| Start with a face to face at their FBO/offices at Cuyahoga
County
Airport. They fly you into CLE
then you have to rent a car to drive to the Cuyahoga
County Airport and
then to Toledo for the FSI evaluation, which they
also pay for. Since
they didn't balk at spending the $500. to fly me up,
and they put me up
at the Mariott Courtyard, I get the feeling
that they have the
applicant rent the car to cut down on liability/logistical
problems, not
because of the expense. Anyway-
The face-to-face/ technical interview lasts about an
hour to an hour and
a half. How did you find
us? What do you know about us? Let's talk about the
company, it's past
and it's future. Tell me about yourself. Regs questions,
brief this
approach. What type of lighting is MALSSF? What is
second segment climb
gradient? What is holding speed at 14001' MSL. Let's
review your
logbook- Real straightforward stuff.
They are not trying to see if you know it all, just
determine what sort
of
knowledge level you have now, and if you are receptive
to learning.
Don't BS 'em; if you don't know the answer to a question
(and there will
be some you won't know) For example- you're
not
supposed to know Second Segment Climb Gradient if
you are a Commercial
pilot driving a Baron. If you are an ATP with a jet
type, you would be
expected to know this and more, obviously. Review
an ATP written guide,
the Jepps' chart symbology, etc.
There weren't too many questions about limitations
on the aircraft I
was currently flying. He did pick out a few trips
in my logbook and ask
me what a certain identifier was, or about some of
my international
stuff. All in all, it was a friendly, pleasant, non
confrontational
interview. I came away from it feeling like I had
made a friend, and
learned a few things, as well.
Their operation (Corporate Wings) has two sides- an
aircraft management
side and a frax side,
which is Flight Options: CE550, BE400, HS125-800XP
Challenger and now
FA50, with
orders/options for 25 Envoys. There has been a lot
of money put into
this company- the Ops
center looks like a cross between Mission Control
and the Batcave.
Anyway, make it through the getting to know you/tech
interview, then you
drive yourself to
Toledo, where they put you up in a hotel. Go to FSI
the next day and do
the FSI deal- written
tests, timed tests, Psych tests (they pay for it).
Then, do a Sim check
in a Citation 3 sim with an
EFIS AI and HSI, which I had never used before, but
they explained it's
operation, which really
wasn't a big deal for the evaluation. You'll be given
the plates, power
settings, etc. in advance.
You will be paired with another applicant- each will
take a turn in the
left seat.
Basic airwork- constant speed climb, steep turns, maybe
a stall (don't
remember) then a hold, an
approach, that's about it. I could tell you that it
is a departure from
PDK going to ATL and that
you will hold on the such-and-such radial, but it
is really not
necessary to know this- they will
actually give you an information packet that lists
the profile, contains
the plates, etc. I did not do
what I considered to be a great job- plus or minus
200' in the steep
turns, a few altitude
excursions here and there (I had never flown a level
C or D sim before)
but what they are
looking for is basic instrument skills and to see
if you are teachable.
They are not looking for perfection- they are looking
for motivated,
bright, professional,
personable pilots who are willing to learn things
their way and who can
hack it during training.
Low timers go into the Citation, current jet SIC's
or PIC's go into the
Hawker and Beechjets. I
hear this has changed a little. Last year they told
me to expect about
350 hours a year, with a one
year upgrade (I was there for the Hawker XP).
Pay is decent- downside is moving to Cleveland if you
don't want to, or
taking your chances
commuting. I thought they were a great bunch of people
(still do!) and
they made me an offer a
few days later to start a class date within a few
weeks, followed by FSI for the type rating.
Good luck!
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