ASA Update
November 4, 2008 – Submitted by Paul Templeton

The following is an excerpt from a conversation with Captain Dan Robertson who is the Head of Pilot Recruitment with Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA). Captain Robertson has held the position of Chief Pilot with ASA in addition to his position in the Recruiting Department, and lately has been speaking with pilots across the country about the impending pilot shortage that most experts agree is coming in the relatively near future.

ASA's Regional Jet

With the present slowdown in hiring it may seem as if it will be more competitive in the future to someone training to become an airline pilot, what would you say to them?

When hiring begins again, hopefully in late 2009, we will select the most suitable applicant from our hiring pool and qualified applicants. We have developed a rating point system where applicants receive extra points for the total time, multi-engine time, CFI. CFII, MEI, jet time, turbo-prop time and advanced jet training. Our goal will be to hire the most suitable candidate, so encourage your students to continue to obtain additional ratings and experience.

Airlines were all hiring in the not too distant past, but now they have slowed down. You have been in aviation for a long time and have seen this before. What would you say to a person who is considering a career in aviation?

We are currently in one of the industry cycles caused by a poor economy; however, I encourage your students to not be discouraged as this time too shall pass. In fact, I predict another pilot shortage within two years of the time the major airlines start another hiring spree.

Aviators who train in the Airline Career Pilot Program with ATP will have most of the requirements you mention above when they graduate from the ACPP, as well as have positioned themselves to train other pilots while they build valuable flight experience. Will this make them suitable candidates for interviews at ASA when hiring begins again at ASA?

We have hired a tremendous number of ATP trained pilots over the years and look forward to interviewing your students when our hiring resumes. Let me know if there is anything I can do to encourage young aviators as the career of an airline pilot is one of the most rewarding in the world.

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