In September, United Airlines held its first-ever Pilot Career Expo at its Denver Flight Training Center. United invited over 600 pilot-applicants to Denver for the opportunity to meet with recruiters from the Human Resources Department, with management and pilot-recruiters. Aero Crew Solutions (parent company of this publication) was proud and honored to have partnered with United Airlines to assist with managing the expo and to ensure the applicants were made to feel welcome.
The event kicked off outside where pilot-applicants collected their badges and were greeted by representatives from Aero Crew Solutions. Once inside, they were directed through the impressive, newly renovated Flight Training Center building into the MAS conference room. Remarks were delivered by company representatives, Captain Mike McCasky (Managing Director, Flight Training), Captain Charles Hogeman (Director, Flight Training Support), Susan White (Senior Manager, Pilot Hiring Programs) and Captain Bebe O’Neil (Managing Director, System Chief Pilot). Each addressed the group on topics including United Airlines’ bright future and the company’s hiring goals for pilots.
Captain McCasky announced four more classes, one in each month, November through February, leaving open the possibility of adding another class within each month.
In her segment, Ms. White addressed the importance of United’s Core 4 Values(Safe – Caring – Dependable – Efficient), its extensive route network, the current fleet and aircraft orders for fleet growth. She likened the company’s 737 fleet to an airline in its own right and that United claims the largest wide body fleet in North America. In the minds of the attendees, the most crucial part of her talk was her coverage of forecasted retirements illustrating the breadth of the opportunities with United.
Event hosts, First Officers Mark Segaloff and Bill Patterson, assisted with the Q&A session that followed the opening remarks.
After United Airlines representatives’ briefings, Scott Rehn (CEO of Aero Crew Solutions) prepared the pilot-applicants for what they could expect during the hiring event and how to prepare themselves for one-on-one interviews.
Attendees were hopeful of the opportunity to complete the first step in the interview process to become a United Airlines Flight Deck Officer. Some pilot-applicants can expect the Hogan Personality Test to arrive in their inbox in short order. Those with successful results will then be invited back to Denver for one-on-one interviews.
United Airlines graciously invited a number of relevant organizations to attend the expo. Representatives from Latino Pilots Association (LPA), Women in Aviation International (WAI), Organization for Black Aerospace Professionals, (OPAB) and National Gay Pilots Association (NGPA) each crewed their own booths where they eagerly talked to everyone about their organizations’ roles in pilots’ careers. Also invited to answer questions and share their wisdom were United Airlines employees representing other departments within the company: Crew Resources, A320, B737, B756 Fleet Training, United 4 Veterans and Basic Indoc.
All attending regarded this as a very successful event which was evident by both applicants and recruiters leaving with smiles and galvanized hopes of achieving their goals – being hired or hiring successful pilots for United Airlines.
