AVweb Classifieds: A Tool For Talent Spotters

Ernie Meeks in his day job at Southwest Airlines.

SPONSORED CONTENT — For Phoenix corporate charter start up MJets, staffing means more than finding pilots who have checked all the boxes.

“Sure, we’ll hire captains who have gone through all the wickets,” says MJets founder Ernie Meeks. “But after that, we hire on personality. They’ll have the right pedigree, but can they adapt, anticipate, and learn in a business where customer contact is everything?”

Meeks, who retired from the Air Force after twenty years flying C5s and KC-135s, has been working for Southwest Airlines for 11 years. He is in a pilot hiring role at the airline now, and when he’s not flying missions for Southwest, he’s concentrating on MJets. It’s more than a sideline. It’s a passion.

His plan is to find and staff a stable of Citation Jets (versions one through four), because one 525-type rating will allow pilots in his group to fly the full CJ inventory. Meeks’s primary targets are recently retired airline captains, and to find a diamond in a specialized pool like this, you can’t throw out a wide net on Indeed.com or Monster.

Meeks and his team will be looking for pilots (and A&Ps, and dispatchers, and line staff) in a place where they’re more likely to congregate—a place like AVweb.com.

AVweb.com has been the go-to can’t-miss journal of aviation news, thought and opinion for more than 27 years. As an early adopter of internet-delivered news and information, AVweb has a long history of engaging aviation aficionados of all stripes and persuasions. And if you are a talent spotter like Captain Meeks, connecting with these highly connected pilots has never been easier with the arrival of Classifieds.AVweb.com.

He is also at the controls of Phoenix startup Mjets.

“We are in pre-launch of our new classified advertising system,” says AVweb’s Timothy Cole, chief content officer of AVweb parent company Belvoir Media Group. “That means people who list on our service before our June 20 official launch will get their first two months free.” There is no limit to the number of classified ads you can post, and AVweb.com won’t take a credit card or bank information. The two-month clock starts on the 20^th of June.

Last week, aviation service providers like engine overhaulers, paint shops or insurance companies were allowed to start listing during this pre-launch period. These aviation companies can post advertising right up to and beyond the official launch. This week, job posters like MJets are invited to list employment opportunities. Next week, aircraft brokers will be able to start listing multiple aircraft for sale (again, there is no limit to the number of ads you can post for free). Beginning June 6, individual owners will be able to list their airplanes for sale.

AVweb.com now boasts more than a million site visits a month and sends its five-times weekly AVweb Flash news service to more than 100,000 opt-in pilots. For more information visit Classifieds.Avweb.Com.

And if you’re typed in a CJ, we’ve got a job for you.

Editorial StaffAVweb