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Skywest Airlines Pilot Interview Profiles

Date Interviewed: December 2011
Summary of Qualifications: ATP; 2700TT; 900 ME; 650 SIC 121; currently 135 PIC
Were you offered the job? Don't Know
Pilot Interview Profile:
Most everything from the previous gouges is still right on track. The biggest difference, there is now a 50 question multiple choice written test that everyone takes. This is what they use as a starting point for your technical exam.

A few things:
Wear a suit
HR
Have all your paperwork in order and thoroughly read the email they send, it's meant to help you. One guy came with no copies, he got sent home. Major bummer to get all that way and not even get a chance.
Tech
They want you to be prepared for the job you want, not the job you have. i.e. I am flying single pilot 135 in a Caravan in AK. I had reviewed Jet stuff, aerodynamics, characteristics, but wasn't really comfortable talking about it...you should be.
Know the Jepp Enroute charts
CRM
communicate, you're a team

Sample questions:
L/D ratio
Difference between alternator/generator
How does stall speed change with altitude? I let this was trick me, it's not really a trick, stall speed doesn't change, but True Airspeed increases with Altitude, so the indicated stall speed stays the same, but the True Airspeed where stall occurs will increase.
How does a jet engine work?

Overall it was actually pretty fun, they are cool people and normal people, so be yourself, be normal, and try to get to know the other interviewees, ideally you're going to be spending a lot of time with them during training!
Date Interviewed: November 2011
Summary of Qualifications: 1,235 TT, 1,115 MEL turbine, 945 PIC, ATP written
Were you offered the job? Yes
Pilot Interview Profile:
Skywest Interview Summary



Received interview call X weeks after application.

Received a detailed e-mail of documents to bring and what to expect. Recommended study materials include the following.

• Current and most flown aircraft operations manual(s)
• FAR / AIM
• "Everything Explained for the Professional Pilot" by Ritchie Engel
• "The Illustrated Guide to Aerodynamics" by H.C. "Skip" Smith
• "Advanced Aircraft Systems" by David Lombardo

I would add one book to this list.

• The Turbine Pilot’s Flight Manual by Brown & Holt

According to their instructions, the sim is either an “ATC-810, non-motion, non-visual or Frasca 142 non-motion, limited-visual simulator … configured with an HSI, RMI and an instantaneous VSI. The sim ride may include air work, basic IFR navigation, a precision approach, non-precision approach and holding.”

If you have a current ATP written, there is no formal, written exam at the interview. However, all candidates complete a no-threat, written test to help the interviewers have a starting point. They said even if you got a zero, it wouldn’t knock you out of possibly getting hired but the interview would probably be rugged. It was a hard test. One Captain said the record high score is 86 (I got a 70).

Didn’t have easy access to a Frasca/ATC 810 so I prepared for the sim by flying MS Flight Sim 2004 (Baron – pitch sensitivity maxed out) most days leading up to the interview. After flying the Skywest sim, my preparation was reasonable as the sim went fine.

The morning started with a detailed presentation of the company and the Captain said they need pilots. In fact, out of our group of nine, he said they could potentially hire all of us. They took all our paperwork early on (except logbooks). Part of the briefing included the keys to success: professionalism and attitude. Be honest but never let them see you sweat.

We were pulled out by threes to do the 7-minute CRM scenario. In my group, they put the pilot with 121 experience as the jump seater, the less experienced guy as Captain and me (the moderately experienced pilot) as the FO. They set up the flight enroute with fuel remaining in minutes. We had a medical emergency and had to decide where to divert. I should have pushed my thoughts more assertively. The two Captains then debriefed the scenario including asking, “What would you have done differently if you had been the Captain?” “Where you satisfied in your position or do you wish you had been in another seat?”

The sim was very basic to include takeoff, airwork, clearance to hold as published and vectors for an ILS. Left the prop levers forward and just changed the MP – they give you the power settings and speeds. Once cleared for the holding, the evaluator asked my plan. Once I explained it, he knocked off the holding and starting giving vectors for the approach. At one point, the Captain said, “We just lost radar, where are you?” so I gave him a radial and DME. I had to fly and change nav radio frequencies (comm frequencies were simulated). Also, call for checklists which evaluator completes.

Other gouges are very good on HR and technical interviews. They reviewed the logbooks at this point also. Be able to draw and explain a system of your current airplane (such as electrical). Think about how you might judge in-flight visibility upon breaking out of weather (assuming tower called below mins after FAF). Know the rules about descending below mins to 100’, 50’, etc. Know Jepp and TAF nit noids. Draw and explain different types of jet engines. Know about bypass ratios, thrust reversers, etc.

All portions were individually debriefed as well as an overall debrief at the end of the day. Wear a suit, have a briefcase of some sort to present the best image.
Date Interviewed: August 2011
Summary of Qualifications: 5000+ hours, B-737 CE-550 types, 3000+ multi, 2000+ PIC
Were you offered the job? Yes
Pilot Interview Profile:
WEAR A SUIT! Pretty typical of previous interviews posted here. 3 captains came in and introduced themselves. Head interviewer gave a welcome speech ending with "we want to hire you, you'll have to convince me not to.". Watched a motivational video followed by some info on class dates etc.

