Republic Airlines Holdings had been on my shortlist of airlines to interview for, but I didn’t really expect much from them since their hiring mins were fairly high some months ago compared to others (1200TT 300ME) however that seems to have all changed with 800TT 100ME now being posted on the website
I applied online and submitted some very basic information about flight times, history etc. and received a call from HR the very next day 28 Nov 07…!!! Stacy Weddle extended a very polite invitation to attend an interview date of my choosing sometime over the next 2 weeks since they were holding 2 sessions a day for the next 2 weeks. The 12 Dec 07 proved ideal for me, leaving ample time to prepare beforehand. Stacy issued a US Airways standby pass with sensible departure/arrival times for the day before. Give yourself plenty of time in case of getting bumped but it’s not the end of the world if this happens since Republic are very understanding and can reschedule you quite easily.
I was flying out of KLAS via KPHX to KIND which proved to be a fairly long day but instructions were clear and precise, the Holiday Inn Select (Republic give you a decent rate) was ideal ($45.00) A number of other candidates were on the same bus to the hotel as well as some current line chaps going in for refresher training. So we were fortunate to get a grass roots assessment from them as to what was in store for us.
Basically this job is yours to lose, be yourself, do the song and dance that’s required (as one chap quaintly put it), relax and smile.
Republic provide a shuttle to their HQ from the hotel at 0740 for a timely arrival for interviews to commence at 0800. In through the main doors to the elevator, and up to the 3rd level. There were 9 FO applicants in total where we waited in the main lobby area, along with a large smattering of FA new hires that were also waiting for interview and training. Word of advice, travel light the shuttle doesn’t go back to the hotel to pick up bags afterwards, but you can bring them with you as there is plenty of space to keep belongings safe.
Linda Bannister is head of HR and she ushered us in to a small room to start on the paperwork. A small packet of basic Republic Airlines benefits, a short welcoming letter and many sheets regarding PIRA. Make sure you have all your past employment details for the preceding 5 years as this part is quite laborious and probably was the single most complicated event throughout the whole process. Complete it as best you can then Republic can say they did what was required of them and they can get on with real job at hand.
Next came the infamous Wonderlic exam, 50 questions in 12 minutes. There really is no preparation for this as there are no direct wrong or right answers, all of us managed between 35-40 questions answered. There are some sample questions online, but most of it is very simple but can sometimes make you question yourself. Anyone with solid picture puzzle solving ability and a fair grasp and mental math approximations should have no trouble.
To follow was an Instrument exam of 25 questions, very straightforward and the free gouge available on aviationinterviews.com is 98% right on for the questions presented. Calculators are allowed for this one, holding speeds and leg times above 15,000’, ILS width at threshold, holding entries etc.. no 121 regs at all.
We then finished off with a short presentation of Republic - its immediate plans, benefits and the nice feel good video that’s on its website. In short 1000 pilots required for next year with a strong possibility of acquiring some EMB190’s, should be interesting if that happens!!!
Seniority starts with the first day of class with at least 150 bodies behind you when you finish. Apparently no reserve time is spent on the ground, everyone is in the air right from the word go!!!
We then moved into the canteen area where we all waited for our turn for either sim or the 2on1 interview.
The 2 on 1 was very enjoyable, 1 captain and 1 HR mostly it was HR – tell me about your flying career, tell me what people would misunderstand about you, how did you prepare for this interview, why work for Republic that sort of thing. The Captain found himself fully engrossed in my logbook, and was mainly looking for aircraft types I’d flown and what questions he could ask me based on that. So some pilot talk about the L-39, SC-7 Skyvan and parachuting operations, the only technical question I got was ‘please describe how a PT6 operates on the Caravans No Jepp plate questions. However, I think I got an easy time of it, some of the other guys had Jepp questions and the odd ISA / Temp question but still nothing that some good preparation wouldn’t cover. Be honest if you don’t know anything, my impression for this interview, was they are trying to see if you are someone they can get along with and that you will feel comfortable working with them. It finished with HR saying we’ll give a you a call in a couple of days, which is what they were saying to everyone. They will want to see and copy your licence, medical, resume etc. I saved some time be having all that and more ready to go, show that your organised and ready for anything, it does get noticed. This interview is where you will make or break your application, relax and spend time answering their questions fully, but don’t waffle. You don’t have to overly sell yourself, but show that you are easy to be with, help them feel confident that you will pass training and that you are there because you want to be. Dress the part too, suit, tie and shake hands firmly look them in the eye when answering. You can be professional without being stuffy and too serious about it.
