Want To Fly A Passenger Jet? JetBlue Is Now Taking Applications From Novice Pilots

Image courtesy of Boss Meg

Tired of the daily grind, and yearning to spend your work hours among the clouds, using a public address system to tell people to sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride? Now could be your chance to flee the cubicle life: JetBlue is offering folks with their eyes on the sky a chance to to learn how to fly a passenger jet with a new training program.

JetBlue’s Gateway Select pilot training program will take four years of “rigorous” training that will cost about $125,000, the company said Monday. Graduates could eventually take the controls of 100-seat passenger jets.

The airline says it will choose 24 applicants for the “highly selective program,” which is designed specifically for candidates with no previous flight training “who demonstrate the most desired qualities in a pilot.”

“Many dream of becoming a pilot but are deterred by financial realities,” said Warren Christie, senior vice president of safety, security, and training, JetBlue. “We have an opportunity to create the best pilot training program in the U.S. while also removing some of the economic and social barriers so that those with the natural aptitude can pursue their dream.”

The program won’t replace the airline’s usual way of recruiting pilots, who often come up through the ranks from regional carriers before joining larger airlines, the company says.

“This is a major advancement in commercial pilot training,” Christie said. “The traditional path will continue to produce excellent pilots, and now we will supplement the talent pool with pilots who are trained specifically for safe and efficient operations at JetBlue.”

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