Question about Delta AL

[mattpilot]

I realize that in any airline, a letter of support from someone on the inside will 'always' help to get an interview.

What if my dad where a 'million-miler' medallion member in their program? Would that help get an interview?

I'm not anywhere near qualified, but i'm just wondering if that would boost my chances when my time comes.

[bafanguy]

MP,

Your question is a good one. I retired after 30+ years as a Delta pilot. I've made a few attempts over the years to get guys interviews by writing letters and making phone calls. After all those years, I, along with a few other retired captains, got one guy an interview by writing letters and making calls to Capt. Plato Rhyne. It was uphill all the way even for us on the inside. All we were able to do was get his application pulled to the top of the pile to be looked at. I doubt that your dad's frequent-flyer status would do much for you; several line captains were barely able to get a prime candidate looked at. Good luck to you...persistence is the key.

[mattpilot]

Thanks for the info. I guess its worthless than. No biggie since it isn't my time yet anyway. :(

[bafanguy]

MP,

Don't say "worthless". It's just tough to get noticed. My guess is that most guys get interviews without insider referrals. Being competitively qualified is the best and only thing a guy can do for himself. Getting a good career flying job at an airline is very, very difficult even for high-qualified people. Hang in there...keep flying bigger and better airplanes. The regionals are an excellent starting place and may even be good careers stops.

[Ignition Override]

Bafanguy: Were any highly-qualified Eastern pilots (8,000-14,000 hours on DC-9/727/757) hired at Delta?

Maybe more than one or two?:hmm:

Was flight experience the prime ingredient for hiring at a company with an open shop, at least numerous years ago, when about 20% of the pilots paid no ALPA dues?

[bafanguy]

Ign Ovrd,

As I remember, a number of EAL pilots were hired by Delta following EAL's demise. I can't remember how many but it had to be more than a few. They were, of course, very-highly qualified and I flew with them on the DC-9, MD-88, and 727 ( I think ). There is no telling why they were hired when many of their equally-qualified contemporaries weren't ( Delta's hiring mentality is one of life's great mysteries ). I walked the picket lines with EAL pilots as they were in their last days and felt for them...a great bunch. As for the ALPA dues issue, there was a time when some DAL guys didn't pay dues but this was corrected when "agency shop " was instituted at DAL. Under this plan, you payed dues even if you weren't a card-carrying ALPA member or U.S. labor law required Delta to fire you. If my recollection of this issue is wrong, someone will set me straight. If this didn't answer your question, hit me up again.

[Ignition Override]

Bafanguy: thank you for the factual response. There has always been that belief here that Delta refused to hire Eastern pilots. Not many of us understand the hiring process anywhere, although I've flown with an FO instructor who has conducted some interviews. And I was hired "here" in '85 (not long before our merger, 'jaa, dohhn't ya knoohhw'), and a number of the guys came onboard here after old Eastern's demise.

I appreciate you taking the question the way it was intended, which was not meant as criticism or a generalization . It was super of some of you D-guys to walk the line with them. I will withhold some other comments about our industry in the presence of so many young aviators here-which is difficult for me to do.

[bafanguy]

IGN OVRD,

If I'm remembering correctly ( and maybe I'm NOT ), Delta only took EAL guys who had NOT flown captain. And again, as you said, no one understands what the hiring people think. Every time I talked to them at Delta about a friend, I came away so mad that it took me days to get over it. They turned down, or even refused to consider many extremely well qualified friends of mine. Today some are actually better off; some aren't. I've always had high regard for EAL people. I went to DC-9 school at EAL in 1968 on contract and was impressed with their program and people. An EAL guy even built my house 25 years ago !!