes I said without the engines, the engines are Pratt and Whitney's and each engine costs about $10 Million. JetBlue is regulated through the FAA, IATA, and ICAO. I highly doubt any one of these 3 organizations would allow JetBlue to do this if it wasn't Safe. Besides it will take them 4 years to get there according to the article anyway, and the FAA states that a Pilot needs a minimum of 1500 hours to become an Airline Transport Pilot which is an additional License that must be obtained prior to becoming a First Officer for a Major Airline like JetBlue Airways.

 

Source I'm a former JetBlue Airways Crewmember. Yes my numbers a accurate because those numbers came from one of the Vice Presidents of Airline Operations.  

I agree with your numbers.  I respectfully disagree that "its truly about time the Airlines in the USA are doing this."  The first rig a FF operates isn't the million dollar tower ladder or heavy squad.  Guys don't leave Skip Barber Performance Driving School and go straight to Formula 1.  The Navy doesn't give a nuclear powered aircraft carrier to a guy straight out of Annapolis.  There is a significant benefit in gaining experience coming up through the ranks of operating "lesser" vehicles and while I realize that these students are going to fly smaller aircraft during their training I don't believe that their first day on the job should be on a 100+ seat aircraft.  Flying a CRJ100/200 for a few years on regional routes will give valuable day to day experience (which cannot be taught in training or in the simulator) prior to flying larger aircraft into and out of JFK, LGA, MCO, ATL, DCA, MIA, etc.

 

It should also be noted that the JetBlue pilots union opposes this method of recruiting pilots and believes that experienced pilots from regional airlines or recent military retirees are the best choices to fly the busy routes and larger aircraft that JetBlue utilizes.

[nfd2004 750]

Just as a side note, about 10 % of JetBlues entire staff are retired police officers and firefighters.

 

 I flew JetBlue about a year or so ago. The entire airplane was entertained by a male airline stewart. I thought to myself this guy belongs in the kitchen of a firehouse with his class act. I told him I was a retired firefighter and said that jokingly to him. He got me aside as I was leaving and told me "he is a retired firefighter from New York City". Great guy and the passengers loved him. Best flight I was ever on.

 

 More recently, a very close good friend of mine, a battalion chief I know, is retiring from the FD to begin his training with JetBlue as a new employee. For me, it's nice to know that we have these kind of people up there in the air with us. I am confident in their ability to perform their duties. And don't forget, those chosen for the job compete against everybody from throughout the country. Not an easy job to get.

[fire2141 33]

I may be a bit biased, but to land a plane at 200mph on the pitching and weaving deck at night on an aircraft carrier takes the experience and guts that are needed to fly commercial rigs as well.  That's who I want flying me.

[ARI1220 12]

I think JetBlue is a very innovative airline, and I think this program is a great concept. I've flown with them many times and I think they are fantastic. However, I strongly believe experience (especially in the aviation industry) is mandatory. I suppose I'm a little biased as well as a relative of mine is a retired Air Force pilot. I fly quite frequently and have always felt very comfortable believing retired military aviators were in control.

 

[dwcfireman 656]

I've watched this thread since Seth started it, and I've seen a bunch of people quote "experience" as a top priority for pilots.  I wholeheartedly agree that pilots need greater levels of experience to fly the bigger planes.  So, I'm going to throw a little aviation knowledge at you folks.

 

The way it right now to become an airline pilot (that is to make it to Delta, United, American, etc.) you need thousands of hours of flight time.  To get to the top, and not even talking about the 747's and A380's, there are a lot of stepping stones along the way.  First, you have to get your pilot license, then get your IFR (instrument flight rules) rating, multi-engine, commercial, and turbo/jet ratings.  On top of this, the airlines also prefer that you complete a four year college degree, more specifically in flight operations.  Whether you complete your flight time/ratings and college separately or together, you have already spent close to $180,000!  This may vary depending on your skills, whether you complete college early, or if you require extra hours.  Now you're at the point to be hired by some dinky little airline that flies short legs with tiny airplanes carrying less than 10 passengers...Cape Air comes to mind.  After you build up enough hours, now you're ready to move to a regional airline, flying the regional jets with 20 to 70 passengers (p.s. you start this part of your career making about $25,000).  Again, you build up some hours, you work your way up to captain on the largest of the regional jets, and now you're ready to move onto a mainstream airline.  Let's say you get hired by Delta; they train you to fly the MD80.  Not a jumbo jet by any means, but it's much larger.  You again work your way up to captain, and hopefully bump up to something larger....let's say a 757.  You keep repeating the process, graduating to larger aircraft, gaining more hours, graduating to the next larger aircraft, until you hit the mandatory retirement age of 65.  If you happen to be one of the lucky few that actually did make it to a jumbo jet, then you are sitting well.  Unfortunately the majority of pilots don't get to make it that far (or any where close, for that matter), and settle for a more measly retirement package.

 

Now, what jetBlue wants to do is make it easier for their pilots to get into that right seat (Flight Officer/Co-Pilot).  By taking people off the street with little to no flight experience, jetBlue can train you to fly their aircraft, and SPECIFICALLY their aircraft.  Their training program will mold your skills and knowledge to blend with their expectations and ensure that their pilots are flying their planes the way they want you to.  It may cost you $125,000 up front, but you will start flying an E190 at $50,000 (estimated).  From what I understand, talking to jetBlue employees, is that this program is designed to create career pilots that will stay with jetBlue, especially since there is going to be a nation wide pilot shortage in the near future (same as with air traffic controllers, which is why the FAA is doing the same thing).  This, in my opinion, is a far better deal than starting from scratch on your own.

 

But, before I end my educational post, I'm going to throw in my two cents over the "experience" issue.  As many of you know, and if you don't just look at my profile picture, I am an Aircraft Rescue Firefighter.  In my experience, pilots with fewer hours tend to declare the most emergencies.  There is a multitude of reasons why they decide to declare, but I have noticed in my career that emergencies are declared less by experienced pilots.  An example of this is the belly landing we had this past December at HPN.  The pilot said he stayed in the air for a couple hours troubleshooting and trying to find a way to get his gear down.  When he couldn't find a solution, he did a low pass to confirm the problem, and very gently put his plane down on our secondary runway.  It was a beautiful job.  An example of a less experienced pilot, he had a landing gear indicator light saying the gear wasn't down.  But, he forgot to change the bulb to see if that was the problem first.  He very well could have avoided declaring an emergency and save himself a little embarrassment by remembering his training and checklists.  So, what I'm getting at here is that experience does makes things run smoother, especially for pilots.  The more experience they have, the more hours they fly (especially over a long range of aircraft), the better they are at flying.  I'm knocking jetBlue's plan to hire and train new pilots, as many European airlines already implement this program, but experience does show when an emergency pops up midflight.

[210 91]

Quantas did this for years in the 60s and 70s. Not sure if they still do. You attend their college. Start as bush pilots and progress to the DC-4, 707 and if you were lucky to the Queen of the Sky the beautiful 747. Great read called (Life in Long Haul) Don't remember author's name.

Edited March 11, 2016 by 210