Did you know that Hillsboro Aero Academy is a United Aviate partner flight school? It’s true! That means that if you are a student or instructor at Hillsboro Aero then you are eligible to apply to join United’s Aviate program. But what exactly is Aviate? It is an industry-leading pilot career development program designed to get you from flight training all the way to a career at United Airlines.
Here is how it works: You join Hillsboro Aero Academy as a student (or apply as a flight instructor). Once accepted into our Professional Pilot Program, you study hard, and get your Private Pilot Certificate. After completing your private training, you can apply to Aviate. They will review your resume and fly you out to their Flight Training Center (FTC) to interview you and see how well you will fit into the United culture. This is also your time to shine where you will meet United pilots as they will assess your capabilities in the flight deck.
Once you pass the interview, you will keep working to finish your flight training and build your hours until you meet the minimum requirements to get hired by one of the United Express partner companies like Air Wisconsin, Mesa Airlines, and CommutAir. After gaining additional experience at a United Express partner airline, then you will transition to United as a First Officer. The Aviate program is the most direct path to becoming a pilot for United Airlines and the first place to start is by contacting our admissions department at Hillsboro Aero Academy.
I am currently a Flight Instructor at Hillsboro Aero Academy and the Program Manager for HAA’s Aviate program. Here are some additional facts about the program and some of my personal advice.
- United Airlines aims to hire 10,000 pilots over the next decade based on growth, attrition, and retirements. This means that despite the impacts of COVID-19, they are still expecting to have a lot of job opportunities for pilots looking to fly with them.
- Commit to flying full-time while you are in flight school. The sooner you get your training done, the sooner you will meet your goals of being a First Officer in the right seat of a United flight deck. Flight training is absolutely something that you get out of it what you put into it.
- Even if you can apply to the Aviate program, once you have your brand-new Private Pilot Certificate, I would recommend waiting until you have also completed your Instrument Rating so you have time to build additional experience. Candidates are encouraged to apply when they feel prepared, have studied the STAR format, and have experience to answer those questions.
- United Airlines is very big on culture. Their “core4” principles are Safe, Caring, Dependable, and Efficient. While you are flight training, working as an instructor, or flying for one of the United Express partners, instill this into everything you do and you will be a shoe-in for a great career with United Airlines.
You can visit the Aviate website for more information or contact our admissions team at 503.726.3000 or info@flyhaa.com to learn more about our aviation training courses. We will also share program updates on our social media channels so follow us on Facebook and Instagram.