I applied online and got a call within a week of submitting the application. I was given about three weeks to prep.
The email said the interview would cover a CRM scenario,HR interview, and technical subjects including: • FAR and AIM, including Part 121 rules, approach procedures, commercial operations • Weather • Jeppesen approach plate knowledge and procedures • Jeppesen low altitude enroute chart knowledge and symbology • Jet aerodynamics and high speed flight characteristics • Basic commercial aircraft systems, including electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic and pressurization • Jet engine fundamentals, theory, design and operation
They recommended these books to study: • Your 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
There were a bunch of documents to bring: 1st class medical, certificates, logbooks, etc. I didn't have the radio operator's license, but I did print off a screen shot of the receipt and they accepted that.
In preparation, I asked a skywest pilot I used to instruct with what to expect and he told me the same stuff you see here. Electrical system, 91.175, simple systems, turbine engine, etc. I asked him if they would quiz me over pt 121 regs, he said no.
I scoured sites like these and created questions from people who interviewed in the last 2 years. So here's what I came up with (a lot of this stuff is in other gouges on this site in more detail):
CRM Bomb in seat 20c, 1 hour of fuel remaining Approaching airport, an AC is broken on the runway. Alternate airport winds are above mins Coming into LAX you are 15 minutes from the field with 1 hour of fuel. No alternate as LAX is forecast to be clear. You are holding for congestion. Pax has a seizure and the weather is expected to make LAX IFR. What would you do?
WEATHER METAR/TAF: abbreviations, how many times/day does it come out Relate weather to alternate airport regs Stages of thunderstorms What stage would you most likely encounter an anvil top If the anvil top is pointed left, what way is the TS moving? Which way would you try to fly around the storm then? How far from the storm would you try to fly? Effects and indications of virga Types of fog Exception 3585: what is it and when is it used What information do you use to decide you need an alternate When do we need takeoff alternate What is a microburst What does a microburst look like What are the aircraft indications of being in a microburst How do you escape a microburst What is windshear Explain the different types of ice When does frost occur How does frost affect the wing's ability to create lift What weather is associated with a cold front and warm front Jet stream: basic elements
AIRPORT SIGNAGE Study guide here: https://www.aopa.org/-/media/files/aopa/home/online-education/flash-cards/rwcards_lo.pdf Know airport lighting, study guide here: http://code7700.com/approach_lighting_system.htm What does ALSF look like
JEPP CHARTS What is a STAR Brief a STAR Brief an approach Highest obstacle on chart What is MSA How far MSA extends What is lowest altitude you can intercept GS When do you need to do a procedure turn Is the 100 foot restriction on seeing the approach lighting measured from field elevation or TDZE What is the FAF on the ILS app Can you continue an approach if tower reports visibility less than minimum What is FAP? Where is it? Covers app lights with piece of paper and asks if you see this can you continue, how low FAF on a precision vs FAF on a nonprecision What is MEA/MRA/MCA/MOCA/MORA(OROCA?) Know colors of airports on charts Military vs civil airport indication What is asterisk next to CTAF How do you know if you’re flying over mountainous area How do you enter a hold What is the “D” in D-ATIS What does (L) and (H) next to navaids mean Know VOR altitudes and ranges (both transmitter and receiver) Can you join the GS from further out than the published glide slope inercept What is a SID Why is DH so high of RNO ILS 16
AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS What is a diode Draw electrical system Be able to explain the system you drew like explaining to a non-aviator Is the battery AC or DC Pros and cons of NiCad battery What is the purpose of a fuse What is a circuit breaker and it’s purpose How does a circuit breaker trip What is a circuit breaker panel How does the starter work Where do your primary, ground, and emergency sources of power come from What is difference between AC and DC power Does your AC use AC or DC How do you convert AC to DC Pros/cons between AC/DC How does AC become DC and vice versa Why is certain equipment such as avionics use DC rather than AC What are inverters What is a rectifier What are TRUs What is a relay and solenoid What is powered on your AC and why What equipment can you run off the battery bus Battery info and whether it is AC or DC What type of battery is in your plane (looking for NiCad or Lithium) and what are the dangers of this type of battery What is battery thermal runaway and the dangers associated with that What is a volt What is an amp Be able to explain the different types of anti- and de-icing How do we cool the cabin How do we pressurize the cabin and basic elements of the pressurization system Jet engine fundamentals, design, and operation: http://okigihan.blogspot.com/2017/04/aircraft-engines.html Be able to explain your drawing like you would explain it to a non-aviator What systems feed off the engine (environmental, pressurization, heat exchanger(?)) What are stator/rotor vanes/blades What is bleed air used for Why do we have a diffuser Difference between axial and centrifugal compressors Once lit, do the ingiters need to keep firing or is it self sustaining How does a turbine engine start What is ITT used for? EGT? EPR? What is the bypass ratio and what does that mean How does bypass ratio change with altitude What does the compressor section do What is flameout Starter/generator Accessory pack What section is the N1 and N2 and what powers them How and where is pressure measured in the engine Where does bleed air come from and what is bleed air used for What are some typical malfunctions during start (remember, you are still discussing the engine you have drawn and know) What are hot/hung/no starts What is failure to light-off Cockpit indications of engine and start What is continuous ignition and when does it come on and when do we turn it on Know accessory gear section, what equipment is in the accessory section and how is it powered What is V1 and V2 How does stall speed change with altitude What is APU? What does it do Pros and cons of swept wing What is mach What is critical mach What is mach tuck What is high altitude buffet What is a relative mach number Describe coffin corner Where does a swept wing stall first What does impending stall do to aircraft control How does swept wing react in low vs high speed What a cross section of a wing would look like from an airflow perspective What is a boundary layer? laminar flow? Reynolds number? If you are in a yawing and rolling motion what aerodynamic condition are you in What is dutch roll What causes dutch roll How to recover from dutch roll What do we have to counter dutch roll How does yaw damper system work How many ailerons do swept wing aircraft have When do outboard ailerons work? What does ice do to a wing What is rudder boost How do wingtip vortices circulate What do winglets do Tell me about the constant speed propeller
