HIRED (same day) - F28 Start Date: May 24, 1999

Arrived at 10:00am for my 10:30am interview. Checked in with the front desk receptionist and was shown to the break room. There were five other interviewing that day - a woman who flew charters in a Lear, a United Express pilot, a Las Vegas scenic flights pilot, a retired Air Force guy, and a cargo pilot flying out of Colorado. Kim Powers came in and grabbed me from the break room at about 10:20. Lamar Haugaard had a meeting most of the day, so my Chief Pilot interview was with Terry Allen and Kim Powers. Very friendly, about 20 minutes. Asked: Describe flying background. What makes you think you’re ready for Horizon? (asked in a friendly, joking sort of way, probably because of my lower flight time) Why did you choose Horizon? Any accidents/incidents/violations? How’s your driving record? Do you smoke? Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Asked if current job in Metros was single pilot or two pilot? 2 pilot, so asked about CRM training from current employer. One thing your wife would say you could change about yourself. Best characteristic or trait gained from father? mother? Domicile preference? Any questions for us?

Went back to break room, waited about 20 minutes. Stephanie, from HR, came and got me. Also, very friendly. Big eyes, nice smile (seems very interested in you). Asked questions from a sheet (~15 or so). Asked: Why should Horizon choose you? Definition of professionalism. Describe a recent conflict, and how resolved. What would your current supervisor say about you? Last thing a passenger should remember after they get off the airplane? Why did you choose Horizon? What part does a pilot play in customer service? Difference between a good pilot and a great pilot. What is your current work attendance like? What type of student are you? Would any shift be a problem (night, weekends, holidays?) That’s about all I can remember. Low stress, be yourself (as I’m sure you’ve heard before). Wants answers from the person (you), not an “answering” machine. Back to the break room. About another 20 minute wait. Kim, then, brought us all into Chief Pilots’ office. All were invited to the sim session. We were introduced to the sim instructor (Aaron, F28 F.O.) – very nice, there to help you, not looking to fail anybody. We had lunch (provided by Horizon) and talked with Aaron. He gave us the sim settings and the basic profile, then we just went around the room saying a few words about ourselves. We all started on the written after lunch, and Aaron took one person into the sim (in whatever order, so people can make their flight home, or should want to go first or last). Written test was just ATC’s. Study from different gouge and you should have no problem scoring a 90% or better.

Sim ride: same as ATC teaches you. Depart EUG runway 16, intercept the 140? radial, climb to 3000’, to the 7 DME and arc west (wind was from the East, but not very much). As heard, Horizon’s sim is much easier to fly than ATC’s; much more stable, but still configured just the same. After arcing (maybe 30? or so), he froze my position. Gave me holding instructions, with current position SSW of NDB: Hold north of FRAKK on the 180? TO the station, maintain 3000’, EFC ….. Asked for my entry (parallel); but gives you plenty of time think about it and to get ready. Start entry with some wind correction (still from the East). He (as A.T.C.) asked if I was established in the hold. I said no, still in the entry (“Good”). After passing NDB the second time (now in the hold), I made my call. Froze me again. From the same position as before the hold, he cleared me for full procedure NDB 16 approach. Flew that down to MDA, and went missed after my time expired (try to set off the MM, although he didn’t say anything about it, I’ve heard other instructors might expect you to set it off??), then started the published missed approach. After crossing the NDB and was going to start another hold, he gave a heading and altitude to maintain to check straight/level flight (I’m not sure why, though, at this point). Frozen again. Repositioned me. Cleared me for a vectored ILS. I was released fairly close to the OM, so don’t delay in getting configured (speed, flaps, etc.) There was some more turbulence on this part, but don’t give the turbulence a second thought, just fly the approach with the necessary corrections because you’re done after that. I landed (I mean slammed) the sim onto the runway, but he said beforehand he wasn’t grading the takeoff or landing.

That was it! I was sent back downstairs to the Chief Pilot’s office and spoke to Lamar and Terry about my performance. They said they were very impressed with my interviews and my sim was one of the better ones they had seen in a while. I didn’t think I did anything spectacular, but it was graded as a 96%. I was offered either the Dash 8 or the F-28. I’m not sure who else got hired that day.

The money spent at ATC was well worth it. If you take your punishing at ATC before your interview, the Horizon sim will seem like a piece of cake. I think my current flying in the Metroliner was good preparation (probably enough to pass), but my training at ATC gave me that extra confidence to go into the ride and pass easily.

