During your interview......

Hopeful Aviator · August 14th, 2006, 21:45

How important was *Where* you got your training?

Curious if the people doing the interview look closer at someone who got all their ratings and time at a place say like ATP Versus a local FBO.

meritflyer · August 14th, 2006, 21:52

Makes no difference. You'll fly with FlightSafety guys, ERAU, and Joe's Fligh Shack. Its all in the quality of the candidate.

eglplt · August 15th, 2006, 09:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by meritflyer

Its all in the quality of the candidate.

In my personal experience, this sentence sums it all up perfectly.

Cruise · August 16th, 2006, 23:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by meritflyer

Makes no difference. You'll fly with FlightSafety guys, ERAU, and Joe's Fligh Shack. Its all in the quality of the candidate.

It really doesn't matter where you did your training....only that you know what you're doing and talking about.

Personality has a great deal to do w/ the interview process.

CFIse · August 17th, 2006, 09:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hopeful Aviator

How important was *Where* you got your training?

Curious if the people doing the interview look closer at someone who got all their ratings and time at a place say like ATP Versus a local FBO.

For any interview for a multi-person flight deck the BULK of the interview is intended to answer the question "can I spend 4 days flying with this person without actually reaching over and pounding them to death with the crash axe?"

I don't think most places care where you got your training other than the old alumni preference program, somebody who went to ERAU will give "preference" to somebody else who went to ERAU, but that's all about GETTING the interview and that screening is often done by people who are alumnis of a liberal arts college in Vermont so it's not all that relevant.

When you get the interview my best advice, try not to drool or pick your nose - it worked for me!

SIUAv8r · August 24th, 2006, 02:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by CFIse

When you get the interview my best advice, try not to drool or pick your nose - it worked for me!

Good advice!

Airdale · August 25th, 2006, 11:06

This is a good thread.

What about the technical side of the interview? Do they ask much about the aircraft the company flies, or more about the aircraft you have been flying? I've been flying the Seminole, so would they focus on asking me what I know about the Seminole? If so, how would they know what Vmc is in the Seminole unless they've flown one?

When it comes to technical stuff, do they ask you questions about 121 regs? 91 regs? On the instrument stuff, do they pull out some of the most complicated IAP's in the country and ask you everything about it?

Those are the questions I'd like to know.

wheelsup · August 25th, 2006, 16:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Airdale

This is a good thread.

What about the technical side of the interview? Do they ask much about the aircraft the company flies, or more about the aircraft you have been flying? I've been flying the Seminole, so would they focus on asking me what I know about the Seminole? If so, how would they know what Vmc is in the Seminole unless they've flown one?

When it comes to technical stuff, do they ask you questions about 121 regs? 91 regs? On the instrument stuff, do they pull out some of the most complicated IAP's in the country and ask you everything about it?

Those are the questions I'd like to know.

Those questions depend on the company you interview with, as well as who does the interview, in addition to what flying you've done in the past.

When I interviewed for 135 and 121 positions, I was instructing. They asked about the airplanes I was instructing in and asked about part 91 regs. The sims were all based upon flying small aircraft in IMC shooting approaches. For people that were coming from the 121 world, they had much more detailed questions in regards to emergency procedures on their aircraft (ie profile and procedures for engine failure at V1).

Probably the biggest part of my 121 interview was "tell me about a time" etc. etc. It was geared much more toward the HR side of things than the actual piloting side. For example, one question that sticks out is "tell me about a time where you had to make a decision effecting the safety of the flight...".

kellwolf · August 25th, 2006, 21:26

I got asked a couple of questions on the Seminole, but that was it. There may have been about one or two questions on the CRJ on the written exam, but that was it. Mostly it was like was said above. They want to know you're not a tool, you have the capabilities to pass ground school and be a successful pilot and most importantly, know you're not a tool.

The hardest question for me to answer on my interview was "How are you going to handle the jump from a small piston twin to a 53,000 lb jet and what have you been doing to prepare yourself for that jump?"

As for the people in my interview group, it ranged from DCA, ATP, small FBO guys (like myself) and some guys with 135 and 121 experience. They wound up hiring a mix of everyone.

Hopeful Aviator · August 27th, 2006, 01:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by kellwolf

I got asked a couple of questions on the Seminole, but that was it. There may have been about one or two questions on the CRJ on the written exam, but that was it. Mostly it was like was said above. They want to know you're not a tool, you have the capabilities to pass ground school and be a successful pilot and most importantly, know you're not a tool.

The hardest question for me to answer on my interview was "How are you going to handle the jump from a small piston twin to a 53,000 lb jet and what have you been doing to prepare yourself for that jump?"

As for the people in my interview group, it ranged from DCA, ATP, small FBO guys (like myself) and some guys with 135 and 121 experience. They wound up hiring a mix of everyone.

Now thats is a intresting question, How did you handle it?

wheelsup · August 27th, 2006, 01:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hopeful Aviator

Now thats is a intresting question, How did you handle it?

come to think of it they asked me the same question; I told them I did my 4-year degree in 2 years, 10 months, while getting all my ratings on the side as well as working 25 hours/week and ended up with a 3.7+ GPA and that sold them

kellwolf · August 27th, 2006, 13:35

I told them that I'd be doing a lot of studying on turbine systems to easy the transition as well as trying to think further ahead than normal when flying an approach to help down the road in a faster aircraft.

One thing I will say about the guys and gals that interview at my current airline, you can't tell whether they love or hate your answer. Total poker face.

Coney · August 31st, 2006, 16:36

For what it's worth, I recently came across a book that might help someone preparing for the technical portion of the interview. Check it out.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0071...14#reader-link

DoWhat? · October 27th, 2006, 05:18

So saying "I've watched Top Gun twice a week for the last ten years", wouldn't be a solid answer....? Dangit...back to the old drawing board!