I got scheduled for the interview at 1300. After a night at La Quinta, caught the shuttle to CP4, signed in, and surrendured my log books.
After a short wait, Ms. Yvonne Jackson-Parsons gave us the company
propaganda, and answered our questions. Waited some more, filled out
paper work, and was called into the HR interview with Ms.
Jackson-Parsons. She asked for my certificates, and made some marks on
a checklist. Then came the questions:

Who have I been most influenced by in my
life?
How would my best friend describe me?
Define commitment (she had other words to choose from)
Why do I want to work at Eagle (asked this again in techinical
interview)
Describe a proffesional conflict, and how did I resolve it?
Which of my qualitities would I most like to change, and why?
What are my best qualitities?
Where do I want to be based?

There were some more, but I can't remember them. Throughout, Ms.
Jackson-Parsons was writing down my responces, and I was told I could
not look at what she was writing. After the questioning I was asked if
I had any questions; I asked about the trianing. I was ushered out, and
told to wait for the techincal interview.

After waiting for 45 minutes or so, I was called in to talk to Charles
Kinney (a line FO). He was very pleasant, as was everyone else there.
After the introductions (an intern was watching and listening), Mr.
Kinney produced one of my logbooks into wich he had placed about 10
post-it notes, each on various pages. Each page with a post-it note had
some, to him, questionable entries. I explained all of them away, and
then came the technical stuff:

Read a line from a METAR, or TAf
Brief an approach
Explain everything about an airport by just looking at a low enrout
chart (Jepps, no NOS there at all)
Look at a SID out of Bostan Logan, explain symbols, and numbers
Any FAA violations?
Ever busted a check ride?
Scenario with a drunk captain: what do you do?
Scenario with captain descending below MDA: what do you do?
Why do you want to work here?
Any in-flight emergencies?
How are circling categories determined?

In addition to the questions asked of me, other people there were asked:
max holding speeds, when can, and can't an approach be commenced......?

The technical part was about an hour or so, and then more waiting. One
guy from the group was called out of the waiting room by Ms. Claudette
Carol. He came back in, got his stuff, and indicated he was not going
the sim. Then Ms. Carol came in gave us confusing directions on getting
to the sim at the American Airlines training center. She explained that
we had to be there at 0630 to meet the evaluator. She then gave us more
paper work (for the medical) , and explained the fasting process, class
dates and so on. We did not get out of there untill 1700.

Next moring now, got up ate a bagle, and boarded the shuttle to the
training center. After trying to navigate through the building we
finally found the meeting place, with 5 minutes to spare. Mr. Tatum
briefed us (gave us all the power settings, check lists to call, the
approach plate we would be using, and pretty much the whole profile).
Out of the group of 4, I went last due to flight schedules. The
simulator itself is in good shape (the trim was not working quite
right), and was on the runway and engines running at LAX RNWY 24R. Any
questions I had were answered, and I got my clearence (runway heading to
6000). After leaveling off, a couple of turns, then vectors to
intercept the SLI VOR 250 radial inbound, and descend and maintian
2500. Once on course, I was given a hold clearence, and asked how to
enter (direct, start the time when the flag flips....). I never made it
to the hold, and was given vectors the ILS 24R into LAX. I gave the
controlls to Mr. Tatum, and briefed the approach, took the controlls
back, and had him tune, and ident everything needed. I broke out of the
clouds right at minimums, and landed the beast on the runway, and got it
stopped.

The best way to prepare is to know youself, and be ready to answere all
the tough HR questions. For the techincal part make sure you know JEPPs
backwards, and forwards, as well as regs that pertain to the type of
flying you are currently doing. They do not expect you to ace the sim,
but I was lucky and had to opportunity to fly a 727 sim for about an
hour when I found out about the interview.

Everyone there is extremeley pleasant, and easy to talk to. They seem
genuinley interested in you, and want to hire you.

