The airline application process can seem endless. The amount of paperwork is immense; there is the application itself, the resume, cover letter, a list of everyplace you’ve lived for ten years, every job you’ve had, copies of every identification document in existence, your logbooks—you’ll quickly begin to feel like you need to hire a personal assistant to handle the process. Somewhere along the way, you’ll need to get between three and five recommendation letters. You’ll be asking people to write a well composed note to your future employer extolling your virtues as a pilot and as a human being. Who do you ask to handle this task? What should they put in the letter? This article will answer those questions for you and give you a formula for getting the recommendations that will help get you hired.
Let’s face it: as a military pilot, you already have an impressive resume. The airlines know what you’ve been doing and the quality of training that you’ve received; you’re coming from one of the most records intensive work environments in the world. Obviously, you’ve risen to the top of the pile in your career thus far—simply graduating from UPT and getting to an operational unit is a feat that the airlines will rightly respect.
While your resume and work history is impressive, there is a lot that those things don’t say about you as a person. Being an airline pilot is much more than simply flying the airplane. In a multi-crew cockpit, your ability to get along with people from a wide variety of backgrounds is extremely important. You’ll be dealing with ramp personnel, gate agents and passengers of every conceivable ethnicity and education level. As an airline pilot, you’ll be spending hours at a time in a confined environment with people you don’t know—and that you might not like all that much. Airlines work because the people who make the airplanes move are dependable; they show up on time and ready to do the job.
If this doesn’t sound any different than what is required of you in the military, it isn’t. The trouble is, the airline doesn’t know you—yet. That’s why you need a few good recommendation letters. The interview isn’t really about whether you can fly the airplane. It is much more about whether or not the folks conducting the interview can imagine looking forward to spending four days with you in the cockpit. Having a few people vouch for your personality and work traits can help them see you for the great person that you are.
One of the other important functions of good recommendation letters is that they can help you to get your foot in the door. By virtue of coming from the military, your resume is already outstanding. But, if the airline has more applications than they need to fill an interview schedule, a good recommendation (especially if it’s an internal recommendation) can help your application rise to the top of the pile.
Any old person on the street won’t do when it comes to writing a recommendation letter for you unless that person happens to be an airline CEO. Optimally, you want to solicit recommendations from people who both know you well and have flown with you. If they are employees of your target company, so much the better.
Start by making a list of likely candidates. Old friends or bosses from the units you’ve been a member of are natural choices, especially if they currently work the airline to which you are applying. Airlines will want to see some letters from people who have seen you fly, so mine your memory for the names and faces of people you had good experiences with.
Here’s an important point: it helps if you know the people you are asking for recommendations well. Especially if they work at your target airline, it is good if you have some idea about what their reputation is. You might have had a great time flying with Lt. Col. Snuffy, but you remember him as kind of a “piece of work.” If someone is likely to be the squeaky wheel at the airline you want to work for, you might want to skip asking them to act as a reference. The airlines tend to assume that “birds of a feather flock together;” you don’t want them to make the assumption that you too are a trouble maker.
While internal recommendations from people you have flown with are the Holy Grail, getting a non-flying reference or two can be helpful as well. Maybe you do some volunteer work; have a person you’ve volunteered with write about your selfless generosity. Perhaps you mentor in a school or coach a sports team—airlines love community involvement. Even friends who you’ve known for decades can be good sources of recommendation letters. The airlines want to know that you are technically competent and safety oriented, but they also want to know that you’re a good person and citizen as well. The point here is to show that that you have an interesting and multifaceted personality. Airlines don’t like to hire one trick ponies.
A good place to begin is by revisiting old experiences. Talking about a deployment that you endured together or a sticky in-flight situation will brighten potentially rusty memories in the mind of the person that you want to write your letter. Make sure that you are clear about your goals, intentions and timeline; it won’t do to ask a person for a letter and leave the timeframe open ended. Ask about their current situation; make sure they have some time and energy to devote to the task.
