1000 TT, 500 Multi, MEI CFI/II, no 135/121 experience
Were you offered the job?
Yes
Pilot Interview Profile:
The day started off with 6 applicants at the operations building. Shortly after 7:30am the HR person came out and got one of us (me) for the HR portion. In the HR portion she first takes care of your paperwork, if you have it in the order that they list it in your pre-interview email this goes very quickly and painlessly and Kathy really appreciates it. Then you go over your work history for the past 10 years, flying and non-flying and just kind of tell her about them. I had a few waitressing jobs and she asked me why I wasn't flying during those times and what my goals were at that time, easy stuff. Then she goes into the "tell me about a time" questions. Tell me about a time you adapted well to a changing environment.....a time you put safety first.....a time you put your company in a positive light.....a time you exhibited good customer service.....a time when you figured out a way to increase your efficiency.....things like that. She enjoys a good story so just tell a good story and sell yourself! Then at the end she asked, "why horizon?" and if you have any questions for her. She gives good detailed answers so try and ask lots of questions. Then I went back out to the waiting area and soon after was called to the technical interview done by 2 first officers. They started with questions about the company...who is the CEO....who is the president, are they different.....when was horizon founded....when did Alaska take it over.....what was horizon's first flight and in what aircraft.....what is the current stock price....what would Alaska Air Group code be if I wanted to look up the stock price.....what does our fleet consist of.....what are any special technologies in place on the Q400.......LOTS of questions that I wasn't too great at answering. Then we got into the technical portion. It was a flight from Wenatchee to moses lake. They gave me the weather and notams and started asking questions. Do we need a departure alternate....if so, how do we pick one....who would you call to get your clearance because Wenatchee is an uncontrolled field.....if you have a clearance void time does that mean wheels up by that time or contact departure by that time.....would you always fly the obstacle DP or do you have other options......the obstacle DP has takeoff minimums for climb rate how do you calculate your climb rate if you're going 120kts (a chart).....what is an MEA....what is a MOCA....do we need a destination alternate...if so how do we pick an appropriate one (dispatch picked Wenatchee as our destination alternate which is actually illegal due to the weather)....what approach should we shoot when we get to moses lake(the ILS is out of service in the NOTAMS so the wind is a direction crosswind for either 14 or 32 at that point so you would shoot the VOR into 14L or the VOR into 32)....when can you start your descent from 9000 for the approach(when established on a published segment of the approach).....is moses lake tower always open.....if not, how do we find its hours of operation....can we shoot the approach if weather is below minimums prior to the FAF and does the reported ceiling AND visibility matter or just one of the two......if we're going 360kts and you have to descent from 24000 to 12000 in 24 miles what does your ROD have to be......what is a grey shaded area on a low enroute chart (class G)....what factors effect Vmc. I got almost all of these correct. Back to the lobby Next interview with the chief pilot lamar and assistant chief pilot Laci. Both very nice, want to look at your certificates, medical and log book. mostly just asked about the flying ive done, how i got into aviation, basic questions, if my parents were supportive, if i minded moving, and again....why horizon? very straight forward and comfortable interview. Back to the lobby. If kathy came and got you, you were going to be going on to the Sim and doing fingerprinting, drug screening and badge picture taking first. If the other lady came for you, you were going home. 3 of us remaining got in a van and rode to Hillsboro Aviation for our sim with 2 FOs. Sim was exactly what I was given in the technical interview. It's a frasca cessna 401, just trim a lot. Vr 90kts, Cruise 180, Hold 180, Climb 140, Approach 120. All radios and navs you must do. Flew obstacle DP, on course, dme arc for vor 14L, go missed, published missed, unpublished hold on 210 radial off of moses lake, vectors back to ILS which is now in service, land. You're given a number to call the next day to see if you were hired. I called the number and they offered me a January 11th class date. Good luck! Hope this helps.
Date Interviewed: April 2008
Summary of Qualifications:
1000 TT, 300 ME
Were you offered the job?
