My XJT interview experience

NYer914 · March 18th, 2006, 11:34

Interview Date: March 9 2006
Everyone at ExpressJet was really nice…very relaxed atmosphere…they made you feel very comfortable. Arrived at about 9:15am with about 10 others whose flights arrived somewhere around 8:30-45, there was a group of about 30 in the morning and I’d say probably half got hired. One person was sent home for not having all the required paperwork about 10 minutes after they got there…it is very important that you have everything in order they way they want it, and have all the things that they ask you to bring. The gouges below mine are very good, it is was the majority of my studying. Find yourself some Mexican approach plates from Jepp, someone you know must have them, they are mostly the same, some feeder routes to a DME arc to the final approach course so if you just find one or two VOR DME approaches you should be good. Also study the introduction to the jepp charts, it explains everything you need to know about the plates and enroute charts….very valuable….Well, my experience….I wasn’t called in to the first room until the early afternoon, I was asked about any emergencies that I had, type of engines on the Seminole, what does a prop gov do? What would I do if we were at an out station (no maintenance) and I noticed a nav light out on my walkaround, holding speeds, what would I do if weather went below mins before FAF? After FAF?... that was it for the first room….The second room was all jepps…. I was handed a Manzanillo VOR DME approach, asked to finger fly the approach and the missed, what hold entry…calculate VDP and give reason for using a VDP, asked what MSA was and what it gave you…what the bold arrow was…then she pulled out a low enroute chart, asked what MEA and MOCA was and their differences, loc symbols, the ever famed Grid Mora, where I could find the distance between two VORs…Green vs Blue airports…. Restricted Areas – where I can find more info about them on the chart. I knew them all thanks to studying the Jepp Approach plate intro. Also asked to read a basic metar, but brush up on the remark stuff AO2 TSE45RAE45SNBG45 P00006 T01160102 amongst other remarks stuff you can study in the AIM. Then it was the HR room, DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE HR ROOM…because I did….I thought it was just going to be me talking about how great I am and selling myself, but as a low time applicant they were a little hard on me…There was one man in there who I think was Director of IOE and an HR woman. He was saying to me that he didn’t think that I had enough time to work here…they are looking for the strong confident person at this point….do not back down…tell him or her why exactly they should hire you and be very confident about your answer. I was talking to some higher time guys who only got asked a few easy questions. I was asked since I was a CFI then my students are flying the airplane and I’m just sitting there, do not say “yeah I guess you’re right” tell them why you are PIC of the airplane when you are instructing….just be confident is all I can say. After that I was told to stand in the hall under the ever famed picture of the ERJ. I actually was giving myself only a 30% chance of getting hired since he kept stressing that I did not have enough time…once again if you are low time don’t let that bother you, they want to see how strong of a person you are. Anyway, the HR person came out of the room 5 min later (felt like 5 days) and told me that they would like to offer me a position…needless to say I accepted and did about an hour of paperwork, then off to Continental Clinic for Drug test and back Home. Good luck to everyone….

Barlow · March 18th, 2006, 13:15

Congratulations. Thanks for sharing the experience. If I may ask, what were your total and multi times that they seemed concerned with?

DE727UPS · March 18th, 2006, 13:42

"but as a low time applicant they were a little hard on me…"

What were your times and where did you train?

NYer914 · March 18th, 2006, 18:37

650 Total
350 Multi

Product of...and instructor at ATP

Cav · March 18th, 2006, 19:46

Welcome aboard!

Diamnd15 · March 18th, 2006, 20:15

good stuff man, i hope you enjoy it

Baronman · March 18th, 2006, 21:10

Welcome....650 hrs wow....

DE727UPS · March 18th, 2006, 22:15

"650 Total
350 Multi

Product of...and instructor at ATP"

Did you do any kind of RJ transition training?

Baronman · March 18th, 2006, 22:32

DE727, where are you going with this?