Throughout the airline application and interview process, remember that you are selling a product—yourself. When discussing a recommendation letter with someone that you want to speak up for you, tell them about recent events in your career and things that you’d like to highlight. Listen to their suggestions; they might identify some attributes you have that you haven’t thought of yet. Give them a copy of your resume. Not only is this a good crib sheet for the person writing the letter, but you might get the benefit of some free editing help as well.
Formats for recommendation letters differ by airline. Some airlines appreciate an internal recommendation walked in by a current employee. Others ask for references as part of the application process; these airlines will send requests for recommendations to your references, usually via email. Make sure that you ask a reference before listing them, and make doubly sure that you have an email address for them that they regularly check.
It’s ok if the folks writing your recommendation letters don’t have degrees in English literature—these letters don’t need to be epic tomes or Greek tragedies. You should, however, try to get letters from people who you know are good at conveying a message in writing. After all, they will be vouching for you. Letters should be relatively short—three paragraphs are optimal.
When thinking about what you want people to highlight in a recommendation, consider what it is the airlines are hiring you to do. They want a dependable, professional, safety oriented pilot who is focused on completing the mission at hand. Airlines want a person who gets along with others well and who demonstrates community involvement and a caring attitude towards people—remember that the airline’s bills are paid by customers. You should talk through some ways that these qualities can be conveyed in your recommendation letter; you probably won’t get a chance to edit it, especially if the writer will be responding to a request from the airline. Make sure that the letter will indicate the length of time that the writer has known you and the capacity in which they have worked or interacted with you. The airlines want to know that this is a legitimate recommendation, not just a form letter from someone who doesn’t know you well.
You may run into a situation in which someone wants you to write the recommendation letter yourself. This happens more than you might think; people want to help but sometimes lack confidence in their own writing skills. You can write it yourself, but make sure that you check with the person it is from before handing it in. If they want to take a truly hands off approach and not read it at all, it is best to steer clear of this person as a reference.
Recommendation letters can open doors, but they can close them too. Be methodical and thoughtful in your search for likely candidates to write on your behalf. Look for internal recommendations at your target airline, but don’t disregard other sources as well. Make sure your references are well equipped with a current resume and some information about your activities and goals. Once you get hired, offer your recommendation to those coming behind you. Having been through the process, you’ll be uniquely qualified to help other pilots fulfill their goals as well.
Pilot Letter of Recommendation Guide
How to write a pilot letter of recommendation
Consider these steps when writing a letter of recommendation for a pilot:
1. Format your letter
Maintain a standard 12-point font in black ink on a one-sided sheet of letter paper to keep your letter concise and readable. Place the date of the letter at the top of the page and include your contact information at the bottom. You can divide the content of your letter into three parts for an introduction, background and closing paragraph.
2. Address your recipient
Ask the candidate for the hiring manager and company details so that you can directly address the recipient in your letter. Doing this allows you to demonstrate your and the candidates interest in them obtaining the position. If youre unsure who to address the letter to specifically, you can use a neutral greeting such as “To whom it may concern.”
3. Discuss your purpose
Begin the content of your letter by stating your purpose, recommending a candidate for a piloting position within their company. Briefly detail why youre recommending the candidate and how you know them. Choose a couple of specific qualities to recommend them.
4. Detail their qualifications
The second paragraph of your letter provides some background for the candidates qualifications. You can describe how they conduct their personal or professional responsibilities. Consider specific specializations they might have or the range of work theyve conducted to offer a context for their skills.
5. Establish a relationship
At the end of your letter, you can include a direct call to action that establishes a communication relationship between you and the hiring manager. Provide your contact details so that they can communicate with you for further information. Establishing a line of communication creates a sense of trust and demonstrates your willingness to answer follow-up questions about the candidates qualifications.
