Cool news story about a Southwest Pilot !

[MarineNav]

Hello All,

I came across a neat story about youth, gender, race, family & and Southwest Airlines.

Southwest Airlines News Story

Enjoy,

JR

[pilot602]

Great story!

It's nice to see some positive "news" once in awhile.

Although I'm 5 months out from 26 and am just now working on my CFIs ... I look at here and I'm just in awe ... she is definately A) good and B) lucky.

More power to her!

[chris6387]

Good story, very encouraging. Thanks for sharing.

[Mr_Creepy]

Why did they quote ALPA? Southwest is not an ALPA carrier. (They are SWAPA)

[cointyro]

Way to go Nicole Lewis! Living the dream...

[matt_w]

[ QUOTE ]
she is definately A) good and B) lucky.

[/ QUOTE ]


...just wonder who walked her resume in....


Matt

[pilot602]

Hmmm ...


But, still to get hired in late 2002 and at 26 doesn't matter who walkedthe resume in she was still pretty lucky.

[sigmanu499]

Thats way cool!!!

[onthebeach]

I can't believe this story...but at least the journalist has the excuse of knowing nothing about aviation.

What I really can't believe are the attitudes and reactions to it that have been posted on this board.

Is everybody trying to get on some kind of PC bandwagon...or maybe The Peace Train, here?

Anybody who believes that this kid was hired for legit reasons is only fooling himself. Anybody who believes that someone better qualified...by an order of magnitude...was not denied employment so that this hire could be made is not living in the same universe as I.

If NOTHING else, this hire was the result of nepotism, and that's just plain wrong.

Sorry to rain on everybody's parade.

[Mr_Creepy]

Well you may be right, but the young lady did have 1000 turbine PIC and a B737 type rating.

There is no doubt nepotism played a role in the selection process, but there is also no doubt she was qualified.

I have mixed feelings about it.

[Doug Taylor]

However, she was building turbine PIC since 22 (23?) and got hired at 26.

Figure she earned about 800 to 1000 annually of turbine PIC, and she'd have 2400 to 3000 of turbine PIC on top of any other previous SIC experience she had.

Add onto that 12 (or whatever the number was) internal reccomendations of SWA pilots willing to put their names on the line, I'd say it worked out pretty spanky.

Nepotism is alive and well and one of my pals got 'tagged' with it. Considering his father was manager of pilot selection at Delta, but this cat had huge amounts of Air Force fighter jet experience, crystal clean military record and was pretty much a walking commercial for Delta, I'd say the airline got a bargain.

Southwest Airlines New Pilot Requirements
Licenses / Ratings:
U.S. FAA Airline Transport Pilot Certificate. Non Restricted U.S. TypeRating on a B-737 required for interview effective 11/1/2002.

Age:
Must be at least twenty–three years of age, at the time of hire.

Flight Experience:
2500 hours total or 1500 hours TURBINE total. Additionally, a minimum of 1000 hours in Turbine aircraft as the **Pilot in command, as defined by FAR PART I is required. Recency of experience is considered. Southwest considers only Pilot time in fixed wing aircraft. This specifically excludes simulator, helicopter, WSO, RIO, FE, NAV, EWO etc. NO other time is counted.*

Medical:
Must possess a current FAA Class 1 Medical Certificate. Must pass FAA mandated Drug Test.

Authorization to work in the United States:
Must have established authorization to work in the United States.

Driver's License:
Must possess a valid United States Driver's License.
Education:
Graduation from accredited, four-year college preferred.

Letters of Recommendation:
At least three letters from any individuals who can attest to the pilot’s flying skills, by having observed them over a sustained period of time.

[Mavmb]

Just confirming, but turbine refers to jet and turbo prop time?

[Doug Taylor]

Remember I always preach to you guys about networking? ("Network, Network, Network")

Considering she submitted 22 letters of reccomendation and exceeded the minimum qualifications, I think the system worked alright.

I heard a lot of the same stuff mumbled about myself when I was leaving Skyway Airlines for Delta but those same naysayers would have been shocked to know that I was the only guy in my Delta class who had Part-121/Scheduled airline PIC experience and was probably in the top 10% of total time at the age of 27.

Beech 1900 captain experience, Embry-Riddle graduate, ab initio CFI for Asiana Airlines, letters of reccomendation from my chief pilot, an a Delta MD-88 captain/company check airman, some corporate experience, exceeded the average new hire experience, and good interview skills, but nonetheless recieved the "Hmph..."

Lots of 1800 to 2200-hour ATR, Brasilia and Saab FO's in my ground school, with zero turbine PIC -- but *I* was the one "questioned" about my experience by some of my associates. Of course only after a few beers enabled some to muster the courage to question my qualifications.

You've got to make your own success in this business. If I'm a Delta captain and one day if my kid wants to be a Delta pilot and meets the qualifications, I'm going to be calling the employment office every two weeks and setting appointments to meet with the manager of pilot selection on every ATL layover and during every break in training -- unless the kid is an idiot!

