Overall the interview was very relaxed and everyone is really nice. Do make sure to where a dark suit and tie. They really want you to look the part. Also get a good breakfast and try to bring food if you can. There are slim pickings there and it is a long day.
Day started at 7:20 am with a brief overview of the airline and what it is like to work their. After that we took a quick view of the dispatch and scheduling part of the airport. After that it was time for the first round of testing.

There where two test the first was an SAT type 50 question test basic math and logic. You only have about 12 minutes so just keep going and get as much as you can done.

After that it was time for the FAR/AIM test. Basic multiple-choice type test.

What is the max speed below 10,000ft? Below class B airspace?
Basic hold entry questions.
IF you see the approach lights on an ILS what can you do?
What is decision height?
IF atc says, "cleared for approach" what approach should you do?
Then some questions for JEPP approach plates.

We where then taken out to the cafeteria and given our interview schedule. You will probably wait awhile so bring a book or something to keep you busy.

Then it was the HR and technical interview. Very relaxed they try to keep you from getting nervous and are really reassuring. HR was mostly what would you do and tell me about a time that type questions.
A time you where scared
A time you made a mistake in an airplane
A time that you made a decision using others advice
What would you do if a captain was not following SOPs?
What would you do if you reported him and you flew with him latter and he knew that you had reported him?

Tech was pretty straight forward

Describe you latest twin electrical system.
What would you do if an alternator failed?
What would you do if the alternator failed and then the other engine failed.
Read me this TAF and NOTAM
Questions on Jep low or high enroute chart, know what the different colors for airports mean
Questions on the approach plates. Where is the FAF on the chart, what is the highest obstacle, what dose the astrix mean next to the radio freq, what is an MEA.
Nothing tricky and if I don't know I told them and then told them what I thought it might be. Overall went pretty good. They then have you step out and they decide if they are going to send you to the sim.

The sim
The sim if you want to call it that is the worst that I have flown yet. It is pretty much an arrow with the instruments in the wrong places. They give you a brief about it and then the ILS 6 to KISP, you only have one VOR and ADF and DME. All the radios are very old style and they and the instruments are kind of all over the place.

You will kind of take of, then climb to an altitude to step turns, use the vor to tell him where you are "SE quadrant 130 redial 11 dme, then intercept a radial and track out bound. Then you are set up just before intercepting the LOC for the ILS you have to keep flying but he stops your ground speed until you are done with your brief. Don't forget to but the LOM in the ADF. You shoot the ILS down to mins be careful as they give you a big intercept angle. Then go missed and hold on the LOC at the LOM. What hole entry, teardrop for me, and then you are done. While not had maneuvers the sim was challenging just due to how old and unorganized the cockpit was.

Then its off to the drug test and home.


Overall a great place from what I saw, descent pay and bennies, lots of hiring right now with no end in sight and they are saying that upgrades will be dropping to just over a year soon

Mesaba was a great expierience,They made youwelcome, was one of 8 applicants, we started in the conference room with a presentation about Mesaba, I was then given a piece of paper with my testing schedule, i had the HR/TE interview first, Typical questions, "Why mesaba,Have you ever been scared in flight, Tell me about a boss you worked well with, etc.etc, the technical side consisted of " tell me about the electrical system in the latest twin you have been flying, describe a constant speed prop, Describe the electrical system". After that i went to the sim which was the most oldest sim i had seen, they do have three level D sims for reals, but this one was older than dirt. I had to climb to 3000 feet and then did steep turns and a turning power off stall, i then was vectored to Islips runway 6 ILS approach, flew down to minimums and was then told to go missed, MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE MISSED APPROACH PROC. It said to climb to 1600 ft and expect radar vectors to the VOR, i have heard from two other applicants that they immediatley turned right towards the VOR. they didn't get hired. I then was told that the VOR was out of service, and i had to hold at the compass locator/NDB. All they want is to know how to enter the hold. After i told them, they turned off the Sim and that was my sim ride. I was then told to take a 25 question written exam, it was all ATP questions, no calculations, no pallets, no W+B,. Study IFR procedures and charts. I then took the Wonderlich mental apptitude test. you will be giving fingerprints and a Drug test. That was it and i got a call three days later telling me that i got the job. hope this was helpfull

6 people in the interview. Started with a PP presentation on the company. Then, everyone got their schedule, and the interview process started. Interview was held by Chief pilot, and an HR rep. Mostly TMAAT. Only tech questions involved explaining a constant speed prop, electrical system, and alternator system of most current aircraft flown. I would say you are best off talking about the most complex aircraft you've flown, instead of describing the Cessna 150 you may have flown last. Logbooks were looked through thoroughly, although no specific questions about the contents. Asked me about checkrides I've failed, and why. Written tests were not bad. Just as described in previous gouges. Sim test involved flying the ILS 6 approach into KISP. This is the kicker. I believe they were using an outdated IAP for the sim. When I got home, I looked at the current IAP, and it wasn't even close to the same approach. The current IAP has a different initial altitude, and missed approach procedure. The IAP I performed involved an initial altitude of 1600 ft. until glide slope intercept, followed by a missed approach procedure of holding at the Deer Park VOR.