6. Proofread your letter
Your recommendation letter is a reflection of the candidates abilities, so its important to ensure your letter is free of errors. Edit your letter to fix any spelling or grammar errors, along with verifying the accuracy of your statements. Consider any factual statements youve made and revise them for clarity or to eliminate potential discrepancies.
What to include in a pilot letter of recommendation
These are some things to include in your pilot letter of recommendation:
Contact information
Provide your name, job title, company, email address and phone number in your recommendation letter. Including your contact information allows hiring managers and employers to verify your relationship with the pilot candidate and determine the reliability of your recommendation. Listing your job title and company can show hiring managers you work in a relevant role to recommend a pilot.
Relation to the pilot
Some companies may request both a personal or professional recommendation or just one or the other. Specify your relationship with the pilot to clarify if you know them in a personal or professional capacity. Understanding your interactions with the pilot candidate can allow hiring managers to assess your recommendation properly.
Reason for your recommendation
Highlight the qualities of the pilot that prompt you to recommend them for the role. You can define a skill, accomplishment or work ethic that differentiates a candidate from the rest of the job applicants. Consider their work processes, abilities and knowledge to determine a specific quality that they demonstrate exceptionally.
Professional qualifications
A pilots professional qualifications may include the number of years theyve spent as a pilot, the types of aircraft theyve handled or their knowledge. Professional recommendations may come from supervisors or coworkers. If youve worked with the candidate, you can highlight your experience working with them and how closely youve observed their work processes.
Personal characteristics
Defining a pilots personal characteristics can allow hiring managers to evaluate a candidates match and compatibility with their flight team. Personal recommendations may come from educators or colleagues in other industries. Depending on the position, pilots may have more interactions with passengers or other clients, which may require interpersonal skills.
Template for a pilot letter of recommendation
The following is a template to guide your recommendation letter writing:
[Date]
Dear [Hiring manager],
Its my pleasure to recommend to you [pilots first and last name] as a pilot for [company]. Over the past [number] years, Ive [relation to the pilot]. Throughout that time, theyve demonstrated [qualities to recommend them].
[Pilots first name] is a [personal characteristic] pilot who [professional qualifications]. They conduct their work [work ethic description]. In addition, [ pilots first name] [additional positive qualities].
I believe that [pilots first name] would be a great addition to [company]s flight team. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at the information provided below.
Sincerely,
[Your first and last name]
[Job title]
[Company]
[Email address]
[Phone number]
Example of a pilot letter of recommendation
Heres an example letter of recommendation following the template:
July 16, 2020
Dear Wallace Phyllis,
Its my pleasure to recommend to you Pia Wyers as a pilot for GIAir. Over the past four years, Ive worked alongside Pia as a copilot on several flights for our company. Throughout that time, theyve demonstrated resolve and resourcefulness in preventing and mitigating potential flight issues.
Pia is a dedicated pilot who has a thorough understanding of a variety of flight instruments and configurations for different aircraft. They conduct their work calmly and attentively to anticipate and minimize disturbances for flight passengers. In addition, Pia has experience in flying a wide range of aircraft for various purposes like defense, emergency or rescue missions.
I believe Pia would be a great addition to GIAirs flight team. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at the information provided below.
Sincerely,
Joey Marzano
Chief pilot
S.K. Air
[email protected]
(505) 511-1414
FAQ
How do I write a letter of recommendation for an airline pilot?
How do I write a good letter of recommendation?
- Think carefully before saying yes. …
- Follow a business letter format. …
- Focus on the job description. …
- Explain how you know the person, and for how long. …
- Focus on one or two traits. …
- Remain positive. …
- Share your contact information.
What qualities makes a good pilot?
- Attention to detail. When it comes to flying, small mistakes can make a big impact, and there’s little room for error in the skies. …
- Situational awareness. …
- Self-confidence. …
- Humility. …
- Clear communication skills. …
- Ability to remain calm under pressure. …
- Desire to learn.