No
Pilot Interview Profile:
The Horizon interview is pretty consistant with all the other gouges. You arrive at 7:30, and wait until 8 for them to show up. They go through your paperwork to make sure you have it all. If not, they will help you complete it which is nice because some airlines will send you packing right then if paperwork is not completed properly. You sit in the lounge area and you will be called for the 3 different areas. One is the HR, instrument technical, and the chief pilot. The HR is easy, tell me about a time you had a hostile or upset passenger, tell me about a time you were in a dangerous situation, tell me about how you got into aviation, any crashes or incidents? The Chief pilot is similar but they go more into your flying experiences. The instrument technical is really easy but the weather is a little difficult. There were a few things on there that are not common, for example, P0000, it stumped me but later I remember it is precipitation in the last hour but it was wierd because it is all zeros rather than an amount. Also, the ILS was out of service and I saw that but then later when I was asked which approach I would use, I stated the one that was out of service. Very little feedback is given so you may not know when you make an error. Study METAR and TAF symbology. Know 121 regs for take off, fuel mins, alternates, and rest requirements. That flight scenario is the same as what you will do in the sim. We were given Pasco to Penndleton. Then if you do well, you are off to the sim. The sim is very difficult to fly. If you can, go out there the night before and get practice, Hillsboro Aviation 1-800-547-5630. It will require you to rent a car and it is about a 40 minute drive. The sim is very pitch sensitive but also requires some muscle when maneuvering. The flying will consist of taking off, cruise for about 30 miles, do a VOR approach, then an ILS (remember your METAR reported it out of service but it becomes available after you go missed and report it to approach.) The Pendleton VOR is a DME arc and they use an old approach that looks far less complicated than the current approaches. The route there leads you staight in to the DME arc but then you arc for about 100 degrees so be good at staying on the arc because you will be there for a while. The Frasca has GPS but be careful not to look at it too long or they will fail it which also has your DME on it. There is an RMI and make sure you have it on the correct VOR you want it to read off of. You will have to make fake radio calls and they also want you to do frequency changes for these fake calls. Identify all your navigation frequencies also. You will be in the sim for about 45 minutes and even if you make a few mistakes but recover OK, they still may hire you.
They never say this but you get the feeling that their preference is for their employees to reside in the northeast and not commute. They also require a 2 year contract so maybe they are fearing that there will be some turnover if they didn't have the contract.
I had zero questions about my current airplane but be ready for some very basic airspeed and other specifications.
The routes that have been used in the past are:
Wnatchee to Moses Lake (Grant Co.) Pullman to Lewiston Spokane to Coeur D'Alene Walla Walla to Pendleton
Look over all of these routes and approaches. It will help you if you are familiar with them because you will be asked a few questions about them in the technical and then will fly them in the sim. It would be smart to bring your NW approach charts and maps so you can look over them in the van ride to Hillsboro.
And most important, you will be asked at least 3 times, why Horizon? They expect you to tell the history of the company, fleet, routes, technology, reputation, customer service, every detail you can possible know about how great the company is. Don't say because it is a good company and it pays well, they want DETAILS and they want you to be so much in love with them that you don't mind the upgrade is 8 years.
Horizon is interviewing a lot but not hiring much, so you really need to stand out if you want this job. They are very polite and courteous throughout the intervew but that also helps you to be comfortable, or it could get you too comfortable and you say something stupid. Good experience in spite of not being hired. I actually thought it was much easier than I expected and I know where my mistakes were and also don't take it personal that I wasn't hired. Who knows why they don't select you but you can't let the rejection get to you. I know some really good pilots that have been turned away from jobs and found something better later on.
Good luck
Date Interviewed: October 2007
Summary of Qualifications:
2050 TT, 850 Part 135 Cargo
Were you offered the job?
Yes
Pilot Interview Profile:
The previous gouges are accurate. Its a great interview process, everyone is very polite and professional. It's a relaxed environment, or as relaxed as an interview can be but be prepared for a long day. There were 6 candidates in my class which started at aprox. 7:30am and I finished the sim around 7pm. Everything I was asked was on one of the previous gouges but they do mix it up. If you have Jepp plates bring them with you because you can look over the profile you will be flying while you wait. As stated in some of the previous gouges you will know what profile you are going to fly as soon as the first person gets back from the technical interview. Good luck to everyone.
