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ExpressJet Airlines Pilot Interview Profiles

» Home » Pilot Interviews » National Airlines » ExpressJet Airlines
Date Interviewed: September 2013
Summary of Qualifications: 1500hrs CFI/CFII 300 Turbine PIC
Were you offered the job? Yes
Pilot Interview Profile:
Other gouges are honestly right on the money.

Flew in the day before and stayed at the Drury. Cant complain, very clean and great restaurant right outside.

Got to HQ early and was led into a testing room. Shown a brief presentation on company and the direction they want to go in which looked great. began the testing. COG, PSHYC, TECH. First two are really not that bad just games. Not really sure using luminosity helps a whole lot but cant hurt. COG focuses alot on short term memory, mental math using odd numbers so simple division is not really possible, and multi tasking ability. Its pretty lengthy, I didnt time it however, I would assume it took about 3hrs to complete that section (roughly). PSHYC was 250 questions, just answer honestly. TECH exam 60 questions...that was HARD."Everything explained" is a great book to help study. Perhaps the ATP written book would be very useful looking back on it. It was just a hard exam and most of the people I asked agreed with me. It was then followed with a generic aviation essay question like " Define High Altitude Airspace" and an HR questionnaire that had about 10 simple questions. If you make it past that and lunch, you should be in great shape. After lunch got called in for 1-1 interview which lasted maybe 20 minutes. The man was really nice and very down to earth. Great group of people.

HR mentioned they plan on hiring quite a few for the foreseeable future. Time is now to get in. Seems like a great company to work for.
Date Interviewed: September 2013
Summary of Qualifications: CFI, CFII, MEI, 1470TT, 80MEL
Were you offered the job? Yes
Pilot Interview Profile:
Got in the evening before and stayed at the Drury Inn. Pretty clean place and very friendly staff. Hotel shuttle took me and a few other workers (MX in training maybe?) to the A-Tech Center at 7:30. Got there a little early and made small talk with the 5 or 6 others. Wide range of experience from a Riddle guy to a furloughed Frontier FO. Molly, the HR lady gathered us in the lobby and took us upstairs to the testing center. Just a room with computers and dividers. She had us introduce ourselves and then gave about a 20min presentation on the company. While everyone seemed pretty happy, it still is clearly two companies operating under one roof with the ERJ/CRJ contract split and stuff. Started with the rounds of testing. First was the cognitive skills test. In that, which lasted maybe an hour, you had to match up patterns, do mental math, and play games which forced you to use short term memory and divide your attention. While there is no way to really “study” for this test, I created a free account on lumosity.com and played their brain games for a few days. After that was the 250-ish question psychoanalytical test. Questions like, “I manipulate others to get what I want” and then you put anything from strongly disagree to strongly agree. I just answered conservatively and consistently, no big deal. The job knowledge test though, the third and final one of the day, was tough. I used the Delta gouge from Sheppard air (I’ll attach that) and Everything Explained for the Professional Pilot- a great book btw. 60 questions in as many minutes. Of all the questions I remembered there were several on turbine engines, swept wing aerodynamics, and a few navigation type questions (you’re on this radial and DME, what heading to get to another radial and DME- use trig). I freaked out at first, but got through all pretty quickly, which allowed me to go back and carefully reread each question and change my answer if need be. Took a break for lunch downstairs and then it was the combined HR/tech interview. For all but one person, it was an older retired line pilot asking the questions (one guy had two younger pilots). Basic HR questions like how did you get into flying, what makes a good FO, and a few your captain is a crazy person/drunk questions. Very simple systems questions on airplanes I’d flown in the past, but it felt more like a discussion at the time. I didn’t even realize he was quizzing me until after the fact. Finished up with an approach plate briefing (ILS to Roanoke, VA) and a few basic part 91 IFR questions (fuel reserves and alternate minimums are two that I remember). After that we went across the street to get drug tested and then they sent me on my way. I interviewed on a Friday and got the call Monday. All in all a tougher experience than Trans States (all I have to compare it to) but still not too bad. They really do try to make you feel comfortable. Good luck!
Date Interviewed: September 2013
Summary of Qualifications: 2300TT ATP CFII
Were you offered the job? Yes
Pilot Interview Profile:
Same drill as what others have said. Study from the Shepard Air Delta Interview gouge. The recruiter who calls to schedule the interview will give you some insight as to the material to be covered. I received the call 3 weeks in advance of the interview due to the Labor Day holiday. Stayed at the Drury which is across the street. Arrived at 710 interview started with a retired captain giving us a PowerPoint on the company their goals and plans. The cognitive test is first. It's called cog screen and to me it was the hardest part of the day. The personality test is next and that is a breeze 240 questions that you answer strongly disagree, disagree, neutral, agree, strongly disagree. Then the knowledge test which hasn't caught up with the FARs but they will tell you to use the old answers (taxi instructions). There is an HR test with about twenty write in answers - these had more to do with flying than typical HR stuff. - what does a dispatcher do?, what is the role of a first officer? What makes a good captain? Stuff like that. Then you write a paragraph on a subject they give you. Mine was describe high altitude airspace. Then you go to lunch downstairs. Lunch is bad. Bring cash (and some granola or cliff bars) after lunch you get the one on one interviews with some technical and some personal questions, what started you in flying, what are alternate minimums (800/2 600/2) can you land after going to your alternate with less than the legally required fuel, if the tower reports that the ceiling and visibility has dropped below minimums when you are inside the FAF what do you do type of stuff. My interview was with a retired Captain and an ERAU intern observing. When he asked me something I didn't know I came right out and said I didn't know, if it was an obvious answer I told him it was nerves. From there you leave the building and go over to HR where they have you fill out forms for fingerprinting and drug testing. This is where you sign the conditional offer of employment. From there a van takes you over to get piss tested and then they drive you to the airport or back to your hotel. My interview was on a Monday they called me Friday at five with a class date. Everyone who interviewed that day was offered employment. The thing lasted all day 730 till 430 so make sure you eat before you go cause there aren't any vending machines that you'll have access to. Bring a bottle of water too. Good luck.
Date Interviewed: August 2013
Summary of Qualifications: Prior Military: 2800TT; 1000+ PIC; ATP cert
Were you offered the job? Yes
Pilot Interview Profile:
The entire process was very much like many others described. To pre-study I recommend "Everything Explained for the Professional Pilot"; the gouge sheet for Delta interviews from Sheppard Air; the gouge questions from this website, Delta, approx pg.8 (many of his questions showed up closely to the real test) and the following four topics: descent planning, holding procedures, fundamentals of turbofan engines, basic aerodynamics.