The interview is very straight forward. Two oral interviews- one personal, one technical. Both are informal and given by one person. Personal interview is 10 standard HR questions- just be friendly and be yourself, no canned answers. Technical interview covers different questions every time, but will include approach and enroute charts (Jepp), weather, some AIM material, and a few regulatory questions. Both of my interviewers were very friendly.
The sim is a Level C B-707. You will take off, turn and intercept a radial, make one turn in holding (direct entry), and take vectors for an ILS. No engine cuts, no partial panel. The check airman will be in the right seat and will set power appropriate to the phase of flight you are in if you tell him to. The thing handles like an ocean liner, but it's managable. The standards are ATP.
Pay starts off at $18.16 an hour, plus $1.25 per diem. You will start off in either a SAAB or ATR, and you might get to choose, depending on your seniority in the class. We've got CRJ-700s and EMB-145s coming, but our contract limits the number of 50+ seat planes we can have (can you say.....EMB-135!).
They will pay you for 75 hours a month during training, plus $20 a day for food, and will provide a hotel room.
Come May of this year, all four Eagle carriers are going to become one. That will make us the largest regional airline in the world, and the fifth largest airline in the world.
Good Luck!

Got the package on a Friday and called Ms. Claudette Carroll 1st thing on a Monday. The 1st available date was March 5 1998, so I took it. She seemed nice enough.

Getting ticketed (read stand by) was no problem, but many of the flights were full. So it was a wait and see issue. The gate agent a Mr. B. Martinez was not a very helpful or pleasant fellow, so I went on to speak to another gate agent later on, with basically the same results (cattle car class on an 6:30 going and middle seat 5 across 8:00 coming home). But at least I didn't have to pay for the ticket!

Going over the FA in my section, Ms. Karen Davis, was very pleasant, and spread the word to the other FA's about my interview. Many of them came by wishing me good luck. That was a good feeling, it appeared that they all enjoyed their job.

Captain Dennis Kurtz, F.O. Jim Weber, and F.E. Joanna Staton tried their best to give us a smooth but the weather would not cooperate, and it was a bumpy flight. Thanks for the smooth landing guys.

La Quinta hotel picked me up, and after a days rest delivered me to the Centerport IV complex to start the days activities.

Unbeknownst to me and a few others there were 2 sessions that day. Some of were not told of our appointment for 1:00. Oh well they are busy. The paper you receive with the invitation states you need to arrive at 7:30a.m.. It and the hotel cost information need to be updated (it's now $45 a night versus $38).

We got the "intro" speech from Ms. Yvonne Jackson-Parson. She was very pleasant and very informative. Basically they are in need of pilots. They will hire many this year (upto 3-400), with bases as listed in most of the publications. They just received the first EMB 145 this week, and they are looking forward to 2 a month, until the order is filled. EMB-145 will start 1st in Chicago, then Dallas. We did a paperwork review, and filled out even more paperwork. Make shure if you have more flying hours since you sent in you're update, ask for another, as your logbooks must match your pilot supplement form! Yes they do take your logbooks went they start, and you get them back in the tech. Interview.

Next comes the wait. We had 6 guys in the morning session, and 4 guys and 1 gal in the afternoon session. They call you in 1 at a time for the technical / personal interview.

The guys doing the tech. For the day were David Cole, Dave Tatum, Ron Musfeldt, and Jay Williams. I had David Cole. Nice guy from Longview, Texas (GGG)( same place I lived for many years), who is an EMB-145 Check Airman, and has been with the company 20 years. He started first with my logbooks. I flew some pt. 91 in a Merlin IIB, but the chief pilot had kept my logbook ( I thought I'd make my fortune in computers, but my love is flying) There were some questions on how much I flew. Just answer honestly. We have all flown our butts off at one time or another to get every hour we can.

Next David pulled out a Jepp. approach plate to MEM 36R (I think), and asked my to brief the approach. It was a new one with all the comm. numbers in their own boxes, and missed approach instructions in the new format. He asked me how to enter the hold (teardrop or parallel). He asked me what category we would be in during a circling approach if our landing speed was 145. I told him we were too fast for cat "c", and we would have to use the cat "d" minimums, and read them off the plate. He asked me if we could shoot this approach if the weather was 0/0 in a 121 operation. I said that I was not aware (I've no 135 or 121 time), but my guess was no, and as a pt.91 I guy could do pretty much what I wanted.

