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PSA Pilot Interview Profiles

» Home » Pilot Interviews » National Airlines » PSA
Date Interviewed: April 2012
Summary of Qualifications: CFI'ing for a while
Were you offered the job? Don't Know
Pilot Interview Profile:
Knowledge test - 25 questions, need at least 20/25 correct to continue...including
1) Calculating a planned descent point (HAT/300)
2) Squall lines
3) Dutch roll
4) Outboard ailerons are used at what speeds? (low)
5) Know how to read a METAR/TAF, know what AO2 means

Study basic instrument & commercial stuff, no ATP stuff, no tricks. Go with your first choice always.

Then the HR interview:
1) Why PSA?
2) How are you more qualified than the other applicants? (trick question kinda...)
3) What defines a professional pilot?
4) What airplane are you currently on? Describe its systems. Tell me the important numbers for flying an approach.
5) Brief this approach. What entry into the missed hold would you use, what altitude would you go to and when, etc.
6) Please leave the room...they talk, then invite you back in & tell you to go to the sim session.

Sim session:

The guy in charge of this tells you he is looking for BASIC ATTITUDE INSTRUMENT SKILLS ALONE!!! Nothing else.

1) On a computer. Flight-sim mockup of an MD-80. Very sensitive...I was making continuous tiny adjustments the whole 10-minute sim session.
2) Take off runway 36, runway heading to 6000 feet.
3) 20 degrees in the climb until 1000 AGL
4) At 1000 AGL, lower to 10 degrees & accelerate to & continue the climb at 250 up to 6000. Level off & maintain this speed...1.3 EPR works well, idle thrust for descents tho.
5) The guy from PSA will do things for you (gear, radio, flaps, etc.)
6) Once you level off, do several 30 degree turns to headings. Then a turn while descending to 3000.
7) Asks you if you had to hold on this radial from this VOR, what entry would you use (coming from where you currently are)? Answer it correctly & you don't do the hold.
8) Get repositioned for the ILS 36R into KCLT. He will tune everything in for you. Brief it while the sim is paused.
9) Fly the ILS to mins (CAT I), break out, runway in sight, sim freezes and ur done.
10) Catch the bus back to the airport

Good luck
Date Interviewed: April 2012
Summary of Qualifications: 4000tt 2200multi ATP current 121 pilot
Were you offered the job? No
Pilot Interview Profile:
So, I just interviewed with PSA.... Myself along with two other guys one a C-17 pilot for the AF Reserve and another a C130 driver for the coast guard were dismissed after the written. They said we missed more than 5 however we all find that hard to believe. The military guys asked to see which questions they missed and were promptly denied.
These questions were simple like, what is the MDA for DCA 19 LDA, which line of weather is most dangerous squall line, what effect does wind gust have on swept wing aircraft, Dutch roll ect.... Just basic stuff... I am curious if they just used this to weed out guys they think won't stay. They asked for our resumes and paperwork prior to testing.
Date Interviewed: January 2008
Summary of Qualifications: CFI, 565TT/57 Multi
Were you offered the job? Don't Know
Pilot Interview Profile:
Interview started at 12pm. Was flown in at to Charlotte and arrived that morning at 10am. Caught the training bus to the US Air training center with 2 other candidates, both great guys. Arrived at the training center and everyone was really nice. A few Peidmont folks were interviewing as well, all good guys too. All of us but 2 were CFI's. One guy came from Mesa and the other took a CEJ course and got the interview with 257TT. Were called into a room from the cafe at 1205pm and had a question and answer session. The 3 interviewers were very nice and as honest as one can want. They truly want to hire you, it's up to you to prove to them that you want the job. After that was the written test. They asked who studied the gouge and all raised their hand. STUDY IT. They say they changed it but they didn't really, at least not yet! Then sent to cafe. We all passed and were given a time for the oral HR/tech portion. Unless you stand next to the door the whole time you won't know who passed or failed. I know the first guy busted on tech questions and another due to lack of recency. The CRJ course guy was sent home and told he did not have to wait the 6 months but they did want him to get at least 100 hrs more experience. When I went in it was very relaxed. A lot of HR stuff. How did you prep, TMAAT you had a good manager, what made him good? Tech- TMAAT you were scared in the plane, you broke a FAR, you felt you acclomplished something. If you are 9 miles from the Airport how high should you be? If you have 3000 lbs fuel burn per hour, how many lbs should you have for 45 minute reserve? Brief ILS 18R Charlotte, quick logbook check. If you make it, it's sim time. Sensitive table top PCATD with a sky pointer, get some practice using this skypointer attitude indicator!!!! I did and it helped immensely! MD-80. Take off 36L Charlotte, climb at 12 degrees pitch to 3000', accelerate to 250knots to 6000'. Steep turn left, 30 degree bank, right 40 degree bank. All holding 250kts. Using RMI what radial from Charlotte VOR are you currently, given holding instructions, and current radial, what type hold entry used? Decend to 3000' while slowing to 200kts. Setup for the ILS 18R at 30 degree intercept at 3000', intercept localizer and glide slope, NO MORE THAN 3 degree corrections!!! The needle will get away if more than that! Fly to minimums and the ride is over and you go home and wait for a call! Overall seems like a great company and I am really hoping to hear back!
Date Interviewed: September 2007
Summary of Qualifications: 1200hr 160 multi
Were you offered the job? No
Pilot Interview Profile:

