• Pilot Jobs Board
  • Pilot Resume Database
  • Pilot Interview Gouge
  • Airline Pilot Pay Rates
  • Career Articles
  • Flight School Directory
  • Blog
  • Message Boards
  • Resume Services
  • And much more...
Post a Pilot Job

Great Lakes Airlines Pilot Interview Profiles

» Home » Pilot Interviews » Non-Jet Airlines » Great Lakes Airlines
Date Interviewed: January 2011
Summary of Qualifications: ASEL,AMEL,ASES,AMES,CFI,CFII,MEI, A@P 2000 hours ASEL 300 AMEL
Were you offered the job? Don't Know
Pilot Interview Profile:
They do not prescreen and will send you home if your driving record, flight times or anything else does not look like what they want. I was called to an interview, spent nearly $1000.00 getting to Colorado and was told I would not be interview because I was not multi-engine current. Prior to the interview I was asked my flight time for the previous 30, 60 and 180 day.She said I met the flight time. She never asked me about multi engine currency. Had she, I would have told her I have not flown a twin in over 6 months. If it was required I would have spent 30 minutes and got current. I been call to two other interviewed and have confirmed they do not require multi-engine currency just instrument currency. I fly over 300 hours per year and I am instrument current. What a waste of time and money.

The past gouges are right on as for how the interviews are conducted.

Goodluck!
Date Interviewed: August 2010
Summary of Qualifications: Air Traffic Controller (FAA). TT 1500; MEL 50; CFI; MEI; O turbine
Were you offered the job? Yes
Pilot Interview Profile:
I arrived 30 min early for the interview. I turned in the required documents. Took a 2-page written test covering FARs and approach plate interpretation.

After completing the test, I waited for approx. 15 minutes before being called in for the interview. Two people conducted the interview, an assistant chief pilot and an HR representative. Both went out of their way to create a relaxed atmosphere. After a standard beginning ("Tell us about yourself"), they asked a mixture of technical and HR questions, just as previous interviewees have noted.

The technicals were simply interpretation and explanation of a few symbols on enroute charts.

HR questions included: How would you respond to an upset pax in flight? What would you do if the Captain (pilot flying) continued below MDA without the necessary visual references? How would you solve the problem of a captain with an irritating mannerism?

At the conclusion I was asked what questions I had.
Date Interviewed: July 2010
Summary of Qualifications: 4500tt 2100multi 1500PIC (Prior Millitary)
Were you offered the job? Don't Know
Pilot Interview Profile:
Interview was held at The Red Lion in Denver. All the HR questions from previous gouges are correct but there was a curveball thrown. We were given a written exam which you have to score 80 or higher to proceed. Questions were fill in the blank and included:
-Holding speeds/altitudes
-light gun signals
-Notams
-airspeed restrictions Class B,C,D
-VOR service volumes
-components of ILS system
-Right of way procedures
-Apprch fixes
-climb gradient for ODP
-What must you ALWAYS notify ATC of
-Know the ILS system inside and out. Localizer Full deflection distances.

After the test you wait for HR and a line captain for the sitdown. Again, two interviews took place at once which was very annoying.
The questions asked were pretty basic and quick. A few of the tech questions I had missed (not being familiar with Jepp charts) Those were "Hot Sections" which in the AF don't exist. I tried looking it up in the Jepp legend and in FAR/AIM but nothing is listed under this term. I txt a buddy after the interview and was told it means a high volume taxi area or intersection which you must use extreme caution. There were a few other terms I wasn't familiar with and they just moved onto other questions which I nailed. At the end they asked which aircraft I'd like to be on, EMB 120/BE1900. I chose the 1900 for ease of commuting. The EMB 120 base is Willingston ND, and only Great Lakes flies there.
Overall, good experience. The pay isnt the best as you know but its a great platform to move onto the majors.

Cheers.
Date Interviewed: May 2010
Summary of Qualifications: CFI CFII MEI 1900 TYPE
Were you offered the job? Yes
Pilot Interview Profile:
It was at the Red Lion hotel in Denver, CO. The place was ok to find, but give your self plenty of time to find it, it gets a little tricky at the end. Got there almost 45min early so I relaxed a little and Prayed I'd get the job. Then about 30min prior to my interview I went to the room the interviews were being held and found out that the interviewers were out to lunch. Then they cam back about 15min late, oh well, their the boss. Quickly got my 20,000 pages of paperwork turned in and 15min later got called into the room. The thing that caught me off guard the most is that there was another interview going on about 5 feet away from where mine was, that bugged me, we could hear each other talk. Weired!!! The second I sat down they started fiering off HR questions left and right
-tell us about yoursel
-how'd you get into flying
-why GLA
-what are your attributes
-what are your strongets characteristics
-what was a time you DIDN"T achieve a goal you tried for
-why should we hire you
-why SHOULDN"T we hire you
-what have you heard about GLA
-what do you expect to get from GLA
Thats about it.
Then came the techinal part
Finnaly!!! I know how to fly a plane, but the HR questions I'm not so sure about, so I was glad to get to the techinal part.

-jepp charts jepp charts Jepp charts. That's about it.

-briefe this approach, what's this, whats this.....
-low enrout chart, what's this, whats this.....

Then HR questions involving flying
-when have you had a chalenging student
-what do you like least about instructing
-when have you been scared or in an emergency
-when would you take the controls from your captain

I had a coupple "dings" on my driving record, but I was up front and honest and reveald all the suff on my app and was just real sincere about the change in my life and honest about my past mistaks and remorse about those mistakes and how I've grown to be a better man now and they seamed to like my honesty, so if you have any issues with that stuff (which most of us do) make sure you're up front about it all and just tell them everything from the beginning cause if you don't you can guarentee you won't get the job.

Then they let me ask questions. They're really good about answering them, so really ask some.

all in all it was pretty ok the people were nice and I'm excited to start work for the company.
Date Interviewed: April 2010
Summary of Qualifications: Around 1200TT, CFI, CFII, MEI.
Were you offered the job? Yes
Pilot Interview Profile:
The interview was again at the Red Lion just like the previous gouges. The previous gouges were a great study tool to prepare for the interview. I was the first to go on that day. The interview was really relaxed and they made it fun for me. I was nervous until I sat down and started talking to them. Great people.
The first set of questions were HR...
-Tell us about yourself?
-Why Great Lakes?
-Have you had a disagreement with a superior?
-Have you ever been scared in an airplane? What was it?
-Are you multi-enging current? proficient?
-What would you do to stay proficient?
-Most significant emergency?
-Most challenging student?
There were a few more but not many.
Second was the technical portion. I was handed a Jepp Low Enroute chart and a VOR-A approach plate into Cheyenne, WY. I was asked to briefly explain how I would conduct a flight from Denver to Cheyenne and fly the approach. I was asked to describe what was pointed to on the approach plate (VORTAC). Basically all the information from the info box and I went into detail about service volumes of (H) VOR's, etc. That was it for the technical portion. A few more HR questions and that was it. Overall about 35 minutes.
As I previously said, the other interview gouges are pretty much dead on, but there had not been one in a while (Jan., 2009). Study Jepp enroute and approach plates and know the symbology, grid MORA's, etc. From everything I have heard this company is an excellent place to work and you will get some of the best (real) flight experience here. As previously said in another gouge there is room for growth at this airline.
» Home » Pilot Interviews » Non-Jet Airlines » Great Lakes Airlines
Feedback Form