1250TT, CFI, CFII, MEI, Furloughed from flying CRJ-200, with 600 hrs in the aircraft.
Were you offered the job?
Yes
Pilot Interview Profile:
The day started out just the same as all the other reviews, which seem to be very accurate. Get your haircut and manicure a couple days before you go, have a good breakfast, and relax. They sit all the interviewees down in a room and give you an overview of Mesaba’s fleet, organization, history and the works. If you are coming from another airline, use this as information, but don’t go through the day saying “at my airline, we did it this way…” Pick up questions from this to ask in the interview phase. Get a couple legitimate questions to ask. Then the HR rep comes in and administers the two tests. The first test is the Wonderlick intelligence test. Don’t worry about it too much. Look it up on Google, and see if you can find a practice test. They grade the number of correct answers, 50 questions in 12 minutes. So, don’t spend too long on the ones that hang you up. You can come back to them if there is time. Don’t worry about not answering all the questions. Very few people get all the way through the second page. The second test is the IFR technical questions. All part 91. Review your part 91 IFR procedures, holding procedures, and Jepp introduction. There are several questions of “you are here… this is the hold. How do you enter it?” Know your basic VFR weather minimums. Know standards for filing an alternate, and the part 91 requirements for qualifying as an alternate. Keep in mind, the FAR’s say that you need to file an alternate when the weather is BELOW 2000’ and 3sm. Airspeeds rules. Approach plates (Jepp). I’m not sure if I got this one right, but RTFQ, ATFQ. The question says “you are flying XYZ approach at QRS airport. You see the approach lights. What can you descend to?” Look at the particular approaches’ ALS. It’s not too difficult of a test. 25 questions, 20 minutes. You should be able to finish this one easily within the time given. After this, they send you to the cafeteria where you will wait with the people who aren’t interviewing. The first few people will go get their fingerprints taken electronically. Nothing is done with these unless you are offered a position and accept. It just speeds up the process. The interview is very well described in previous reports. Be yourself. Don’t be overly humorous, but CERTAINLY don’t be lackadaisical. Relax, as it is a conversation, but still a professional conversation. The captain is an experienced line captain, wondering if he or she can fly a 4 day trip with you. The HR rep is wondering if you are trainable. Stay away from the phrases like “at my company we did….” When you get to Mesaba, they want to know that you’ll be able to do things the way that they have established. Know your own aircraft, whichever one it is that you fly currently. Without fail, know the limitations of your own aircraft. If you are an CRJ pilot, review your limitations section if you’ve still got those publications. My captain was up for his PC, so he got out his manual and started flipping pages and asking questions. Know the electrical system, hydraulics, fuel, gear, and basic engine principles. Know the procedures for engine loss at low level, or V1 cut. (I wasn’t asked all of these, but if you don’t know those principles of your own aircraft, that’s something to study up on to save yourself.) Know airport signage. Review the hold short lines, which side you stop on, and which side you go on. Know the ILS Hold short, and when it is in effect. Be able to read a TAF, METAR and NOTAM. If you are selected to continue, you go back to the cafeteria, where you have a few minutes to review the procedure, and some specifics about the simulator. Well described in previous reviews. Don’t worry about the rudder… the pedals aren’t even attached. KEEP FLYING THE SIM!!! You might try to brief the approach, and wind up 30 degrees off heading. It’s all done in MPH, so the speeds are that of a normal Arrow. Start at 500’, climb at 252 up to 2000’. Level off at 232, and do steep turns 45 degrees, one direction. Relocate. Tune in the VOR, and identify the quadrant, radial, and distance. (No need to tune and identify. Just tune, the examiner says the identify part is taken care of.) After you identify your radial, they say intercept _ _ _ radial to the station. Relocate. You are position frozen while you brief the approach. KEEP FLYING THE SIM! It’s pretty easy to turn 30 degrees off heading. If you are used to flying a fast plane, keep in mind that you don’t need to turn immediately as the localizer comes alive. ¾ or ½ scale deflection is sufficient. Keep your scan up as you fly inbound. ATC requests that you call FAF inbound, which is the compass locator. Make your 1000’ to go, 500’ to go, and so on call outs, until you get down to mins. Then go missed. The missed procedure that is published is climb on rwy heading to 1600’, vectors to the VOR. Know your position in relation to the VOR. All I had to do was describe how I’d enter the hold, and sim eval was over. Then they give you a cab voucher over to the drug testing facility, and another one from there to the airport. I got done in enough time to catch the earlier flight, but I was the first one to go into the interview. I wouldn’t plan on getting done much earlier than their plan. Especially if you aren’t the first interviewee. All in all, it was a very professionally organized day, and ran pretty smoothly. You may want to bring a snack to the interview while you are waiting in the cafeteria. They have microwaves, but no dishes or silverware. They have some snack and vending machines, but I wouldn’t necessarily rely upon that, although the burritos in the machine are pretty darn tasty.