As the day started, arrived at 7:10am for a 7:30am start. Went upstairs and they collected information. Our group consisted of a few CFI's, part 135 guy, an aerial photographer and a foreign pilot. Went upstairs, got a quick company presentation and began the morning testing. Began with the cognitive testing. I used Lumosity for practice and feel it served me well. Following that we did the personality test. Just be honest. Finally, the job knowledge test, which looks almost identical to the Sheppard, Will Fly for food gouge. The test is 60 questions in 60 minutes and you need a 55% to pass. My advice: it's multiple choice. Eliminate the worst two and you're down to fifty/fifty. Answer the ones you know quickly, move on and you can come back to the ones you skipped before time expires. Just try to answer them all.

After that, we went downstairs for lunch. Bring cash. Following lunch, we went back up for the HR one-on-one interviews. I had a line Captain who asked me about military experiences and reading Jeppessen charts. Very laid back and a great experience. Got the green light for a conditional hire and went across the street for drug testing to end the day.

The following day I received a phone call and I was offered the job. Good luck to everyone else out there!
Date Interviewed: July 2013
Summary of Qualifications: 1500hrs ATP written, 121 T-prop
Were you offered the job? Yes
Pilot Interview Profile:
AS the other interviews say you start your day at 0730. I got there about 0710 signed in downstairs and one of the pilot recruiters led us upstairs to a small lobby where we waited for them to start.

We were brought into the testing room and given a company presentation on XJT and their 2 pilots groups. You can eithr end up XJT side on the ERJ or CRJ on the old ASA side. They explained the three test we would do before the interviews, if we passed everything we would allowed to continue.

-Cognitive test
Not much to study I used luminosity to get an idea, remembering patterns, numbers and shapes while you balance a triangle on a plane with the keyboard. There are some challenging portions. Make sure you remember items from a previous game as they are used later in the test.

Psychology test
Just answer honestly "do you like vacations in Las Vegas... Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, Strongly agree."

Aeronautical Knowledge test
You have to study, I used the Delta Air Lines Aeronautical knowledge gouges as it seems to be the same test. Aerodynamics questions, jet engine operation, descent planning, fuel planning and even some FAR/REG questions which are still old. I used "Everything explained for the professional pilot" and "Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators"(this is not in lamen's terms, you will bore yourself quickly.)

You're sent down to lunch and came back to be taken to the HR/Tech interview. If you made it this far you passed the tests, the hard part is out of the way. Basically just questions into why flying, why XJT, experience. If I knew how to brief and approach plate(im a 121 FO) so obvious answer yes. Pretty short and simple. We were offered conditional employment and went to get finger printed and pee tested.

Received a call back 2 days later with the job offer. Things have changed you're no longer hired into an airplane, you're hired into INDOC and pref bid for equipment type there. Looks like INDOC is in IAH. Not sure which contract they will use for this portion since you're not part of any pilot group at this point.
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