Arrived early morning at the Horizon Air Flight Operations department, across the field from the main terminal. Signed in and then waited about 15 minutes for a personnel representative to come into the lounge area. Myself and one other applicant had arrived early - there would be four of us participating in the interview process this day. The personnel rep interviewed me first. Very bried, about 15 - 20 minutes, with some very basic and general questions: why do you want to work for Horizon?; if there were three pilots, all possessing equal qualities (you're one of them) why should Horizon hire you over the other two?; just basic stuff. He then explained some things about the company, and where they were headed. Remember this!! They are very big on customer service/customer satisfaction!!! Went back out to the waiting lounge and the next applicant went in while I awaited my interview with the two chief pilots, Dash 8 ops. By now another applicant had arrived, a female, who had interview the previous week with SkyWest, been offered a job on the spot, and was putting them on hold because she wanted to work for Horizon. Actually, the other applicant, a retired Navy pilot had also interviewed with SkyWest and been offered a position with SkyWest on the spot, and also was delaying his acceptance based on the Horizon outcome. (The main reason they were holding off was two fold: first, they both wanted to work for Horizon more than with SkyWest; second, your on your own at SkyWest during initial, ie., food, lodging, etc, which can get very expensive over the course of a couple of months, whereas Horizon puts you on the payroll the first day of class, and picks up your room during training). Back to my next interview, with the chief pilots: very informal, basically a get to know you type interview. Nothing technical at all. I really believe that their selection process for the interviews is quite thorough, ie, when you get called in to interview they know you can fly - they're looking for people who SINCERELY want to not just fly for Horizon, but who want to work for this excellent company and retire with them. It seemed to me that if you got through the interviews that they would most likely offer you a position, contingent of course on an acceptable written and sim test score. Again, this interview with the two chief pilots was very relaxed and comfortable to say the least. They really made you feel welcoome - they were glad you were there. They looked over my log book, asked some general questions on a form which they were checking off as they progressed through the questions, and then asked me if I had any. Everything had been covered adequately, so we all shook hands and I went back out to the lobby to await word if I would continue on to the afternoon session - written test and sim ride. By this time all six applicants were in the building, each awaiting his/her turn in the interview process. I was done, so simply waited until the others finished. By the time we were all done it was close to 1:00pm, at which time the personnel rep and the two chief pilots came out and informed everyone that we would all be going on with the afternoon session. Shortly thereafter, the sim instructor came in, introduced himself, and we all headed across the field to Flightcraft where the Frasca 142 sim is located. Horizon provided a box lunch for each of us (a very adequate lunch indeed) while the sim instructor brief us on the sim session we would participate in. Pretty basic sim ride: normal takeoff, fly a 5 or 7mile dme arc; flight direct to the NDB and hold (he asked you which entry you would use before you get to the NDB); shoot the full NDB out of the hold to a missed approach (he wants to know where the wind in coming from); vectors for a full ILS full stop landing. Absolutely nothing too difficult about this sim ride - the instructor has briefed it thoroughly so there are no surprises at all. Simply take your time, get set up correctly, know what you're going to do down the road, and do it. While one person was in the sim the others were waiting their turn in the classroom upstairs doing the written test. A very basic 50 question, MC test right out of the ATP test prep booklet, with the exception of about 4 or 5 company oriented questions: who's the CEO, what's the FO starting salary, who founded Horizon Air, what year was Horizon Air founded, etc. When it was my turn to do the sim ride I took my written test answer sheet with me, the instructor graded it while I was getting seated in the sim, told me that I had passed the written (doesn't tell you the score, at least he didn't tell me mine), and then we proceeded on with the sim check. After the sim check the instructor thanks you for coming and offers you the best of luck. He doesn't, and can't, say a word about your sim ride. He simply conducts it and takes the scored printout to the chief pilots for their review of it and the wirtten test. They give you a number to call back the following morning relatively to your status. That's what's great about the process - they don't keep you waiting - you know something in a little over 12 hours after you've completed the process. Fortunately, I was offered a job. I think out of the six of us two didn't make, probably due to the sim ride. But as I understand it you can reapply after 3 months. All in all it was a fantastic experience. I believe the statistics show that of all the people they interview probably 75 - 80% are successfull in the process and are offered jobs. Of all the interviews that I have ever done in my flying career this was the most enjoyable and pleasant one. These Horizon people are a cut above. They're just outstanding people, and the place where I want to retire from. It's really a great company.