Flight Training - November 2014 - 48

ADVANCED PILOT»

airlines will accept printouts of
computerized logbook entries.

www.willflyforfood.com. Of course,
the best resource for interview
intelligence is a recent new hire.
Bottom line: Don't go in cold.
Have an idea of what to expect.
Above all else are you "likeable?"
Are you the kind of person with
whom company pilots would
want to spend time in a cramped
flight deck?

KNOW THE COMPANY. Whether
applying to the Walmart corporate
flight department or Delta Air
Lines, learn some history; profitability; corporate structure; key
executives; growth plans; base and
hub locations; union affiliations,
if any; and fleet type and size. Be
prepared for these questions: "Why
do you want to work for us? Have
you applied elsewhere?"
GET THE SCOOP. Interviews can be

daunting, particularly if the content
and scope are unknown. Some
companies subject the applicant
to a battery of psychological and
aptitude tests, as well as multiple
interviews with human resources
professionals, captains' panels,
and even a visit with the company
doctor. Other companies require
a written or oral exam on the type
of airplane most recently flown, or
ATP and IFR subject matter. Some
employers require the applicant
to review weather packages and
instrument charts. Others may
request a pilot to fly a profile in
something as simple as a Frasca
simulator right up to a Boeing 737.
Enlightened companies seem to
give credit to experience, but some
legacy airlines will interview highly
experienced military and regional
airline pilots-jumping them
through multiple hoops-to see if
they are cut out to be a pilot. Other
companies like JetBlue simply want
to get to know the pilot, and the
interview is more of a chat. Expect
questions such as, "Tell me about a
time when you took command of a
challenging situation." Current airline pilots may asked to talk about
a recent divert, or a time when they
questioned a dispatch release.
There is certainly a lot of gouge,
or inside knowledge, out there. One
of the most enduring websites is

48 /

FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG

CAREER NEWS: AMERICAN/
US AIR MERGER COULD BOOST
DOMESTIC FARES
Reduced U.S. airline capacity, exacerbated by the federal
government's settlement of the
American Airlines-US Airways
merger, is leading to higher
airfares, according to aviation
information provider OAG.
"The North American domestic
market is the only region in the
world that will see a decline in
airline capacity [in August 2014],"
with 1 percent fewer seats than a
year ago, said John Grant, OAG
executive vice president. "A
contributory factor is slot divestitures by American Airlines-US
Airways that were required by
the Department of Justice, which
other carriers are failing to fully
absorb."
Grant said divested slots at La
Guardia and other airports were
intended by the Justice Department to go to low-cost carriers-
but most of those carriers have
failed to significantly increase
domestic capacity. The 1 percent
fall in U.S. domestic capacity
from August 2013 to August 2014
generally is composed of capacity reductions by American/US
Airways, Delta, and United, with
modest capacity increases by the
larger low-cost carriers.

BE PREPARED. Recent experience
is a must. There are many stories of
pilots who had built a substantial
amount of time but then throttled
back for an extended period. It does
an applicant no good to show 5,000
hours and two type ratings in a logbook, but not one hour of flight time
in the previous 12 months. That will
certainly cause the interviewer's
brow to furrow. "If flying is what
you want to do, how come you are
not doing it?"
Make sure that you are healthy
and fit for professional flying. Get
that first class medical every six
months.
Pilots often ask, "Should I get a
type rating before an interview?"
At this moment, Southwest Airlines
seems to be the only company that
places value on a type rating (B737).
Otherwise, investing in a type rating
may be a waste. Imagine spending
$15,000 for an EMB-170/190 rating
only to be sent to A320 training
when hired at JetBlue.
GO FOR IT. There are tales of qualified pilots who long for a flying gig,
but are reluctant to even apply. Perhaps it's the fear of the unknown;
a lifestyle change; family repercussions; et cetera. Those airmen
will never know if the fantasy can
become a reality. Even if the company offers the job, it can be turned
down. So why not go for it?
Wayne Phillips manages the Airline Training Orientation Program
(www.atopjets.com).
http://www.willflyforfood.com http://www.atopjets.com http://FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
Flight Training - November 2014

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