There are 3 parts to the interview:

CRM scenario
HR/technical
Simulator

They can occur in any order.

If you already have an ATP or current exam scores you won't have to take an official test, you WILL however have to take a "let's check your knowledge level" exam. Basic questions about aerodynamics (jet), weather, FAR's, Jepp chartology. How you do will determine the context of your technical interview. (I did horrible, so don't stress too much).

CRM:

You and 1 or 2 other candidates will be placed in a scenario and given 7 minutes to WORK TOGETHER! The point is to see how well you work together. Let the captain be a captain, FO offer assistance, jump seater ask if you can assist.

HR/technical:

You will be asked to reaffirm the answers you gave on the pre-interview form you submitted, your original documents will be verified against the copies submitted, they will take a cursory look at your log books. You will be asked to sign your application and pre-interview sheet.

The technical portion will include some Jepp chartology questions, some aerodynamics, weather, basic FAR's, and you will be asked to explain a system in your current aircraft (pick the simplest one!). If they want more info, they will ask for it. If you are currently typed in and flying something, expect to be grilled.

Simulator:

This can be (and was for me) waved if you have enough experience. They will pretty much give you the profile during the intro brief. I "heard". That they have you do a takeoff, and on speed climb. Level off, discuss and possibly enter holding, vectors to an approach, then a speed controlled approach. (hint: they seem to be mostly interested in your airmanship skills). I recommend that if you know you'll have to do the sim and are a little weak on your instrument skills, find out who the local company is that will sell you sim time in the same sim. Most of my group had done so, it will make this part less stressful.

After all of this you will have a debrief. You will be asked to self-assess and they will point some things out to you. You should know at this point whether or not you will be recommended for hire.

Good luck and have fun!
Date Interviewed: August 2011
Summary of Qualifications: 1142 TT 708 ME ATP written, current flying job
Were you offered the job? Yes
Pilot Interview Profile:
Overall this was a tremendous experience. First class all the way, was treated very well and made to feel comfortable the entire day.

SkyWest will start the day with a video presentation, the usual stuff to be expected, but then the content of the video is backed up a few minutes later by several experienced Captains who seem genuinely excited to be there.

They tell you pretty much from the start they want to hire you, and basically hire the person first, pilot second. Apparently this mantra has proved successful for them as there doesn't seem to be alot of goons in this company.

I began the interview with a CRM scenario with another applicant. Basically you are put in front of a CRJ mockup and given a few instructions to see how well you can act as a crew. It's really amazing to see what all can go wrong, even when you are doing your best. Ours involved a broken lav, then a vomiting passenger, then several irate passengers worried about missing a connecting flight, then a lack of gate agent personnel, and on and on...we never even got to take off before the 7 minutes were up. During the debrief they tell you what went well and how they thought you did. Don't panic and you'll be fine-remember, it's not real.

Then we were seperated and a 1 on 1 was conducted. Lots of the typical HR questions, then a technical portion.

Know your Jepps, current a/c systems, limitations, etc. Be familiar with Low-En Route's and the FAR's. My interviewer was very personable and made it much less intimidating.

It sounds cheesy but be yourself, know the regs, know your aircraft, and be humble, and chances are they'll want you.

A few days went by and I was offered an EMB-120 slot. Company is poised for continued growth especially with the new addition of CRJ-200 flying for US Air out of Phoenix. Plenty of bases to choose from, stable management, plenty of cash in the bank, NEVER furloughed, it all adds up to a great company to fly for.

Good luck to all!
Date Interviewed: July 2011
Summary of Qualifications: ATP AMEL,CP ASEL,CFI & CFII,AGI & IGI

3,600 Hours
Were you offered the job? Don't Know
Pilot Interview Profile:
The folks at SkyWest were quite a pleasure to meet and interview with. Like previous gouges have stated, these guys make you feel at ease throughout the whole process. Coming from another Part121 carrier, the ambience and surroundings at SkyWest is quite a breath of fresh air.

The day starts off by reporting to the SkyWest hangar at 0800. Ideally, you’d like to be there 10 to 15 minutes earlier than that so you can get a feel for things. When you get there, make sure you introduce yourself to your fellow interviewees and do small talk. When I got there along with my friend who was also interviewing, there was a SkyWest employee sitting amongst the interview group. This person was wearing jeans and a polo shirt, and sporting a company badge. I’m not sure if he just happened to be there by coincidence or he was a decoy (along with the receptionist) to check up on how the interviewees behaved amongst themselves and toward each other.

At around 0810, all 11 of us were taken upstairs to a conference room to start off the day. We were met by three SkyWest captains who introduced themselves, talked briefly about their background and their time with the company. After their introduction, they will ask the candidates to also briefly introduce themselves – so have your own little spiel to say when it’s your turn on the barrel. We were then shown a PowerPoint presentation outlining details of the company, like equipment, reserve duty, length of ground school, crew domiciles, etc. Then, we were shown a ‘high-speed, low-drag’ video of what it’s like to be a SkyWest pilot. I have to admit, this was a pretty motivating video and completely different philosophy from where I am currently employed
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Depending on what time your flight out of SLC and your experience level (Part 121, flight instructing, Part 135, etc.) will dictate on who will be first to interview and get through the day. Myself being current Part 121, I was the one of the last ones if not the last to interview. The first step to the interview will be the Crew Resource Management scenario. They’ll usually try to mix different types of experience levels together. I was grouped with a part 135 freight pilot, a flight instructor - they sat as captain and first officer, respectively. I sat as the jumpseater. In the briefing room, the interview panel mentioned that they’ll typically assign the jumpseat to the Part 121-experienced candidate.

