SKW Interview

GaTechKid · September 21st, 2006, 15:55

Flew in a couple days before the interview and stayed at the Candlewood. Skywest provides positive space travel to/from the interview. A shuttle runs directly from the Candlewood to the Skywest hangar on the airport, which I took along with 2 other applicants and a handful of the new-hires going to CRJ class. The class had 50 in it... Once we arrived we were taken to a conference room on the 2nd floor where we waited until the rest of the applicants arrived. 9 applicants. Their backgrounds ranged from instruction, 135 cargo, and ASA/Comair/Pinnacle/Colgan/Scenic. Many of the applicants are coming from 121 carriers. The interview day started at 8am with a brief company and training overview. A 50 question ATP and 20 question mechanical aptitude test was handed out, to be completed by the end of the day. Each test was a different version, but the majority of the ATP questions came from the 91/121 sections. You can use the ASVAB prep book to prepare for the mechanical aptitude section, but I simply used aviationinterviews.com for it. People were taken out at various times for the other interview phases.

My HR/Technical was a 1 on 1 interview with a captain. It took 30 minutes with a good portion of that waiting from him to get back with my original documents. I won't give out specific questions, however for the HR portion expect the standard ones like Incidents/Accidents/Violations/Why SKW/Why You etc... His favorite answer of mine was my one-word response to why I hadn't failed any checkrides. Give honest/no BS answers. SKW is famous for making you draw out the systems on your current aircraft. To cover all your bases practice sketching out your engine/electrical/fuel/pneumatic systems. They are also famous for emphasizing weather. Go over frontal weather, thunderstorms, icing, and mountain flying.

The simulator phase is conducted in either the ATC 810 or the Frasca. I assume they rent out the frasca for interviews because it was located in a mini-trailer parked next to the hangar. As the instructor was walking me down he stated it was very pitch sensitive and I would be given a 200' tolerance on my altitudes. I'm current 121, I had been hand flying full approaches down to minimums the week prior in preparation, and I still needed those tolerances for the first half of the session. Go through all the motions as if you are starting at the gate, i.e. grab the ATIS and clearance, decide if you need T/O or Dest. alternates, contact ground/tower, and then rock on. Expect a departure procedure of some sort, vectors and instructions to enter a hold, and then a full approach in a non-radar environment. For all you non-121 guys out there, remember to get an update on the weather before you hit the FAF inbound. The instructor acts like a FO on his first leg of IOE so all he's good for his running checklists, grabbing weather updates, and timing you. Keep trucking along during the evaluation as you make mistakes, which you will do.

The last phase is the CRM scenario. Applicants act out the part of Captain, First Officer, and Jumpseater. You are given your current location/situation and then given an abnormal/emergency situation. You have 7 minutes to talk it out with your fellow crewmembers. The scenario is different for each group. Just make sure you utilize each other, dispatch, the FA, ATC, etc.. and you should "pass." Technically, there are no right/wrong decisions.

Everyone in my interview group was done by 2pm. 8 out of the 9 made it all the way to the end. They were hiring for an October start date. 38 CRJ and 30 Bro slots. You're given an aircraft on an as-needed basis, however they prefer to give the CRJ to current 121 pilots. SKW now provides lodging and pay during training and new-hire uniforms.

WestIndian425 · September 21st, 2006, 16:09

Whoa whoa whoa!!!! I didn't know you were looking to make a move already!

surreal1221 · September 21st, 2006, 16:29

Wow. . . well sounds like you did a good job. What was that one word answer?

Seggy · September 21st, 2006, 16:47

Got SJS

I kid, I kid...

What was the answer?

surreal1221 · September 21st, 2006, 17:18

My money is on "skill" or "luck."

GaTechKid · September 21st, 2006, 17:39

"Skill" would be a dishonest answer.

Seggy · September 22nd, 2006, 00:48

Slaab guys can't fly

Bumblebee · September 22nd, 2006, 02:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by GaTechKid

"Skill" would be a dishonest answer.

Practice? . . . . Study? . . . .Perseverance?

come on give with the one word answer!

aloft · September 22nd, 2006, 03:11

My guess on the one-word answer is "Preparation".

SteveC · September 22nd, 2006, 09:14

"Lucky"

CAFFEINE · September 22nd, 2006, 14:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by aloft

My guess on the one-word answer is "Preparation".

That'd be my guess also.

Hootie · October 6th, 2006, 12:57

Just saw this and thought I would chime in. At my interview we didnt have any 121 guys except some scenic dudes. One 135 charter and one C-130 pilot, and one CFI/King Air co-pilot. The rest were riddle-diddles with CRJ drool fresh on there mouths.
I know they don't really want pure gouge out there so Im not going to do that, but I can truly say that if you can make it through their training, want to be at Skywest vs "any regional that you can get", and that you are thoroughly competent at your current level of flying, they will hire you.
Also I currently fly freight in a navajo and did my sim in the Frasca. Way easier than the real thing because you don't have to stage cool, deal with turbulence, ice. Very straightfoward and simple with no tricks. Just make sure that you have them brief you good on how the nav/com works because the DME function is wierder than what I was used to.
All in all a long day, got my fedex packet about a week later.

gatechkid, have you heard back from them?

GaTechKid · October 6th, 2006, 20:11

Yes. 33 out of the 37 CRJ new-hires in class are former 121 with an average of 2-3 years at their previous airline. One is even a retired 767 captain.

Bigey · October 10th, 2006, 00:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by GaTechKid

Yes. 33 out of the 37 CRJ new-hires in class are former 121 with an average of 2-3 years at their previous airline. One is even a retired 767 captain.

Retired? He retired only to return to fly CRJ FO?

wheelsup · October 10th, 2006, 11:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigey

Retired? He retired only to return to fly CRJ FO?

AWAC has an ex-Pan Am pilot.

Seggy · October 11th, 2006, 00:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by wheelsup

AWAC has an ex-Pan Am pilot.

As does Colgan, was a 727 Captain today flying the Beech 19hondo.

FLflyer · October 11th, 2006, 23:37

Same here (XJT), retired as a CA at CAL, now an FO with us.