So how do you get a recommendation?
You personally know a pilot who can recommend you. And you will need to know them too! Personally I wouldn't recommend anyone that I didn't know well. If, for example, I recommended a friend of a friends cousin twice removed and they turned out to be a total prat - it would look bad on my behalf.
Maybe you could have a hunt around on some dating websites and try and find the said "senior pilot" someone?!
Good luck anyway.