I personally had a long wait for the simulator session, I elected to wait until last since some of the other guys were clearly getting agitated by the waiting brought about by nerves I guess, but its all completely unfounded. One of the sim stations was playing up so that extended the wait time considerably. Its a PCATD, quite sensitive but manageable with a 2 sec delay between trim input to aircraft response. Its set up as a BE58 for a IND departure, after takeoff radar vectors to Brickyard VOR to hold, vectors to the LOM (NDB), then a loss of radar contact, with a full PT to the ILS, GA with engine failure, clean up the aircraft and that was it. The briefing is very complete with plenty of time to become accustomed to the sim, a small briefing sheet is handed to you before the ride with some basic speed and power settings. Make sure you do all radio calls, and you can call out to yourself all the appropriate checks. Personally I flew like a bat with one wing!!! since its been 2 years since I’ve been in a simulator for any serious training, so clearly they’re after just basic instrument skills and measure of competency.
As I was finishing the sim, HR’s Linda Bannister came in a asked if wouldn’t mind hanging around for a couple of minutes, thinking this might have been a, don’t call us well call you chat - I waited nervously, only to be informed that she offered me a spot in next Mondays ERJ145 class for Chautauqua!!! However, this would not have worked out for me, since I was really hoping for the EMB170 code sharing with Delta or United, I explained my reasons and she very obligingly granted me this with Shuttle America and a class date 01/09/08. Be prepared for what you want and understand which of the 3 certificates you want to fly for and how that will affect you once on the line. The base you want can be bid for during training. They’re hiring all across the board right now with 32 new aircraft arriving during 08, however it appear the CRJ’s are being phased out in preference to the E-Jets
One other item, if you are not a US citizen (of which I’m not - yet) then its up to you to get the necessary clearance from TSA through the Alien Flight Training Candidates web site. Its Category 1 and that means $130 processing and another $70 for fingerprints with a potential wait time of 30days. However flight training according to TSA is when you actually step into the sim!!! Patt Nutt at Republic was very helpful with this and I’m pleased to say that TSA completed this very convoluted exercise in 9 days from initial application to final approval!!!
Overall a very pleasant experience, everybody at Republic treated the candidates as grown-ups and respected our position as potential future captains. Be aware, that they’re not out to hire everybody they can lay their hands on, they are looking for quality people and they will just as readily NOT hire you, at least 3 guys of our group didn’t get offers and even they were fairly experienced guys, 2 from a prior 121 carrier!!! Some of you may not like Republic’s policy on its training agreement, $15,000 which is reduced each month until you have given them a reasonable term of service (2 years). They are also having problems with pass rates in training at the moment, but it not a reflection on their training program but more linked to new hires not measuring up to the task ahead, particularly if you have no advanced jet or FMS time. However its nothing that good honest hard work won’t resolve. Keep ahead of the game and get as much prior experience as you can even if it means playing MS flightsim with a FMS add-on, it all helps. Pay of course is a very touchy subject with the regionals but starting pay is at the higher end of what the industry is offering and upgrade times are sensible. It takes time to develop the aviation maturity that is required to be in the left seat for this type of operation. Flying as crew is a privilege not afforded to everyone, respecting this fact and adjusting our attitudes accordingly will go a long way in helping all new hires get through the very difficult early years that is US airline flying.
Good luck to all!
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