You'll stay the night at the Candlewood Suites. The hotel is very nice. You'll have the option of leaving at either 0700 or 0730. I suggest taking the 0700 shuttle as there are always a number of people on the 0730 and just in the event of a hiccup, you don't want to be late. The interview starts promptly at 0800 by signing in. There were five of us to start. We signed in and were brought back to the HR department where we entered a room to wait. This is where you'll wait in between the various stages of your interview. Shortly thereafter, two men, Mark and Tony, walked in, to greet us, introduce themselves, and tell a few jokes to break the ice. Right off the bat, your log books are collected and disappear for a while to be reviewed. They also suggested we come to the front of the room to introduce ourselves. In my experience, they are two of the nicest, most down to earth guys you'll ever meet. My biggest piece of advice, other than to study your tail off, is to Be Yourself. They're not looking for you to be something you're not, they're looking for you to be You.
I was the first one called and it was for the Technical portion of the interview. A gentleman and check airman by the name of Mike Ackerman sat down with me and began to ask me questions. I will do my best to reproduce the majority of them here. He was a very cool guy and had a great sense of humor. He began by asking me what plane I was most familiar with, to which I responded, “the Dash-8”... Let the rapid fire Q&A begin...
Max Takeoff weight? Max Ramp Weight? Total Usable Fuel? Electrical System Volts? What is V1. What does “blue-line” represent? What is the name for the same speed in a jet? [V2] What is the definition of “Accelerate-Stop Distance”? When would you need an alternate? A second alternate? A takeoff alternate? What are the fuel requirements regarding alternates? [Enough fuel to fly to destination, then FURTHEST alternate, and thereafter for 45 min at normal cruise speed.] How would you determine if you can list an airport as an alternate or not? [Back of Airport Diag., very bottom.] Where would you find takeoff minimums for a specific runway? At what altitude do flight levels begin? At what FL does RVSM airspace begin? What equipment is needed to fly in RVSM Airspace? What is max speed in Class B Airspace? Class C and D? [Almost a trick question; Within 4nm of class C or D airport, within 2,500' from surface, 200kt, otherwise 250kts.] FAR's regarding Alcohol? [8 hrs bottle to throttle; .04% BAC.] Rest requirements? Maximum duty day? (16hrs)
… Then he pulled out a Metar and Taf, an Airport Diagram, an RNAV DP, a Low Enroute, an Arrival, and an Approach Plate … All for Dallas Fort Worth, DFW. Again let the rapid fire begin.
Read this Metar and Taf. (NOTE: Vis was ¼ sm, However, rnwy RVR was 2200V2600. RVR ALWAYS governs, I'll reference this again later in t gouge.] Given this weather do we need a take-off alternate?
… Pulls out Airport Diagram
What frequency would you pick up your clearance on? What frequency would you use to call for initial taxi leaving this terminal? What frequency would you use if departing runway 18L? Are there any “Hot Spots”? [There weren't any.] How do you know, how are they depicted? [Red Circle with Capital “H” inside.] Takeoff length available for RNWY 18L? Landing distance available if on the glideslope?
He asked if I had ever flown an RNAV DP and I responded, “No, at my prior airline we weren't authorized to do so.”. He was VERY helpful and responded, “Ok, no worries, just take your time and read through it and tell me if you see any speed restrictions and/or altitude restrictions. It was the AKUNA 2 RNAV DP...
There were restrictions. Take your time and read carefully. What is the final altitude you would expect to climb to as per the departure? [Bottom right side of chart, 10,000'.] What would happen if you departed RNWY 17R but entered RNWY 18L in the FMS for the RNAV DP? [The Flight Director would command a turn toward the wrong waypoint and planes could possibly collide.]
...Pulls out Denver Low Enroute
MEA- what is it and what does it provide along route? Same for MOCA, MORA [green numbers
Date Interviewed: March 2010
Summary of Qualifications:
GOUGE RE-POSTED DUE TO LENGTH ... cont'd
Were you offered the job?
Yes
Pilot Interview Profile:
… Other scenario related questions...