REGS 91.175 memorized What is purpose of 91.175 and why is it important Why is it important to see these things, even if we've flown this approach hundreds of times Holding speeds Memorize airspace dimensions and rules Determining a valid alternate When do you need an alternate Alternate minimums How do you determine a good alternate Takeoff minimums When do you need to hold short of ILS critical area Be able to explain lost comms requirements given a scenario MEL and CDL usage
HR INTERVIEW Logbook: have original and two copies of all required documents. Put tabs for each major checkride, IPC, flight reviews, etc. Wear a suit and tie, bring a pen, clean shaven, friendly Tell me a little about yourself How did you get into aviation What makes you interested in skywest Where do you see yourself in 2-5 years Tell me about checkride failures and what you learned from them Tell me about an emergency you had Tell me about recent flying experience Have you ever been scared in an airplane Have you ever been flying and had a conflict with a student? How would you handle it If there is one thing you could change about the current organization What do you anticipate being the biggest challenge in training What do you think you would bring to skywest What does professionalism mean to you TMAAT? I don't know what this means, look it up Skywest is going to invest thousands of dollars into your training, why should they trust you? What is your greatest strength and weakness Tell me a time you were challenged Tell me a time you were a leader What is the best flight you’ve ever had What is the worst flight you've ever had Three questions for interviewer Tell me a time you did something stupid Tell me a time you demonstrated good moral character What things would stand out about you You see a captain having a drink within 8 hours of flight, what do you do You are at minimums and no runway items in sight but the captain is continuing, what would you do Tell me about the time you took up your first passenger, how did it make you feel and how did it go What would your students say about you How would you feel flying with a younger captain with less experience What is your greatest weakness in your aviation What you improve in your aviation knowledge Tell me about a time in your aviation career where you scared yourself What is your motivation to be a pilot What materials did you use to study What base would you choose What airplane would you choose
Okay. So congrats for skimming this far down. It seems like a lot now that it's out there, but I had three weeks and I tried to have an answer for all of these questions.
MY INTERVIEW 0800: It was just me and one other applicant. We were both part of the pilot pathways program. The interviewer gave us a tour of the facilities and we watched a video on skywest. We talked about ourselves for a little bit and moved to the difficult part...
~0930: We were both led into a boardroom with a whiteboard and two chairs for the CRM scenario. Our scenario was we were on approach to KORD at 1300z with one hour fuel remaining and an aircraft has broken down on the runway, you do a go around and enter the hold. Your EFC time is 1330. A passenger has a heart attack and is unconscious. Declare emergency and try to get into ORD. As we're getting vectored, visibility drops to 1/4. We elected to divert to an airport 20 mins away. At this point the scenario ended. They told us we communicated well together, but we should've kept the flight attendants in the loop and checked the weather at our diversion airport before heading there. We went back into the boardroom and were told to draw a turbofan engine.
~1000: I was interviewed 1-on-1 with a captain. She asked me to go through the engine as if I was a molecule of air. What does the accessory gearbox do? She pulled out the ILS into RNO, asked me to brief the approach, and asked: what is the visibility required (it showed "7" which is 7 miles visibility!)? Can you fly the approach if the visibility is less than prescribed and you're outside the FAF? Where is the FAF? she asked me about when we need a takeoff alternate if we're operating as part 121. She pulled out a METAR/TAF. Asked me to read it to a certain point. When do we need an alternate? What does the TEMPO mean? Can you plan an approach according to a TEMPO w/out filing an alternate? She pulled out a STAR and asked me to interpret. Asked me what would be the lowest possible speeds at certain points. I mistook the MEA altitudes as procedure altitudes. Asked me to explain a constant RPM, variable pitch prop. No questions about the electrical system at all.
~1130: Lunch. We chatted some more about ourselves, it was relaxed.
~1200: HR interview. I was asked: Why skywest? What do you expect to have the most trouble with in ground training? What is your biggest success and your biggest weakness in aviation? Have you ever had difficulties with a student inflight? He took down the numbers to my passport, certs, medical, etc. Said I shouldn't have anything to worry about and I was on my way.
1230: Finished.
I got an email 2 days later saying "welcome aboard."
Miscellaneous junk: I stayed at the crystal inn and they picked me up and dropped me off at the airport for my flight and at the skywest training facility (did I mention this was in SLC?). I checked out the LDS temple and got a book of mormon. Quite a few homeless people around the hotel/downtown area, but I'm from a place that has lots of homeless anyway. The lunch they provide is a sandwich and chips. Even though they didn't ask me about the electrical system for the complex plane I flew, I would definitely recommend studying it just in case and I learned a lot about it I didn't know. Use the "Everything Explained" book for learning about the 121 regs. It does a good job breaking it down into actual english. |