Date Interviewed: November 2008
Summary of Qualifications:
121 captain
Were you offered the job?
Yes
Pilot Interview Profile:
Mesaba has announced 110 furloughs to begin in Sept 2009.
Date Interviewed: November 2008
Summary of Qualifications:
20,000 hrs., 121 capt.
Were you offered the job?
Yes
Pilot Interview Profile:
Update on new hire classes. Mesaba advises that no new hire classes until late summer 2009.
Date Interviewed: November 2008
Summary of Qualifications:
ATP multiple type ratings 20,000 total. 121 captain.
Were you offered the job?
Yes
Pilot Interview Profile:
All Mesaba training classes are cancelled indefinately. Mesaba only got 5 of 15 that they were expecting from Delta. Those that were awaiting their training class to begin are now in a pool for first call to a new class date.
Date Interviewed: October 2008
Summary of Qualifications:
20,000 total hrs., 9000 pic-jet 121, some 135, military R/W. Retired UAL Capt. Multiple jet type ratings. 121 check capt. and adademic and sim instructor.
Were you offered the job?
Yes
Pilot Interview Profile:
The process starts with a presentation about Mesaba from a line captain and HR personel. Documents that were requested were collected. Two written exams were administered, first the aviation knowledge test (review ATP knowledge test by Gleim), second was the intelligence test by wonderlick (google this and review as many as you can find). Next came the desk top sim evaluation. Basic flying skills and vor/adf orientation. you'll start airbourn with gear and flaps down, climb to 2000' cleaning up on climb out. Steep turn, then vor orientation, center the needle and read the radial SE of station. Your then repositioned on base leg for the ILS-6, make sure your w/i 10nm before letting down to proceedure turn altituted or stay at last assigned, 2000'until established inbound,call the tower OM, down to minimums, missed approach turn to track to NDB this is fixed card, no rmi. Turn to head of needle establish where you are from the NDB, NE quad, and the ride is over. The desk top sim is a single engine constant speed prop. If you have not used a desk top sim invest some time/money at the local fbo sim traniner. This is a very old basic trainer a good cross check is your friend. During the check you will be asked a couple of questions DO NOT STOP FLYING THE SIM EVEN WHILE FROZEN IN POSITION. You will be asked what holding entry you would use for a given set of holding instructions over a vor approching from different quads. Some specifics, Interview w/Line Capt and HR...Jepp plate questions, loc min vs full ILS mins for different cat of aircraft. Be able to interpret METAR current and forcast wx and apply that to destination wx requirements and alternate wx requirements for your arrival at destination and alternate. Be able to explain the operation of a system of your current aircraft especially if your currently flying a CRJ. Its usually the electrical system. Dont get fancy, stick to the basics. Some of the canadates were asked more HR questions, what would you do if-- maintenance/personel/weather problems arose, would flying with a young captain bother you,(remember I'm 60). The log books were reviewed during the interview. Then off for the pre-employment drug test, then to the airport and home to begin the waiting. Aviation knowledge test... skip the chapters that are aircraft specific, BE1900, 727 etc. Chapters 1 NTSB830,FAR 1/61/91, Chapter 2 Basic VFR, Ch 3 FAR 121 I don't recall any, ch 4 FAR 135 T/O min, wx for dest/alt. Ch 5 Aerodynamics don't recall any, Ch6 airspace and airports yes Class C & D, and speeds. Ch 8 Nav/holding and approach plates. Ch9 no enroute charts stuff but app plates. Ch10/11/12/13 skip. Ch 14 Weather yes.. if your at Fl 270, Alt set to 29.92 and you for get to reset it during descent to a landing at an airport with a bero of 30.57, field elev. 650' what will the altimeter read? (sea leavel) ref 14.7, icing/frost. Ch15 Wx reports yes. Ch 16 Wind shear don't recall any. Ch 17 Aero medical don't call any. Appendix A skip, Appendix B/C review. Transportation & Hotel.... Mesaba will provide the transportation to MSP to arrive the day before and return after the days events. Don't cut it close on arrival in to MSP get there so as to allow time to get to hotel and review and REST. The events start AT 07:30, transportation from the recommended hotels is provided the HQ/HR office opens at 07:00. Dress sharp be confident good luck. Check with the hotel desk about your ride to Mesaba when you check in. Now for the hotels...Mesaba recommends several hotels that they use all the time for these interviews. They offer a rate of $65-$85 for which you are responsible. Call them and check for a restaurant in the hotel or w/i walking distance. Mine had niether ordered in pizza for dinner and cold pizza for breakfast, take something for lunch or the're vending machines.
