| I interviewed in January. All recent gouge on this site is enough to be well
prepared. This post will complement the existing data. It will be from my
point of view as a retired military guy working for another jet airline.
Lodging - Use the Comfort Inn. Can't say enough good things about them. They
know the routine and will get you where you need to go without fuss or muss.
KC-135E Simulator
It appears that the order of applicants for the sim and interviews is
arranged by age, oldest to youngest.
Power settings and speeds from previous posts are right on. The evaluator let
us keep the simplified checklist with us. Power settings on the checklist are
a bit high - configurations are on the list. No memorization required.
Profile - A normal takeoff to a radar pattern downwind. Swap control, do an
approach to a missed approach. Swap controls again, approach to a landing
(landing not graded). We did the VOR/DME and an ILS (GS out). I used the
aileron trim sparingly. Our evaluator did not want us physically swapping
seats. Figure out who is going to sit where ahead of time. Call for the
checklists. Ask for the weather. Use airline style callouts. Show that you
know what is going on with the crew concept. CRM is teamwork. Don't move the
gear and flap levers if you are the flying pilot. Have the other guy do a
rough power setting for you.
Civil pilots will need to know this: The KC-135 uses a separate DME receiver.
It is called a TACAN receiver which is a UHF device used by the military for
range and azimuth. It serves basically the same function as a VOR/DME and is
located on the left side of the overhead panel. Tune in the 2-digit number
that will be penciled in above each VOR frequency on the provided approach
plates to obtain DME from that facility. The DME will be displayed on the
upper left corner of the H S I. It IS possible to have the VOR's on one
station and the DME/TACAN on another. Not good. On the approach plates each
ILS frequency had a TACAN frequency penciled in above - even when there was
no associated DME. Be very careful about setting the TACAN to the correct
frequency for each approach. So - set the VOR for the ILS and VOR, and set
the TACAN for the DME as appropriate.
Left side VOR control head for Captain's HSI, right for FO.
Use care when selecting flap settings. The detents are shallow and worn.
The H S I/ADI are not directly in front of the pilot. Offset a bit to the
left for my (FO) seat. A little distracting. The VSI is of the older type,
lags behind. Use altimeter for level flight reference and back up with ADI
pitch reference.
The KC-135E is incapable of utilizing an NDB. If you get NDB plates in your
package, don't bother looking at them. Note: It seems that the sim is set up
for those ANG locations that have or had KC-135's (PIT, ORD, PHX, SLC, etc).
There is only one clock available for timing approaches. It is on the lower
right side of the Captain's instrument panel. The evaluator asked what we
were using to determine the MAP on our ILS/GS out. We both pointed to the
clock (which we had been using) and he said, "That's great - a lot of guys
forget to time the approach."
Military pilots: Have someone familiar with Jeppesen charts listen to your
briefings and quiz you. My partner did not know some essential differences
between NOS and Jeppesen. All airlines use Jeppesen. Learn it now, not during
the 30 minutes you have to coordinate your sim strategy. A series of good
articles called "The Chart Clinic" is published monthly in the AOPA Pilot
magazine or is available at the Jeppesen web site. Professional Pilot
magazine has a Jeppesen quiz every month. If you can handle the quiz every
month you will not have any problems.
Day Two
The package of required paperwork is taken as soon as you show up at 2G101.
You can check off items on the checklist ahead of time. Have everything
signed and dated where it should be. This is nothing more than following
directions. I copied down the FedEx tracking number as per previous gouge.
I am convinced that you are being evaluated by all that you see. I never let
a smile drop from my face and didn't say anything that wasn't cheerful and
positive the entire time I had an AA employee within 50 yards of me. I did
not miss a chance to tell everyone that I saw that I wanted to work for AA.
Sim evaluator, Sim operator, receptionist, HR ladies, Interview Captains,
cafeteria workers, janitor, whoever. It wasn't false sincerity.
Military guys: This is a civilian environment. Don't "sir" everybody to death
like you are a cadet. Show that you can transition to being a civilian. If
your HR lady says her name is Mary or Doris, then address her as such. A "yes
ma'am/sir" may be appropriate at times but you are not on the parade ground.
Relax.
My HR lady asked me why I wanted to work for AA, and let me talk for 5
minutes (by the clock). Must be a record. But then, she didn't ask me
anything else.
The two interview Captains were friendly and warm. Made me feel right at
home. We got a windowless room just two doors down from 2G101. Took our coats
off, they served water, and then joked about what chair I chose. It was fun,
just guys sitting around talking.
How I prepared: I looked at all of the gouge questions on this site. I
printed them out, and circled the ones that I did not have a ready answer for
and thought more about them later. Some of the things you will want to have a
rehearsed answer for, such as the "tell us about your flying career" thing
and maybe your 5 priorities in life, etc. My point is that through debriefing
I found that their question prompts are general in nature. The interviewer
changes it around a little bit to fit his interests and how the talk has been
going. If I had only canned answers for all of the questions, I would have
been speechless. Know yourself, and have an idea for each main point, then
flesh it out as the situation develops. I did have a prepared idea of what to
say if they asked "Is there anything that you would like to add/or wished
that we had asked you?" and I had 2 questions about AA in mind.
Summary: Be yourself. Let some personality out. Use humor when you naturally
would when telling a story. Be serious about serious stuff. Don't obsess
about studying, but be familiar with the nature of the questions.
Last thing for Military pilots: Airline pilots tip the hotel van driver a
buck when they handle your bags. Start practicing with the Comfort Inn
driver.
|