If you declare an emergency, what FAR's can you violate? [Any and all germane to the emergency.] Your taxing to the runway and your capt is talking with the jump seater and you haven't yet completed the checklists, what do you do? If you're at the runway and tower clears you for takeoff and the checklist isn't completed? [Respond unable] You have a scheduled departure at 0600. It's 1815 the night before and your captain says he's going to order a beer, what would you say? If he says it doesn't matter and drinks it anyway, would you fly with him? If he insists on flying what could you do? [Convince him to call out sick.] If he Still persists? [Call pro standards and as a last resort, call chief pilot.]
For my HR, I had the privilege of interviewing with Tony LaRotta. He is a Great guy. It started off as simple conversation and collecting lots of your photocopies, reviewing your application and making any necessary corrections. It was a very relaxed yet professional atmosphere. In the midst of conversation he would ask certain questions and we exchanged a number of laughs... he's a Very funny guy... he even poked a little fun at me for how OCD organized I was. Again, they want to get to know You so be yourself...they'll see right through you if you try to fake who you are.
Tell me something about yourself that we can't decipher from your application or resume. What is one accomplishment that you're very proud of? Why should we hire you here at Eagle? Why did you choose Eagle? Have you applied elsewhere? What, in your opinion, makes a professional pilot? What is one quality/personality trait about yourself that you would change given the chance?
If you have any letter of Rec or anything that you would like to have included in your folder for the captain review board, now is the time to present that to whomever is conducting the HR portion of your interview.
A gentleman by the name of Jeff conducted our sim rides and again, was an awesome guy. He makes you feel very comfortable and advises you that he is there to do Anything you need so that you can concentrate on flying the plane. Use him for EVERYTHING... tuning and I.D.ing frequencies, setting the heading bug, setting your CDI, adjustments to the power, etc... The sim is a Frasca 142 G1000 Baron. You are not expected to know speeds, or power settings. They are looking for basic yet Solid instrument flying skills and good situational awareness. Prior to having entered the sim, sometime in the early morning you are given a sim packet with profiles, a general overview of what will take place, and an approach plate. They were using LAX 24R and Fort Wayne Indiana ILS 5. I had Fort Wayne and here's how my ride went...
Before takeoff checklist Depart off rnwy 23, rnwy heading to 2,000'... turn left 040 and continue climb to 3,000' “positive rate, gear up” … 800' he calls acceleration altitude, “set climb power, after takeoff checklist” on a 040 heading, intercept the 180 degree radial to Fort Wayne VOR. Level at 3,000... Accelerate to 190 kts ... “cruise checklist” upon reaching the VOR track the 360 radial outbound and we have holding instructions, advise ready to copy.... make sure to verbalize a POSITIVE transfer of controls while you copy your holding clearance... here was mine …. “Eagleflight 5400, hold North of the 11DME fix on the 360 radial, left turns, 3 mile legs at 3,000'” Again, have him set headings, cdi.... etc. entering the hold have him announce the entry, fly the entry and he'll vector you for the approach. Upon receiving vectors, “descent/app checklist” and slow to 160 2nm from FAF “app flaps” dot above glide slope, “gear down, verify down, 3 green” fly the approach at 120kts... full flaps are optional, this app is w/o FD 200' AGL, go missed. rnwy heading to 2,600'. “max power” hit the go-around button and follow the bars He'll vector you back around for the same app w/FD to a landing which is not graded.
Off to lunch with a $5 voucher and back into the holding room until about 1330... at this point 2 people were sent home and 3 of us remained. We were told we made it to the second day which was a medical exam and were congratulated. We spent the next hour or so filling out paper work. All in all it was an AWESOME experience. The facility is immaculate and everyone you meet is warm and welcoming. They'll book you a night (on them) in the Admiral Hotel and the next day you'll be in and out for a urinalysis and a baseline hearing test and back to the airport you'll go. The three of us received conditional offer letters and you'll most likely hear from the captain review board the following Friday. All the prior gouges were spot on, but use EVERY available resource to study (AIM, FAR, oral exam guides, Jeppesen chart intro pages etc.) and it will show. I hear great things about eagle and am absolutely elated to have been chosen up until this point. Good luck to everyone!
