Alaska Airlines Chief Pilot Rob Spero still remembers the day he decided he wanted to fly. He was in college, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business at Santa Clara University in California. “At the time, I was interested in the military, but I didn’t realize that people could actually do this (fly) for a living,” he says. “I was driving back and forth from college to San Francisco on weekends, where I worked for my folks there. I remember going back to school one Sunday night, and, as I drove past the San Francisco International Airport, I heard this noise and I wasn’t sure if my car was falling apart or what. It was an HH52 Coast Guard Helicopter landing at the air station there. And it was one of those things where I just thought, ‘Now that looks cool,’ and it really sparked my interest in aviation.”

Spero

Spero joined the Coast Guard after college and took his flight training there, flying the C-130 and the HU25 Alphas. Spero came to Alaska in 1987 as a second officer on the Boeing 727. He has served as a captain on the 737 and also worked as a check airman, instructor pilot evaluator, and airplane program designee. The latter gives him the authority to grant FAA aircraft type ratings to pilots.

ALPC: How have you adjusted to your new responsibilities in management at Alaska?
RS: Well, I was an instructor pilot for the company before, so I was familiar with the workings of management. And prior to that, I had been the senior check second officer—which is basically the chief engineer—for the 727, so I had exposure to working on what we refer to as the ‘second floor’ (management). There’s always a transition when you go from being an end-level user to a provider—someone who is at the end result of the projects and profiles and procedures that have always been promulgated, and now you have to be responsible for those things.

ALPC: How should applicants apply for pilot positions?
RS: We are encouraging everyone to use the application on the Careers section of the Web site (www.alaskaair.com).

ALPC: Tell us about the interview process.
RS: We are changing our interview format right now. We use the applicant review process and then we go through interview boards. We will probably end up doing two succinct interviews, one with a check airman and a line captain and the other with a director-level pilot.

ALPC: What is the length of the interviews?
RS: As I said, we still haven’t run this new system yet, so I could tell you what we are doing now, but it will probably be different by the time this article runs. Currently, it’s a one-day process. It will probably still be a one-day process, but just a little longer day.

ALPC: Who else is involved in the interview?
RS: We have a select group of line pilots involved. Some of them are instructors and some are line captains, and they come in and do the initial interviews, along with an employee service specialist who is on the board. There will be an online assessment of some sort (when the new format is in place). Then those candidates who are successful through those stages will come up to a director-level interview. That interview will either be with a fleet captain or a base chief pilot or myself.

ALPC: What is the difference between the two interviews?
RS: The initial interview is probably more technically oriented than the second interview. In the first interview, they (candidates) will be asked to look at approach plates and to prove that their level of experience that is represented on their résumé and their application is accurate. And that they have an understanding of the airway system, and the environment that we operate in. When we revamp the system, there will likely still be some sort of psychological profile, but it’s still too early to tell what form that will take.

ALPC: What does the ideal candidate look like?
RS: We are looking for people with a four-year degree. We are also obviously looking for people who have operated in either a 121 or a 135 carrier as a captain, and we are also looking at people who have come from the military who have aircraft commander time, or who are coming out of single-seat environments.

Candidates who distinguish themselves are usually those who project a positive image. We are not necessarily looking for high polish, but someone who demonstrates true technical skills and who definitely wants to be a part of Alaska Airlines. One of our goals is to get people who are technically proficient pilots, but also those who will be excellent contributors to the company.

ALPC: Do you recruit actively from Horizon?
RS: We don’t have a flow-through per se, but their pilots are given equal consideration to come up and interview here.

ALPC: What are the application minimums right now?
RS: They need a four-year degree, total time of at least 3,000 hours, PIC time of 1,000 hours in an aircraft above 12,500 (pounds), 1,500 multi-engine hours, and currency is also a consideration.

ALPC: As you replace the MD-80s, what is the delivery schedule for the 737s?
RS: By the end of 2008, we will take delivery of 12 of the 737-800s. We have firm orders for 43 of them. So our fleet composition will be the 737-400s (both the freighter and the combis) and the 737-700s, 800s, and 900s.

ALPC: What is the rationale for the all-737 fleet?
RS: It greatly reduces training costs. It reduces the time for training and upgrade. It offers economy of scale in that we don’t have to carry spare parts for two diverse types of airplanes. It gives us more efficiency in scheduling: we utilize the crews much more effectively—there are just positive gains all across the board.

ALPC: What is the starting pay?
RS: First officer starting pay for the MD-80 and the 737 is $35 per hour and tops out after 12 years at $97 per hour. Captain pay for both the MD-80 and the 737 starts at $130 per hour, capping out after 12 years at $154 per hour.

ALPC: Any other insight you can give applicants?
RS: One of the strengths of our pilot workforce is the diversity, both the cultural and the flight environments. We are looking for people from all walks of aviation—military, civilian, Part121 and 135 carriers. We look for someone who has a well-rounded background in aviation and really wants to work for Alaska Airlines.

What distinguishes people who get hired here is their ability to project a strong image and who can represent not just our pilot group well, but our company in general.