NYer914 · March 18th, 2006, 22:39

I did ATP's CRJ Standardization Course... Overall it is a good program, especially good for shooting approaches with the advanced instrumentation and at higher airpspeeds than I am used to. I think it shows that you are trainable and that you did something to prepare yourself for the transition from piston to turbine aircraft, plus ATP instructors get a discounted price.

DE727UPS · March 18th, 2006, 23:08

"DE727, where are you going with this?"

Well.....I was thinking of going over to the FSA forum and telling Badco, who is waiting for Catherine from Marketing to get him a class date at ASA after doing direct track and not getting hired for several months, that maybe getting your CFI and instructing for a while is a good thing.

Why do you ask?

Cherokee_Cruiser · March 19th, 2006, 01:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by DE727UPS

"DE727, where are you going with this?"

Well.....I was thinking of going over to the FSA forum and telling Badco, who is waiting for Catherine from Marketing to get him a class date at ASA after doing direct track and not getting hired for several months, that maybe getting your CFI and instructing for a while is a good thing.

Why do you ask?

DE, you're brutal, why be that hard on Badco?

He's in the pool, he WILL get called.

From FSA's Direct Track FAQs:

Quote:

When will I start working at the airline?

After the completion of Phase III and IV you can expect a waiting period of 30-90 days before you begin Basic Indoc at the respective airline’s headquarters.

Badco finished his checkride (end of phase 4) at the end of January.

So, 30-90 days = 1 to 3 months.

So, it hasnt been three months yet. The point is he will get a class date, and very soon. Other direct track students in his class have gotten class dates, and he will get one too.

It's clear from your posts you loathe (too strong a word, then how about 'mildly chastise') low time pilots who have done Direct Track. You're a "get your CFIs, instruct, do it the ol' fashion way' kinda guy.

Well, some aren't. They just don't want to teach/be a CFI. They can choose to do direct track.

I would never tell someone to get their CFI unless they want to, and are passionate about teaching. I had the unfortunate experience of having an instructor at my FBO, a guy who did all his training from a large, flight academy... name not given to protect the innocent.

He made it clear from day one that he only needed XXX more hours before he could interview with a regional. He just wanted the lesson to be over with, and he couldn't care less. It was clear he was a CFI solely to build about 500 hours of time, and then bail to the regionals. His attitude, to me, was unacceptable. I dumped him as an instructor, and got an ol' timer who was very passionate about teaching flying.

"Intructing for a while is a good thing" is only good if the person actually wants to teach, has passion for teaching, and has patience with newbies. (I'm not implying Badco would make a bad CFI). My point is that I don't think you can just tell someone to get a CFI certificate and start teaching to kill time before you get a class date.

frog_flyer · March 19th, 2006, 02:05

i think instructing would be really fun. i train at skymates, and most of the instructors are in their 20s, adn those that are older are still really cool. everyone is always joking and having a good time and making fun of me for liking to drink ensure.

lol you get the idea

pscraig · March 19th, 2006, 02:26

That interview sounds strikingly similar to mine, right down to the ZLO approach plates. We really do that stuff every day, especially those of us that love Mexico flying. Congrats, you'll like it here.

Cav · March 19th, 2006, 11:12

While I agree that if you are not passionate about teaching then you will probably make a bad teacher, I see a lot of truth in what DE says. It seems that the guys at XJT and elsewhere that did a direct track usually are the type that want something for nothing. You know the microwave generation that I always refer to! Now,now,now. God forbid someone actually having to work to get something these days. Flame away and quote your conversations with check airmen, HR managers, and sim instructors I really don't care. I'll quote from the hundreds of line captains I fly with every day that disagree. A far more credible source.

jtrain609 · March 19th, 2006, 19:05

THat's because your ensure tastes like chalk!

DE727UPS · March 19th, 2006, 19:33

I don't mean anything personal against Badco and have decided not to go further with this. It just struck me as sort of funny that the director of marketing has to call up the airline to get him a class date. That's not how it normally works...