Date Interviewed: March 2010
Summary of Qualifications:
previous employee 1900 TT 500 ME
Were you offered the job?
No
Pilot Interview Profile:
Interviewed 3/9/10 all the previous gouges are dead on I was a former employee of eagle left for family issues and they did not offer me the job did the walk of shame back to the airport ill try again in 6 mo I guess but if you study the gouges you'll be fine they are vary friendly and easy going they wont trick you on anything vary vary straight forward
Date Interviewed: March 2010
Summary of Qualifications:
Total 1,005 Multi 660 121 Turbine 615
Were you offered the job?
Yes
Pilot Interview Profile:
You'll stay the night at the Candlewood Suites. The hotel is very nice. The shuttle to the headquarters runs every 30 min therefore, you'll have the option of leaving at either 0700 or 0730. I suggest taking the 0700 shuttle as there are always a number of people on the 0730 and just in the event of a hiccup, you don't want to be late. The interview starts promptly at 0800 by signing in. There were five of us to start. We signed in and were brought back to the HR department where we entered a room to wait. This is where you'll wait in between the various stages of your interview. Shortly thereafter, two men, Mark and Tony, walked in, to greet us, introduce themselves, and tell a few jokes to break the ice. Right off the bat, your log books are collected and disappear for a while to be reviewed. They also suggested we come to the front of the room to introduce ourselves. In my experience, they are two of the nicest, most down to earth guys you'll ever meet. My biggest piece of advice, other than to study your tail off, is to Be Yourself. They're not looking for you to be something you're not, they're looking for you to be You.
I was the first one called and it was for the Technical portion of the interview. A gentleman and check airman by the name of Mike Ackerman sat down with me and began to ask me questions. I will do my best to reproduce the majority of them here. He was a very cool guy and had a great sense of humor. He began by asking me what plane I was most familiar with, to which I responded, “the Dash-8”... Let the rapid fire Q&A begin...
Max Takeoff weight? Max Ramp Weight? Total Usable Fuel? Electrical System Volts?
-What is V1? -What does “blue-line” represent? What is the name for the same speed in a jet? (V2) -What is the definition of “Accelerate-Stop Distance” -When would you need an alternate? A second alternate? A takeoff alternate? -What are the fuel requirements regarding alternates? [Enough fuel to fly to destination, then FURTHEST alternate, and thereafter for 45 min at normal cruise speed.] -How would you determine if you can list an airport as an alternate or not? [Back of Airport Diag., very bottom.] -Where would you find takeoff minimums for a specific runway? -At what altitude do flight levels begin? -At what FL does RVSM airspace begin? -What equipment is needed to fly in RVSM Airspace? -What is max speed in Class B Airspace? Class C and D? [Almost a trick question; Within 4nm of class C or D airport, within 2,500' from surface, 200kt, otherwise 250kts.] -FAR's regarding Alcohol? [8 hrs bottle to throttle; .04% BAC.] -Rest requirements? -Maximum duty day? (16hrs)
...Then he pulled out a Metar and Taf, an Airport Diagram, an RNAV DP, a Low Enroute, an Arrival, and an Approach Plate … All for Dallas Fort Worth, DFW. Again let the rapid fire begin.
Read this Metar and Taf. [NOTE: Vis was ¼ sm, However, rnwy RVR was 2200V2600. RVR ALWAYS governs, I'll reference this again later in t gouge.] -Given this weather do we need a take-off alternate?
...Pulls out Airport Diagram
-What frequency would you pick up your clearance on? -What frequency would you use to call for initial taxi leaving this terminal? -What frequency would you use if departing runway 18L? -Are there any “Hot Spots”? [There weren't any.] -How do you know, how are they depicted? [Red Circle with Capital “H” inside.] -Takeoff length available for RNWY 18L? -Landing distance available if on the glideslope?
