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Originally Posted by skydog  Because it is not BS. Southwest has the right to specify any qualifications for hiring that they wish. Just as you would if you owned and operated a business. No, Southwest does not require you to pay for a 737 type rating. They simply require that you have the rating. How you get it is up to you. There are many ways to get a 737 type without paying for it. They are: United, Delta, Continental, Air Tran, Alaska, US Air, plus any number of supplemental operators.
And yes, having the type does make training cheaper for SWA. It costs a bunch of money for SWA to train a pilot. If that pilot fails training, that is tens of thousands of dollars the company has spent with nothing to show for it. Requiring a type rating prior to hire provides much greater assurance that the people they hire will successfully complete their training, which is what SWA ultimately wants.
I suspect that the type rating requirement is a holdover from the start-up days, when they did not have a lot of money for training. Hell, back then it might have been a way to avoid training costs altogether. We're talking early 1970's here.
However, if you really feel that strongly about it, I suggest the following: Apply, get hired, show up on day 1 without the type, and call BS on it. I'm sure you will make your point. |
As I stated before, this is my opinion. If I choose to apply to SWA, I understand their policy...I however at this time decline to PAY for a type-rating. This is just my opinion. The world of aviation is ever changing. So, do you expect me to believe the SWA hasn't changed since 1970? I find that hard to believe. I also do not think that getting a 37 type is a guarantee of anything, not anymore than an RJ "transition course."
Last point here...I am not attempting to argue with anyone here, I just haven't agreed with SWA's policy and have stated my opinion. This horse has been beaten to death, and I personally done posting about it...