"quote your conversations with check airmen, HR managers, and sim instructors I really don't care. I'll quote from the hundreds of line captains I fly with every day that disagree. A far more credible source"

Amen.

Cherokee_Cruiser · March 19th, 2006, 21:06

Quote:

Catherine from Marketing to get him a class date at ASA

DE, can you please site your source? Who says Catherine is from maketing?

Directly from the FSA website, under 'Our Team' you will find that Catherine is the Career Development Coordinator, and NOT a marketing lady.

http://www.flightsafetyacademy.com/about/people.php

Jacqueline Gauger-Carlon
Senior Product Marketing Manager
Jacqueline has been the Product Marketing Manager for 10 years. A graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Jacqueline began her aviation career by working for Air France and then as the Customer Service Coordinator for World Airways.

Catherine Krietler
Career Development Coordinator
Catherine has been with FlightSafety Academy since October 2005. She is a graduate of Wichita State University with a BBA in International Business. She has a background in Marketing and Management.

As a career development coordinator, it sounds logical that it's a part of her job to follow up, and inquire about class dates for Direct Track graduates.

Cherokee_Cruiser · March 19th, 2006, 21:16

Sorry for the thread hijack, though I'm not sure who started it

NY, congrats on getting on with XJT !

DE727UPS · March 19th, 2006, 21:36

When asked if he had a class date. Badco said this:

"Still waiting. Several guys have been called and told to expect a firm class date in a few weeks. Should have some better info Monday, as Catherine in Marketing is going to try and get some better info on what is going on at ASA as far as hiring, etc."

Cav · March 19th, 2006, 22:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cherokee_Cruiser

Sorry for the thread hijack, though I'm not sure who started it

NY, congrats on getting on with XJT !

Ah yes, we have resurrected the dead horse. I love it!

frog_flyer · March 20th, 2006, 01:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Herreshoff

THat's because your ensure tastes like chalk!

spare me. you're just mad that you didnt get to try it

Maximillian_Jenius · March 20th, 2006, 01:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Herreshoff

THat's because your ensure tastes like chalk!

Keeps your bones strong though!

Holding Short · March 20th, 2006, 14:42

DE727

First off, I'm not trying to flame.I just want to understand why you are soo against (or passionate) about these schools?

For example, the big shool in Sanford. You say that it's the king of "PFT", that everyone should "pay their dues" and all that.

It seems to me that going through the program one would have to instruct for 1.5 - 2 years (if hired). Couldn't that be considered " paying the dues"?

HS

DE727UPS · March 20th, 2006, 15:23

"You say that it's the king of "PFT"

DCA? Where did I say that? Gulfstream is the king of PFJ. I'm not even sure what PFT is anymore. Really, the only methods I have a problem with are Gulfstream and the direct ab initio programs that put 250 to 300 hour guys into an RJ. Gulfstream because it's their system is bad for the career and ab initio because guys with that little experience don't belong in jets.

I like DCA cause they put out guys with 1000 total and some CFI experience. I don't like the cost, the guaranteed interview scam, the $10/hr they pay CFI's, and I absolutely HATE their marketing. Overall, I don't think going to DCA is a good choice.

"It seems to me that going through the program one would have to instruct for 1.5 - 2 years (if hired). Couldn't that be considered " paying the dues"?"

Yes, it would be.

"I just want to understand why you are soo against (or passionate) about these schools?"

I've been in this business a long time and have seen a lot of things. There are a few things that I see as flat out wrong about this business. I talk about them a lot because people keep bringing it up. When someone brings it up, I consider it my duty to give an opinion about it. It's not surprising, really, that we go round and round because this in an aviation careers website with new people showing up every day (kinda like you).

I like talking about these things (at the risk of pissing off a few people) and having the chance to share my views. You are free to disagree.