Date Interviewed: December 2006
Summary of Qualifications:
ATP, Comm, Inst, 1600 TT, 1600 Multi, C-130 Military
Were you offered the job?
No
Pilot Interview Profile:
The previously submitted gauge is right on.
I attended the technical interview first. In the interview you sit at a table (in my case with Susan and J.P.) with a dispatch release, Jepp plates for the departure and arrival airports, and a Low-Enroute chart. My flight profile was from Wenatchee (EAT) to Moses Lake (MWH) which can be found on the Lo 1-2 chart. When I entered the room I was given about 10 minutes to look everything over. I was not familiar with a dispatch relase but it is very easy to figure out. The top has the flight plan (EAT...V120...EPH...MWH) with the ETE (0:34), altitude (9000) and fuel burn. Below that is the weather for the departure (METAR and TAF with numerous TEMPO conditions). Below that are the NOTAMs for the departure field. Then there is a line and the same data is reapeated for the arrival field. On the second page is some extraneous data like AIRMETS and Convective SIGMETS that are not really important.
After the 10 minutes Susan started asking some questions. They start right off by asking you to read the METAR and TAF for Wenatchee and then they ask you if you can takeoff from that field. There is a TEMPO condition during the proposed depature time with weather below any applicable approach mins so you can take off but you need a departure alternate. Then they asked if I would need a destination alternate (yes, because there is a TEMPO condition for the ETA where the weather is below 2000 and 3). Asked if it was legal to file Wenatchee as a destination alternate (the answer is yes if the weather is at or above that published for filing as an alternate). Then I was asked to describe how I would fly the entire route. At this point do not forget to read the NOTAMs. Runway 7-25 was closed at Wenatchee so I took off on 22 and flew the published departure procedure to intercept V-120. From there I flew to Ephrata (IAF for MWH VOR) to preform the procedure turn for runway 22. There is also an IAF on the EPH 14 DME arc and Susan asked if I could do that and if so could I join the arc anywhere or just at the published IAF (you can join it anywhere). I then read through the entire approach procedure. I asked if they wanted me to calculate a VDP and they both cringed, seems like thay don't care for them. Backed up a little and was asked what class airspace Wenatchee (Class E) and Moses Lake (Class D when tower is opened). Then asked the hours of Moses Lake tower (I still don't know where to find that information). Asked what the brown 5500 under V120 was and what it provides (MEA, provides obstacle clearance and radion navaid reception along the entire route). I was then asked some descent planning questions. If my TAS was 360 and I am at 20,000 ft and given pilots discretion to 11,000 what does that mean? It means that the pilot can determine when to start the descent down to the required altitude. Then was asked the same scenario but now there is a crossing restriction 18 miles away, what descent rate would be reuired to make the crossing retriction? (At least 3000 ft/min). I was then asked the weight of jet fuel (6.8lib/gal). Given a scenarion that one of the fuel gauges is inop and I need to load 1000 lbs of fuel, how many galllons is that? (Approx 150 gal). Then was asked a few company questions like what was the stock price of Alaska Air Group, what airplanes do they fly (Q400, Q200, and CRJ-700), and why do you want to fly for Horizon. I was then asked questions about Part 121 crew rest issues. My scenario was that I had 24 hours of rest and then flew for 5 hours and was on duty for 9 and half having finished at 0030 that morning. The question was when was I able to fly again (I am sorry but I really have no idea what the correct answer is). That was pretty much it. Some major points are DO NOT forget to read the NOTAMs on the dispatch release because they contain important information (runway 7-25 was closed at Wenatchee and the ILS was OTS at Moses Lake). If there is a METAR, TAF, or NOTAM abbreviation that you don't know you can use the dispatcher as a resource.
As a side note to any straight military guys out there. Memorizing the Part 91,97, and 121 regulations is not sufficient. I would highly recommend you find a current airline guy at your unit and pick his brains about 121 crew rest, and 121 weather minima and alternate regulations. You really have to know how to incorporate those regulations into your decision making process.
The HR and chief pilot interviews were very non-theathening and actually quite nice. They were basically and bunch of tell about a time...questions.
I was told that my 121 knowledge was not quite up to what was necessary and that I would not be going to the sim. Everyone was very nice and really seemed interested in seeing all of us succeed, so I wish all the best of luck and will hopefully see you in 6 months.
