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.
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