He asked if I had ever flown an RNAV DP and I responded, “No, at my prior airline we weren't authorized to do so.”. He was VERY helpful and responded, “Ok, no worries, just take your time and read through it and tell me if you see any speed restrictions and/or altitude restrictions. It was the AKUNA 2 RNAV DP...
-There were restrictions. Take your time and read carefully. -What is the final altitude you would expect to climb to as per the departure? [Bottom right side of chart, 10,000'.] -What would happen if you departed RNWY 17R but entered RNWY 18L in the FMS for the RNAV DP? [The Flight Director would command a turn toward the wrong waypoint and planes could possibly collide.]
...Pulls out Denver Low Enroute
-MEA- what is it and what does it provide along route? -Same for MOCA, MORA [green numbers
Date Interviewed: March 2010
Summary of Qualifications:
1475 TT 1100 Multi 121 experience
Were you offered the job?
No
Pilot Interview Profile:
The past gouges were right on. If you study those then you will be fine.
HR was fairly straight forward. I think the lady who normally does the HR portion has moved on so they are in a transition time right now. At this point they went through all my paperwork and then asked me the HR questions that were mentioned in previous gouges. They also pull your airlineapps application early. My interview was in march but they pulled my app the last week in January. The reason I say it because I had updated it in February but did not show because they had an older copy. Not a huge deal but be prepared to share those changes when asked. All in all very professional and thanked him for the opportunity to interview. Don't forget to make copies of the last few pages in your logbook.
Tech was thorough but straight forward if you study the previous gouges as well as the introduction in the Jepps. A couple questions that were not on there: what is blue line? 121 rest requirements? Basic airplane limitations? i.e. ramp weight, t/o weight, battery voltage, etc. Bottle to throttle rule? How long is a temporary certificate good for? How long to tell the FAA you moved? Medical certificate...How long is a first class good for? Under 40 its good for one year and 40 and older its every 6 months. What is V1 V2? VDP? Read a METAR and TAF...The one he gave me had RVR in it. The charts that were used: DFW airport diagram, akuna DP, ILS 18R, OKC Low enroute chart. Like I said study the other gouges as well and you will be fine.
The sim (elite igate baron 58 g1000) was not like a normal frasca sim. Very heavy on the controls which is nice and pretty easy to control. The man who did my sim interview was great. Made us feel very relaxed and made sure to let us know that he is there to help you (besides flying the airplane). I did not touch anything besides the yoke and the throttles. Even then I just pushed them up on t/o or pulled it back on the descent and told him to set the power. I used standard callouts that I used at my previous airline and make sure you call for the checklists. Its all done with the flight director besides the final approach which is done with raw data. Use the nav mode for intercepting the hold and approach mode for intercepting the ILS. I was given LAX. It was a t/o on 24R up to 3000 and a left turn to intercept the 270 radial off the seal beach VOR. Tell him to give you an intercept heading. My hold was hold SE on the 180 radial. Tell him when you are established and you will do 1 pattern. Depart the VOR to intercept the ILS. Have him do everything, heading bug, putting in the frequencies, and arming it for the approach. You break out about 200 feet above DA and he says go missed. Push the throttles up and climb to 2000 RWY heading. Pause it and you will do raw data for the final approach. All in all it was pretty straight forward. I have not had much glass experience so the week before I rented a skyhawk with a G1000 to get my scan going and where I am supposed to be looking. I am glad I rented it.
That is about it. Make sure you have phone numbers and fax numbers from previous employers. Even if they are out of business they need something. We were all finished about 1500 local time. A long day but Eagle is very professional and I am glad I got the chance to interview. The next day I was brought back for a drug test and a hearing test. Left for the airport for the flight home after that. Bring a umbrella just in case it is raining...you do have to walk a little bit to get to the bus stop but its well worth it to get a job offer from eagle. I put yes pending the captain review board and all my paperwork to come back all right. They told us it would be 3-4 weeks before we heard anything about a class date. It is because it takes awhile to get all your paperwork back from the FAA and previous employers.
