Western Michigan University’s College of Aviation has partnered up with ExpressJet Airlines to create a program that allows aviation students to begin an early pilot screening process that will prepare them for and guarantee jobs as first officers with ExpressJet.
The Airline Pilot Pathway Program (AP3) is an agreement between WMU, ExpressJet Airlines and Delta Airlines that maps out the steps a candidate must take in order to be eligible for a guaranteed pilot job with ExpressJet Airlines and, subsequently, a guaranteed interview for a pilot job with Delta Airlines. Potentially, this program could lead the successful candidate to a career of 40 years or more.
Dave Powell, dean of the aviation college, said that this agreement was established to attract the best of the best from collegiate flight programs around the country.
“For the successful candidate who meets all of the criteria set, ExpressJet Airlines is prepared to offer a guaranteed pilot job,” Powell said. “The program is seeking the best of the best, so not all will qualify.”
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Qualifying students will have the opportunity to work for the largest regional carrier in the United States.
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The project was signed in November 2011, but this concept has been in development by ExpressJet, Atlantic Southeast Airlines and Delta Airlines for well over a year.
One of the prerequisites of the program is obtaining a license at WMU, however, the private pilot license is an acceptable exception. Completed training for the Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) certificate and instructing as a CFI at WMU for a specified period of time are also needed to participate.
To acquire and internship applicant must pass the advanced jet training course (i.e., JET Course) with a minimum GPA and receive a letter of recommendation from Powell. There are also aviation course and cumulative GPA requirements.
Once the program is fully up and running, it will seek to identify Flight Science students as early as their sophomore year.
Currently, the plan is to administer the CogScreen, Neo Personality Test and Tabular Speed Test screening tools before junior year. Prior to the end of the senior year, there would also be a job knowledge test, human resource interview and pilot interview conducted. There would also be multiple other meetings and interviews during that same time, Powell said.
To date, there are 10 candidates signed up for the program and that number is expected to grow. The intent of this program is that it be measured more by the quality than the quantity of participants.
Delta and ExpressJet Airlines sent their pilot hiring managers and recruiters to campus last month to describe the program to aviation students, according to WMU news.
“That Western was only the fourth collegiate flight program to participate in the AP3 speaks volumes, not only about the quality of the Western graduates who have already been hired by both ExpressJet Airlines and Delta Airlines, but also the excellent reputation Western has in the airline industry by virtue of the quality of the program that prepared those and other graduates,” Powell said.
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