Date Interviewed: December 2006
Summary of Qualifications:
ATP, FE written, 2064 TT, 1284 PIC, 1662 ME, Military background
Were you offered the job?
Yes
Pilot Interview Profile:
5 of 6 showed for the day. We all took the 7:15 shuttle from the Country Inn. First interview didn't start up until 8:30. No ice-breaker. And the waiting area is out in the hallway, near the stairs. very much in the open. 2 of us made it to the sim. Finished sim around 5:15.
TECH (Nigel):
Route was KGEG (Spokane).GEG.Karps.COE.KCOE (Coeur D'Alene), 9,000'. All as if Radar/towers were OTS. GEG winds favored R21, COE favored 23. ILS OTS at COE. How will you depart GEG? MEA, MOCA (Jepp plate), obstacle clearance? What approach at COE (picked VOR-A, circle to R23. How will you execute approach without Radar? (flight plan takes you from feeder fix to VOR to IAF) If you were to enter holding due to the Missed, what type of entry? Holding speeds/timing/altitudes? Length/width of runways? What freq to contact SEA on? (found on enrte chart) Purpose of RCO? WX: Read me the METAR for GEG and the TAF for COE. Tempo group? Read the weather synopsis on page 2 (LOTS of abbreviations that were new to me. This was nothing I'd seen on previous gouge.. Basically it described locations in regard to states and the movement of a major front.) Weather required for departure? Alternates-every question you can come up with. What is required to descend below DH/MDA? Describe cold front. Trough. Tell me 2 kinds of fog. What type of icing would you expect in cumulous clouds? DESCENT: At FL350, need to descend to 10,000', speed is 360. When will you descend? What descent rate? (Be sure to account for slow down to comply with 10K' restriction.) Also, I had to corner him about the winds. It ended up being a no-wind situation; therefore, my GS was 360 also. Any factors that would change your planned descent point? COMPANY: Founder, president, hubs/aircraft, what special technologies do our planes have? What makes Horizon different as far as customers are concerned? FLT PLANNING: How do you get your clrnc if airport is closed? How do you determine closed times? Where is the MAP for approach? How will you transition to enroute structure in GEG-COE example? Fuel requirements per Part 121. AERO: Effect of fwd/aft CG on takeoff distance/fuel conservation in flight. What factors will affect takeoff distance? REGS: Max hours in yr/cal mo/7consec days? BTW, here's the table from the Horizon OPSSPECS in regard to rest:
Sched Flt Time / Normal / Reduced / Compensatory Rest
Less than 8.0 / 9 / 8 / 10
8 to 8.9 / 10 / 8 / 11
9 or more / 11 / 9 / 12
CHF PILOTS (Todd & Andrew):
What got you interested in aviation? When did you start flying? What excites you about Horizon? Why Pacific NW? As a guy flying for Horizon how could you better customer service? TMAAT you didn't agree with a new policy? Most stressful time you've had flying? TMAAT you had to call out another pilot for breaking a reg? Is there a time you could have better planned a flight-how did you cope, what could you have done better? Questions for us?
HR (JoAnne):
10 year history? What got you interested in flying? TMAAT you put a positive light on your company? Most stressful event while flying? Why should customers choose Horizon/what's different about Horizon? 10-yr goal? What did you do when you witnessed someone operating equipment in a hazardous manner? What draws you to Horizon? Questions for me?
SIM (Erin):
[Go to ATC in Seattle for sim prep. It's the difference between being offered the job or not.]
Takeoff rwy 21 at GEG, fly ODP to 9K, V120 to KARPS, then direct COE, outbound on the PT for VOR-A. A fix-to-fix to the COE/233/10 and a short final would have been accepted. I simplified by flying my filed plan. Missed to Hold at LEENY (teardrop entry, 2 turns). I talked about a return to GEG, then asked for wx update and asked if ILS was still OTS. Winds had died a little and ILS was in service. Note that while holding at LEENY you're not in a good position to commence the ILS 5. The guy before me got cleared to turn inbound from holding onto the ILS. I got vectors. Broke out around 450' and landed. Reported landing with SEA.