Just like I did for my friends Derek Baer, Joe Empero and Dan Jackey who are all, unfortunately, on furlough.

Gotta do the "Decorator Crab" thing. Find bits and pieces of success stories, throw them in your aviation "hope chest" and use them to motivate yourself.

[Doug Taylor]

[ QUOTE ]
Just confirming, but turbine refers to jet and turbo prop time?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yup

[ready2fly]

[ QUOTE ]
Anybody who believes that this kid was hired for legit reasons is only fooling himself. Anybody who believes that someone better qualified...by an order of magnitude...was not denied employment so that this hire could be made is not living in the same universe as I.

If NOTHING else, this hire was the result of nepotism, and that's just plain wrong.


[/ QUOTE ]

Nobody is denying that nepotism came into play with her getting on at SWA. It most certainly did, but honestly, there is nothing wrong in the least with nepotism.

I only wish I was so fortunate.

As the other posters responded above, it appears that she was more than qualified for the position with or without her father's influence.

22 letters of recommendation is nothing to "poo-poo" about.

I admire her.

R2F

[Mahesh]

Where doesn't nepotism play a role?

As long as she is just as qualified as all the other applicants (and it seems like she may have been more qualified), it's cool.

Pretty much any job you get and many colleges and universities, if you know the right people you are set.

Mahesh

Everyone knows the cliche, it's not what you know, but who you know.

In this case, however, it's definitely what she knew (over 2000 hrs PIC turbine) and who she knew (lots of SWA pilots).

[Mr_Creepy]

Doug mentioned 22 letters of recommendation. Now let's see, her dad is a SWA capt. Gee I wonder how she got to know so many SWA pilots?

I'm sure dad didn't do his trip briefing like this, "Ok stick to the book, back me up, you're the boss on your leg, and write a letter for my daughter and you'll have a good trip."

But I bet she got introduced to a whole truckload of pilots at family functions!

It's blindness to admit that race and sex has no affect on airline hiring processes either. United publicly admits they practice "affirmative action." Nancy Stuke would tell you what pile you are in. For the record, I was in the biggest pile - "white, male, non-military."

Delta openly favors military pilots, particularly USN.

I hate discrimination. In any form. Reverse or otherwise.

[ready2fly]

[ QUOTE ]
It's blindness to admit that race and sex has no affect on airline hiring processes either.

[/ QUOTE ]

<clearing throat.. kicking at the sand> (for once) I am in complete agreement with JT.

However, I would like to add that regardless of her race and/or sex, she seemed to have been qualified.

[Mr_Creepy]

<clearing throat> Ah yes, R2F - she is definitely qualified.

However I was definitely qualified when I interviewed. I had 200 hrs in B737-700 already.

Unfortunately, my "pilot board" was all military. I interviewed with 28 other pilots that day. 25 were ex or current military. Guess which 3 didn't get hired?

[ready2fly]

Sucks, doesn't it?

Goes to show, it's not who you know, but who knows you..... and this girl knew a LOT of the right folk.

[JEP]

What is the problem here:

If the 28 all met the min. quals. and 25 were hired they had to make their decision on some criteria. They chose to use military experience. while that sucks, that is that. I dont know of any jobs in the world where if you meet requirement X, you are hired. I just hope I have what they are looking for when I get that call.

[Mr_Creepy]

I was just pointing out that discriminatory practices are in use for hiring at most airlines.

I didn't say it sucked, nor that they didn't have the right to do it.

At SWA, it all depends on who is on your pilot board.

[onthebeach]

>>Nobody is denying that nepotism came into play with her getting on at SWA. It most certainly did, but honestly, there is nothing wrong in the least with nepotism.

I only wish I was so fortunate.<<

Correction #1: Nobody *on this forum* is denying that nepotism came into play. I am sure that everyone employed at SWA corporate would deny this, however.

Correction #2: There is everything wrong with nepotism. There is nothing right about it. If you think otherwise, you are either just another crook in bed with the system for your own benefit, or a brain-dead individual who doesn't realize how you are getting worked over by it.

Your "wish" that you were so fortunate is pathetic. The fact is, you (and most other people) are not. The deciding factor in this woman getting her job was her choice of parents, not her technical qualifications or experience level. Forget how much turbine PIC time she had. I want to hear from the first person who will be foolish enough to claim that her technical qualifications and her level of experience exceeded every one in her interview group who was not hired...then we will know who the first liar is.

Racism, favoritism, cronyism, sexism, and nepotism are alive and well in this industry. They have simply morphed over the last few years, that is all.

The playing field is not level. It is true that if one does not possess the right qualifications, he/she will never be hired in this industry. But the problem is that the qualifications in question include those that are beyond the control of the individual.

And that is just plain wrong.

Do you folks who defend this sort of thing think that will get you some kind of points or karma in the hiring process? That's humorous.

[RedBelly]

Nepotism at the LUV airline??? Say it aint so!

Personally, I think it is great to hire family members. Generally, if family members want to work at Southwest, they bring along the positive attitude that Southwest is looking for.