I applied for the Pipeline Instructor position with American Eagle, and within a week of applying received a call to interview in Dallas. You will be e-mailed several packets of paperwork to fill out, and have several documents to collect. By far the most difficult paper to obtain is a “Letter of no record” in states where you listed residence but did not have a drivers license. The local state DMV/Sec. of State will likely have no idea how to do this, so start making phone calls early to get these in the mail if you need them. Within a week of your interview date, you will be e-mailed a packet with limitations for a B58 Baron, as well as profiles for the simulator. The profiles include callouts, speeds, and power settings. Everything is expected to be memorized, with the idea being to test your ability to learn information quickly for ground school down the road. If you're flying in, your ticket to Dallas is non-revenue standby, so be ready to have a backup plan if flights fill up. Myself and a co-worker interviewing together had to drive to another airport an hour away as the local airport overbooked for the entire day before the interview. The interview packet recommends staying at the Candlewood suites, and you'll get a promo rate and a quick shuttle to headquarters in the morning. The shuttle comes around at about 730am, so get some last minute studying in and a good night's sleep.
Once you arrive at American Airlines headquarters, you'll get a badge and be taken to the holding tank. One of the interviewers will do some introductions and collect logbooks and the pre-interview packet. This is a good chance to bring up any last minute questions/changes on the application, but make sure everything is complete before arriving as you will not have time to do it that morning. Eagle is looking to flow-through about 1500 pilots to American in the next five years, so now is the time to get on-board. Our group had 8 applicants, being the typical mix of low-time CFIs for the pipeline spot, 135 time, military, and even ex-legacy on the MD-11. After collecting papers, the first two were called, I being the first for the HR/Technical portion.
HR/Technical: I was taken to a room with two line pilots. One handled HR questions and the other tech. The whole segment took 45min, but was 90% the technical section.
Technical
Rapid fire numbers/limitations for the aircraft from the interview packet. KNOW THEM ALL.
Alcohol regs (std 8hrs and .04%)
Unpressurized oxygen requirements (12.5,14,15)
Fuel requirements for domestic (same as 91 IFR)
When do you need an alternate? What does and does not work for an alternate? When do you need a secondary alternate? Read a TAF and determine if you'll need an alt.
Max speeds: 250 under 10k and 200 within 4 of C and D airports was all I was asked
RVSM: can anyone do it? What altitudes? What equip/training is needed?
Duration of first class medical and temporary airman certificate(think right after a checkride)
Take the time to study Jepp charts, especially around the DFW area. Interview packet includes a link to a Jepp study guide.
AKUNA FOUR RNAV departure
Brief the text description for departing 36L to McAlester transition
What is your initial altitude restriction (lost comms)
Speed restrictions
DFW Airport Diagram
Dividing line down the middle of the airport (“C's”) splits the east/west freqs.
Beacon symbol
Read METAR and determine if takeoff is allowed (look at the back of the diagram for takeoff RVR mins). RVR on METAR was for 36L and he asked about departing 36R. Don't jump on the wrong answer, ask about RVR on 36R.
BONHAM 5 arrival
What is your first altitude restriction(note landing north or south)?
Pointed to an MEA, asked when you'd use it
Low enroute
MEA vs MOCA
Green vs blue airports
Identify an MRA
Where can you get info about restricted area times and frequencies (side panel)
What altitude to use when off route (Grid MORA)
Find D airspace on the chart
Victor vs Jet airways: how wide is a victor?
HR
Starts with confirming application data and employment history (criminal record, terminated for a bad performance?)
What got you interested in flying/aviation?
Why choose American Eagle?
Why should American Eagle hire you?
Tell me about a conflict with a co-worker and how you resolved it
What is your best positive personality trait?
What do you see being the biggest challenge of training?
What is a personality trait that needs work?
Scenario: Check airman in the jumpseat and the captain are friends and are chatting during the taxi and hold-short. Take-off clearance is given and accepted by captain without formally running before takeoff checks. What action do you take?
Within minutes of going back to the holding tank after the HR/Tech, I was called back out for the sim ride. The sim is a Frasca representing a Baron 58 with a G1000. The evaluator will act as both ATC and pilot monitoring, and will handle all frequencies, bug settings, course twisting, and flight director settings. By this I mean you simply tell him what you want everything set to, and he will set it that way: no tricks, just be clear what you want. Your study packet includes profiles for takeoff, climb/missed, and precision/non-precision approaches. Follow the profiles/callouts and the sim should be a breeze. Took about 30min.
Sim
Takeoff brief (desired information/format is in the interview packet with profiles)
No wind at all altitudes.
Departed runway 36L, pitch for the flight director for climbout
Vectored around at 3000 for a while, then told to intercept the 200 radial off the TTT VOR and fly it inbound. Tell him how you want the course twisted in, and make sure the TO/FROM flag does what you want.
Received holding instructions: you read back and then hand over controls to him(he pauses the sim). Take all of the time you need to confirm where you are and draw the hold/entry out(pen and paper provided). I held south on 180, std legs and turns, so parallel entry. Flew the entry, was asked which way I'd turn upon crossing TTT again (right), he then started vectors for the first approach.
VOR13R: Flight director was turned off/raw data. He'll take controls again for the brief, so take your time. All courses/freqs will be dialed in for you, but confirm with him during the briefing. FAF was raw DME so careful if you're used to FMS/GPS overlays giving distance to the FAF as I caught myself about .5 before I needed to start configuring for final. Went missed (rwy hdg, no published) and started vectors for the ILS
Was asked to recite the memory item from the memorization packet, which was an engine failure flow. Just read it off, don't worry about performing the items and the engine was not actually failed.
ILS36L: Flight director is back, you can tell him to set it to approach mode once you intercept LOC, making this a breeze. Fly the flight director and set power for whatever Vapp they give you and you're set. The grading ends when you go visual, but he'll talk you through the landing.
I was the first in my group of 8 done with both portions of the interview around 11am. I went back to the tank until noon when we broke for lunch. $6 voucher should get you enough at their cafe to keep the hunger down. I went back to the tank until around 2 when I was called into another conference room. It turns out this was the good room and I was given the pre-offer letter and fingerprinted. Handed over background and pilot employment packets and was given directions to the shuttle for the airport. I sat around for a while to see how some of the others did. It looked like our group went around 50% for offers, with those being turned away being for both technical knowledge and logbook issues. |