Very relaxed atmosphere. I will say this.if you are a low time guy/gal, get your resume in here. They are hiring mainly to fill the spots for the Saab FO's that will be going to upgrade to the CRJ-900 and the left seat for the Saab. SO if you want to go there and think that you can get into a Capt position from the beginning, this is not the place. There are pilots that have been here for a while that are patiently waiting to upgrade. I mean 5-6 years as FO's. The interview was scheduled for 12PM. There were 4 other guys at the airport where we all met up and took the shuttle to the Pan Am building. There were two other guys that came in afterwards. SO total was about 7-8, I do not remember the exact number. For the guys that were there, all were either charter or instructors. There was a guy that showed up in a gray suit, with a gray sweater over his suit shirt, I only saw him in the presentation room and that was it. Please wear a dark colored suit, tie, white or colored shirt that is not too flamboyant. Present yourself for the job! Anyway, we waited for about 20-30 minutes for the Chief Pilot to come out and he took us back to the room for the PP presentation. Nice atmosphere, great rooms. These guys that have stayed with Mesaba are going to be the tip of the spear when it comes to operating the CRJ-900. I mean the ones that stayed with the company throughout the BK ordeal. They will give you a slip with the times for the different sections for the interview. Test, Fingerprints, sim, HR/Tech/ and YOU WILL DO A DRUG TEST! They give you paper with the directions to get to the CSM building for the test. They also provide you with two cards (Give to the driver it is their pay and it includes a tip)! One to the drug test and one to the airport. The sim.well.for those of you that may have done the 10 day instrument where the guy shows up at your house with the simulator and the printer to draw your course and holds and approaches.well that is what it is. No visual display, but it was great to get back to the basic 6 pack. The dude prior that put on the post about HPN, awesome info. I practiced the HPN SIDs/STARS/ and ILS, VOR, NDB to HPN and it was dead on. If you use MS Professional addition with some type of a yoke you will nail it. DO not use the rudders and it has a lot of right pull that you cannot trim out. Stay on your game. You may also get the ILS into TEB. So look at that one also. The test is 25 questions, if you study the turbine pilot's manual, and the ATP written info that will hit it. There are many gouges on this site, Q&A. download them and study them. Use all resources. HR/Tech, mine was about 30 minutes. TMATW...What kind of leader are you.describe a terrifying event related to flying.how do you handle confrontation.it was like a tennis match. One asked questions, I would answer, they would write, and then the other one would ask another question. RELAX, Think about you answer.Know that aircraft you are flying or the most recent twin/complex that you have flown. Tell me about a team that you were a part of and how did you work with others.

Good Luck to all. Memphis is the junior base for FO's on the Saab, but you will be able to get DTW. For the guys from DTW (See Navigators can fly!), Appleton and OPF..I hope you get it!

They flew into MSP for a 9:00 interview. The shuttle took me over to the pan-am training center; which is also mesaba's. I was then brought into a conference room with the chief pilot and a person from HR. They where very nice and made the interview alot less stressful. They asked some basic HR questions like why mesaba? tell about a stressful situation in the cockpit and how did you handle it? Any problems with a boss? Dont answer no because everyone has a little problem with the boss sometime. Why do you want to move on from you current job? Basically stuff like that. Make sure to answer honestly. I then took a 50 question appitude test. They give you 12 minutes to take it and no one every finishes. Then I took a ATP/IFR exam. It was pretty easy. If you up on your IFR knowledge you should be fine. Last I was taken to an ATC 810 sim. I guess the sim they usually use was down. Anway it was pretty simple. The instructor who administerd it was very friendly. I did a couple of steep turns to get used to it and then he made me do some simple VOR nav stuff. What radial im on stuff like that. Then I shot the ILS into white plains. Down to mins and then a missed approach to the NDB and hold and that was it. Then they sent me to get a drug test and that concluded the interview. Hope this helps.