This month, American hired the 2,000th pilot from Envoy. As an Envoy pilot, Eric’s transition to fly mainline American flights allows him to continue to develop his career.
Approximately 55% of pilots that American hires come from its wholly owned regional carriers — Envoy, PSA and Piedmont. Envoy, the largest wholly owned regional carrier of American Airlines Group, operates more than 185 aircraft on 1,000 daily flights under the American Eagle brand.
Former Envoy Capt. Eric Osburn, who started his training classes at American earlier this month, said he’s proud to be the 2,000th pilot to make the transition. “It’s a dream come true,” he said. “It’s a major milestone for myself, my family and the program.”
This also marks a significant moment for both Envoy and American, as the two carriers work to encourage pilots who are new to commercial aviation to advance their careers by acquiring time and experience with Envoy. Just this year, American hired 320 Envoy pilots.
Envoy continues to receive more than 600 new hires each year, with many spending five to six years at the company before moving into American’s mainline operation.
Eric, who will be based at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and fly the Airbus A320, said the training he received at Envoy has been invaluable. David Tatum, Director of Pilot Recruiting and Development at American, said that’s by design.
“The training that pilots receive at all three of our wholly owned carriers is exemplary," David said. “It sets them up for success at American, and we are really happy with the caliber of pilots who have joined our team through the flow through program.”
Over the past five years, Capt. Ric Wilson, Vice President of Flight Operations at Envoy, has seen firsthand how the success of the flow through program has accelerated the growth of Envoy.
“The time it takes for a pilot to flow into American has decreased significantly since pre-merger years,” Ric said. “In fact, we expect to see a pilot that’s hired in 2020 to flow in about five and a half years later. The flow is a huge attraction for us. There’s also our rich history as the original American Eagle brand and strong ties we have with American that draw skilled pilots our way.”
Earlier this year, American celebrated the one year anniversary of its Cadet Academy, a program that helps the next generation of pilots receive the training, financing and mentoring opportunities they need to fly for a major airline. The Cadet Academy also provides an opportunity for future pilots to become first officers at one of American’s wholly owned carriers. Because the Cadet Academy guarantees an interview at one of its regional carriers and shows cadets a defined career track to the mainline operation, more than 8,000 prospective pilots have applied to join since its inception in April 2018. Today, about 508 have had in person interviews, 252 total cadets are in the program and 33 have become certified flight instructors. Since the Cadet Academy launched, 13 cadets have been hired by Envoy.
American continues to focus on recruiting the next generation of aviators and helps instill a love of flying in young people. Through various youth initiatives – including partnerships with schools and youth organizations to introduce aviation to children and young adults – as well as regular recruiting efforts and a clear, defined career path, American makes it possible for pilots and aspiring aviators alike to achieve their dreams.