Rachel was very nice and very very helpful, 15 people in our class, all was very serious. things started at 10am, history on the company a little chat, then a test 25 questions in 10 mins aloud 4 wrong, test was based on atp but not the same a little tricky. I was told i did not make it with 4 other guys, later found out that there is a gouge site out there that has the questions on it and the 5 five people that failed the test were the only ones that did not find the site. find the site with question pool and you will be ok. not much else to say. good luck
Date Interviewed: July 2007
Summary of Qualifications: 1500TT 760ME Turbine MIL/121 ATP Written
Were you offered the job? Yes
Pilot Interview Profile:

I interview 2 months ago and intentionly waited to provide a comphrehensive accurate view of what to expect at PSA. INTERVIEW 10 of us interviewed on 9 Jul 07 with Randy Fusi and Rachel Hernandez at the US Airways Training Center in CLT. Interview started with a brief Q&A then we took the test. 26 questions, all questions can be found. All 10 passed the written. The HR portion involved a varity of questions including why psa, tell me about an effective manager,how did you prepare for the interview, brief the ILS 18R CLT, etc. I think 4 were dismissed after the HR. Next is the MD-80 microsoft flight sim, they give the pitch, power settings, and the profile. They freeze the sim and ask how you would enter the hold and then reposition you for the ILS back at CLT. I got the call the next day from Rachel with the job offer, 5 out of 10 were hired. GROUND SCHOOL TRAINING Started class 30 Jul in Dayton, Ohio at the Dayton Airport Hotel/PSA Training Center with 12 total in the class. GS is 4 weeks long The first week was all indoc/paperwork with some very easy test that everyone passed. Week 2 & 3 consist of systems and basic procedures and callouts in the IFT with a closed book systems test at the end of week 3. Week 4 consists of CSI and the oral exam. Overall 2 of 12 failed the systems test highlighting themselves and were shortly after removed from training. The remaining 10 all passed the oral with no problems. SIM TRAINING New hire sim is typically conducted at the US Airways Training Center in CLT. The sim consists of 10 rides(8 prep rides, checkride, and LOFT). Overall everyone in our class has passed without receiving extra rides so far. IOE Expect maybe a week off before starting IOE. IOE is performed in DAY, CLT, and TYS. You must have a minimum of 25 hours to be signed off. MISC. THOUGHTS,TIPS & FACTS -go to aviationinterviews.com get the gouge they expect you to use it. -make sure to reference job code Pilot 5683 when you submit your resume on the company website -Go to CRJstudyguide.com and buy the Crj oral exam systems guide($50 and worth every penny) -1st year FO pay is $22.91/hr -per diem is $1.45/hr -new hire pay during training is approx $2700/mo(72hours and 24hour per diem) -Currently there are 528 pilots at PSA. 70 J4Js are returning to USAir by March all are currently Crj CAs -55% are domiciled in CLT, 25% in DAY, 20% in TYS -You can hold any domicile right out of training -Reserve is currently 4-5 months in CLT and dropping, 1-2 in DAY/TYS -PSA plans to hire 20/month through 07 and 30/month into 08. Currently upgrading 12/mo -Current upgrade time is 3 years and droping fast. If conditions continue current trend I should upgrade in 1.5-2 years -USAirway just annouced preferential hiring of PSA pilots starting in Jan with 9/mo with possible flowthrough to mainline coming in the near future OVERALL I worked at another 121(Mesa)and I can't say a negative thing yet about PSA. They pay you on time, treat you like a human being and provide quality training. Just like any other regional if you live in domicile it tends to work out very well.

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