United Airlines

United Airlines flies one of the largest and most geographically spread networks in the world, working seven US hubs — Chicago O'Hare, Denver, Houston Intercontinental, Newark, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Washington Dulles — with San Francisco and Newark carrying the bulk of its transpacific and transatlantic flying. Its fleet runs from the Airbus A319 and A321neo and Boeing 737 family on domestic routes to 767s, 777s and 787s long-haul, and it was a founding member of Star Alliance. Uniquely among the US majors, it owns and operates its own ab-initio flight school.

Flying for United

Aviate is United's pilot career path, and it starts earlier than most: United Aviate Academy at Goodyear near Phoenix takes candidates from zero hours to commercial pilot over roughly two years for around $71,250, with financing available. Graduates then build time as instructors or at Aviate's participating United Express and Part 135 operators, and become eligible to move across to United as a first officer once they hold an FAA ATP with 1,500 hours and have completed 1,200 hours pilot-in-command. The whole path typically runs two years at the academy and two to four more at a regional. United also hires experienced first officers directly, as it always has.

Aviate's screening is unusual in that it contains no separate flying-aptitude battery. Candidates who pass the initial review are invited by email to complete two remote online assessments that United names but does not attribute to a vendor: a computer-based Leadership Inventory and a values and culture-fit assessment called Becoming United. Candidate accounts also describe a personality instrument behind the interview stage, though United publishes nothing to confirm which. The practical consequence is that the personality and situational-judgement side of preparation matters more here than raw psychomotor skill — which is exactly the part candidates most often leave to chance.