I’m very early (in the researching stage) of starting up with ATP and eventually earning a job with a major airline, and it looks like ATP is a partner school for United Aviate. I’ve done some research on the program, but it seems like all the program offers is putting your name in the applicant pool whenever United is hiring new pilots. My concern is that it seems like there is a possibility that this program would tie you to United but not actually guarantee a quicker route to the airline. Basically, it seems like there’s a possibility that someone on the program’s name is first on the list of Aviate pilots but would still be passed over for a pilot with more experience that’s not in the Aviate program. United’s website focuses on the minimums, and it basically seems to boil down to only spending two years at a regional then moving up. However, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of information on what the standard pilot in these programs experiences. These minimums are a dream come true, but how accurate is that timeline - would a standard pilot in this program expect to spend closer to two years at a regional, or would they expect something more in line with the traditional path? Thank you in advance for your time!
The short answer is we don’t really know? The program is relatively new and really was started right before the pandemic which temporarily killed everything. The obvious perks are early travel benefits and no need for a second interview. Will you get there faster is in unknown. What I can tell you is other “flow” programs in the past were not always the fastest route, particularly if the Regional partner was short on pilots. As you point out they state the min requirements but that doesn’t mean you’re anything more than eligible.
The good news is you’re no where near in a position to have to make that decision. Hopefully by the time you are the program will be back up and running and you’ll be able to gauge whether or not it’s good for you or not.
For now I’d be more worried about passing a checkride or 6.
Adam,
Typically any kind of flow programs are the safe bet knowing you’ll get there eventually but not known for their expedited pace. The concept is, the company gets you locked in early on so they know they have a guaranteed pool of pilots to pull from when they need it. COVID shook things up so once hiring picks up we’ll all be curious to see how the flows are effected. But for now, don’t worry about it. Focus on your flight training. They won’t be interested in candidates with too many checkride busts.
The Aviate program is brand new and none of us have seen how the program is really going to work. Before Covid, they were promising these incredibly short times at the regionals and being at United in just a few years, obviously there has been a major slow down in those plans, although things are slowly starting to turn around. I think that the timeline is a minimum timeline, your results may vary.
The program does not tie you to United, you can always apply to other airlines. It does put you in a pool and yes, other people with more time could be hired first, but if you were not in the Aviate pool, they would still be hiring those people ahead of y9ou until you had more flight time.
My best suggestions is to get your licenses and build your experience as quickly as possible. If United is your dream job, apply for Aviate, but continue to keep your options open.
Hi, I am interviewing with United for the Aviate program later next month. I already like it and the treatment they give to thier cadets. A great benifets is that you’ll get travel benefits early, while building hours.