For this particular phase of the interview, the interviewer just wants to see how all of you interact in a part 121 environment as a crew. As the jumpseater, don’t try to step on the flight crew’s toes, don’t usurp the captain’s authority and only suggest how you can help. You can contribute to the situation by having them do their checklists, talk to ATC, etc. while you try to relay any information to the flight attendant to help them with the workload.

The next phase on hand is the simulator ride. Being Part 121, I was not required to do it so there’s not much I can contribute to this gouge in this regard. I did hear from those that took part in the simulator ride that it was a Frasca 142 and its handling is really sensitive.
While you’re waiting, you will also be given a multiple-choice (-guess?) quiz on subjects like aerodynamics, weather, turbine engines, and airspace. This is something that SkyWest is trying to implement into their interview process and is not exactly relevant to the outcome of the interview. This is just to see where you stand on your aviation knowledge and where they could try to prod you on certain subjects. On that note, I’m assuming that all of us in the interview had an ATP AMEL or had taken their ATP written exam because I didn’t see anyone being taken anywhere else to get administered to take part in a written exam. I suggest you have your written exam before applying so that you don’t have to worry about taking it on interview-day.

Next, we broke out for lunch to a break room and were handed out HoneyBaked Ham sandwiches. This is more time for you to socialize with the other candidates, get to know them, and also get to know the folks in the interview panel. This lasted about 30 to 45 minutes and after being there since eight in the morning, it definitely hit the spot.

Following lunch, you return to the break room and continue with the rest of the interview. This is the meat and potatoes of the interview, at least for me. Since there are three interview captains, they will usually conduct the human resources portion of the interview, followed by the technical part by another interviewer and vice versa. More often than not, both the HR and technical portion was conducted by the same interviewer.

The HR portion consisted of the interviewer looking through your logbook and asking questions about your background, verifying and confirming the details on the mandatory questions form sent out to you prior to the interview, and other typical questions like:
• Why SkyWest?
• Describe a time when you went out of your way to help out the company/customer?
• Describe a time when you worked with a person you did not get along with – how did you handle it?
• Describe a time when a co-worker showed up unfit for work – not necessarily inebriated, but not doing their job right, etc.
Bear in mind, that this is the last chance for you to dish out any skeletons in your closet – failed checkrides, infractions with the law, and of that jazz. The folks at SkyWest are very understanding and know that stuff happens, but they are asking for your full disclosure on your part.

Following the human resources portion we moved on to the technical part, but not before taking a quick five-minute break. First, I was asked what system I wanted to discuss pertaining to my current aircraft. Make sure you know the basics and if you are a current CL-65 pilot, make sure you know it like the back of your hand. They usually expect you to pick the electrical system since it’s one of the most brain-wracking. After a few questions on the system, we moved on to the next order of business.
I was given a METAR and TAF to read and asked about takeoff alternates, second alternates, departure alternates, and derived minimums.
Additionally, I suggest you study up on special coding of METARs and TAFs as there are items in those two that you rarely see in everyday reports. If you are a current part 121 pilot, make sure you know Exemption 3585 down cold. I flubbed this up until I was able to get on the right track and told him what he wanted to hear. If the interviewer sees that you can answer most of the questions he won’t bother asking you about other stuff and move on to another subject.

Though I was not shown and tested on the Jeppesen High/Low Enroute charts, the interview did ask me a couple of question on an instrument approach chart, an ILS/LOC to be exact. What is the decision altitude, when to descend below one hundred feet above the TDZE, and visibility required. I was also asked to brief the approach before he asked me these questions. Basically, just read Jeppesen’s Briefing Strip® and have a few things to add of your own.

Not long after, he concluded the interview, thanked me for my patience (I had been there since the morning and it was already about 1530) and had me wait in the conference room. After about 15 minutes, I was taken to the next room over for a debriefing and (I call it de-compression). Here, they will ask you how you think you did and what things you could have done differently during your interview. They will give you feedback on your performance and also tell you if they recommend you for the job. However, it is up to the folks at St. George, Utah to give the green light. Before parting ways, the interviewer will tell you to expect a response via e-mail within 48 hours.

The interview in itself was quite a pleasure and the SkyWest cadre made me feel at ease and relaxed. The people aside from the interviewers were extremely friendly and would go out of their way to help you out. I got the feeling that these are the kind of people that would return a phone or an e-mail promptly when you have a problem/situation at work. This is definitely not the case where I currently work.

I hope this gouge is of help and most certainly wish you the best with your interview! I ask that you “pay it forward” and post your interview experience for fellow pilots to see.
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