Next came the low altitude enroute chart. He picked a airway between 2 VORTAC's and asked me to tell him everything I could about the line (airway) between the VORTAC's. I told him all I could, and all I could remember. He asked about one airway that had 2500 mea, but a 2000 t beside it, he wanted to know why. I told him that the t guaranteed terrain clearance. He asked about the t across an airway before a compulsory reporting point. I didn't look around to notice a change in the mea, and I drew a blank. I told him I could not remember.
Next was the Metar / Taf. He asked me to look it over, and read it off to him. I did but I had a little problem with a string of numbers (I couldn't decipher what it was saying). I told him that I was not shure, but I could find the answers in the METAR / TAF cheat sheet. The odd things were BR (mist), and VCRA (rain showers in the vacinity) in the reports.

David asked if I had any questions. I asked about upgrade. His answer was 18mo. to 5 years. I asked about the jets. He said new hires weren't getting them, and they were going to Sr. Captains. Possibly upgrade in 3 to 5 years for the right seat. Yvonne said there could be crossover after 2 years in the left seat of the jets.

Back to the room to wait. Ms. Carroll was finishing up with the am group. They all passed both interview, and were given directions to the sim. ride. Ms. Carroll stated that if you are flexible, and if everything works out in the sim. and Captains board, that you could be asked to come back for your medical real quick. I told her that if everything went ok, I could stay over and report back Monday for the medical, little did I know.

Next was the personnel interview with Ms. Jackson-Parson. She was very nice and pleasant. Typical interview type stuff. Why Eagle? You're greatest accomplishment. A disappointment and what did you learn (Silly me said not getting what I wanted, when I wanted it, that was my fate). Conflict with anyone, and how was it resolved. Things that make a good pilot, how do you fit them?
About 20 or so questions, and she writes down your answers (I think key words, etc).

Sent back in to wait. Ms. Carroll called me out of the room, and informed me that I (I don't remember the exact words) was not successful in the interview process. I asked here where, and she said they don't say, but maybe in the technical area? I said that I only missed 2 questions that I know of. She said if I was still interested that I could reapply in 6 mo.. Talk about shock! Funnier thing I was briefed by a guy that had David as the tech. evaluator, and from 2 others who were in the a.m. group and while I answered the questions like they did, they all got selected and I did not! My personal belief was that I weigh a bit more than the others due to some back surgeries( I still hold a 1st class, and have been cleared by the FAA), but if they said that then I'd be able to have them over a barrel.

So to tally up. 11 started, of those only 1 guy had both military (limited), and civilian time (121), the reminder were civilian, mostly instructing, and the like. 2 of us did not make it through the interview process. Of those who did go to the sim. there was 1 female, 2 guys from San Juan, 2 from a middle east country, the other 4 were white guys.

One of the guys from San Juan told me he made it all the way through the interviews, and the sim. ride last year but the Captains board decided not to hire him for San Juan, even though Eagle sent down HR types just to hire for San Juan. He was to go to the Sim. on Fri. a.m.. Good luck David St. Croix.hahahha!

As for me it was 8:00 to home base after missing the first flight out due to no seats available and at that it was a middle seat on a 5 across row. What a way to cap-off the whole process. That a pain in the butt for someone who is 6'4", and is a "Big Guy", but working on loosing it to be a skinny guy so I can get hired by these folks who cannot see beyond their prejudices. Sorry I'm off my soapbox now.

I spoke with a friend of mine who is a F.E for NW, and she tells me that AA & Eagle has always bee odd, in how they hire, and it makes no since.

As for me, I had:
36 y.o. male, 5144.3 tt, 1927.6 sel, 3216.7 me (3122 Merlin IIB), 4261.6 pic, 680.2 sic, 4 year degree, ATP M.E. & A&P & F.E. Written, 1st class, RTOP, passport. 9 years Business Management / Operations experience, and 10+ years in the computer programming / networking/ consulting business (some concurrent).

And I'm still looking.