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Interview Profile

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  updated 06/19/11

  
  

• Initial phone screening after application
  
  
  
  • Verification of application/resume information
  
  
  • Why do you want to work for us?
  
  
  • Are you prepared to relocate?
  
  
  • Tell me about yourself?
  
  
  • How did you get into aviation?
  
  
  • If successful, offer to interview live.
  
  
  
  


• Non-rev travel provided to interivew site. Most recenlty held in MSP using Mesaba personnel.


• Part 1- Personality assessment test (Wunderlick)


• Part 2- Written test
  
  
  
  • 25 question Multiple choice test covering FAR Part 91, FAR Part 121, Aerodynamics, Airports and Airspace, IFR regulations, weather, Jepp approach plates, and en route charts. Review these sections in the Gliem
  
  
  • Must pass with 80%, or they send you out on the next flight
  
  
  
  


• Part 3- logbook review (sometimes done in during HR/Technical interview) 
  
  
  
  • With a current pilot, captain or FO.
  
  
  • Be prepared to explain failed checkrides, more than 2 is disqualifying.
  
  
  • Don't lie or cover up because since the accident, they dig up everything.
  
  
  • You'll get asked about your current job
  
  
  • General questions about your flight time, the a/c you've flown.
  
  
  
  


• Part 4- Interview covering Technical and Human Resource areas
  
  
  
  • With one pilot and one HR representative
  
  
  • See questions bank below
  
  
  • Must pass to move on to simulator
  
  
  
  


• Part 5- Simulator Evaluation (see comment on 4/22/11 for possible changes to sim eval) 
  
  
  
  • Given Sim Profile to study thourghout the day prior
  
  
  • Listen to the sim instructor when he gives you advice on how to fly the sim!
  
  
  • Raw data (no flight director)
  
  
  • Simulator evaluation is conducted in a computer-based sim set up like a baron
    
  
  
  • You will be paired with another applicant and will switch seats with them, coordinate with them and use them as non-flying pilot as much as possible
  
  
  • Given briefing sheet with checklist, configurations, airspeeds, throttle settings
  
  
  
  


• Part 6- Drug Test + Fingerprinting


• Notification comes 2-3 weeks after interview

Interview Question Bank

20 rapid fire questions, given a few seconds to answer each

• Who is vice president of US?


• Who was Captain of Enola Gay?


• Who is secretary of state?


• Name Lindberg's plane?


• Where did it land?


• Last years best picture winner?


• Who won the Super Bowl?


• Name a Grammy winner last year?


• Who was the first person to step foot on the moon?


• Who was baseball's MVP last year?

Written test

• Where would you expect wind shear when flying through or near the jet stream?


• You see a standing lenticular cloud at the top of a mountain, where would you expect to encounter turbulence?


• Ambient lapse rate?


• Advection fog?


• Thunderstorms and their stages?


• Alternate requirements


• holding Visual Decent Points


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  • Do precision approaches have VDPs?
  
  
  • hat is a VDP.
  
  
  • When on a non-precision approach do you have to wait to the VDP to descend to the runway if you have it in sight?
  
  
  
  


• You have to cross over the tops of thunderstorms by 1000 feet for every 10 kts of wind.


• IFR lost communication procedures


• Identify runway marking signs


• Why is there no blue line on the B1900's IAS?

Technical Questions

• Be prepared to takl about your most recent aircraft (or most recent twin if not the same)


• Be prepared to describe any of the systems on the aircraft you choose (Power Plant, Landing Gear, Fuel, Electrical, Props, Flaps, V speeds, etc.)


• What properties affect Vmc?


• How does a turbine engine work?


• What type of Ice have you encountered before?


• What are the different types of Ice?


• What are the types of fog?


• What is the effect of an aft CG?


• What is adverse yaw?


• Brief this approach plate (ILS 16 HPN)
  
  
  
  • What is decision height?
  
  
  • When can you go below it?
  
  
  • what does the height in parentheses next to the MDA or DH represent?
  
  
  • What would be your missed approach procedure?
  
  
  • How would you enter the hold on the missed? Which way would you turn for a teardrop entry? How long will you fly outbound?
  
  
  
  


• Be able to read a METAR & TAF


• What are your maximum holding speeds?


• What are your max speeds below 10,000', under shelf of Bravo, in class C, class D?


• If you descend on an ILS to the DH and you can see the approach lights can you descend further?


• Describe how a constant speed propeller works


• Describe how a fuel injected engine works?


• What is carb ice? How do you know you have it?


• If you had to descend 3000', what rate of descent would you use and how far out would you start your descent?


• You're on the GS and the visibility drops to half mile, can you continue? Where is the final approach fix? Why does that matter?


• Describe the landing gear of your current airplane.


• Describe the engines on your current airplane.


• Describe the electrical system of your current airplane.


• Define Vmc.


• Define critical engine


• What is your current Engine failure on takeoff procedure?


• What factors affect Vmc?


• What is the most dangerous type of ice?

Human Resource Questions

• Why Colgan?


• Why should we hire you over the others?


• Qualities of a good FO and CA?


• Who was your worst student?


• Has anyone ever scared you?


• What was your worst day in aviation?


• Your time is at our minimums, prove to us you can get through training.


• Have you ever been in an emergency?


• What do you have to offer Colgan?


• Describe how you have been building your time


• Tell us a little bit about yourself


• What was the most recent airplane you've flown?


• Describe the fuel system in that airplane.


• Why do you want to work for Colgan over other airlines?


• Who do you know at Colgan.


• Would you be willing to relocate?


• Which aircraft would you prefer?


• Why do you want that airplane?


• What do you think you could contribute to the company?


• Why should we hire you over all of the other applicants here today?


• What is one flaw you have?


• You're on a three day trip with a CA for whom you can do nothing right...what do you do?


• Your CA seems to have no regard for the rules, what do you do?


• What was your worst day in Aviation?


• What would you do if your captain went below minimums?


• Tell us the good qualities of a captain.


• Tell us about your previous job.


• Tell us about any failed check rides.


• Why do you want tot be an airline pilot?


• Tell us about an emergency (or difficult) you've had in an airplane?


• Tell us about yourself?


• How did you get started in aviation?


• Any questions for us?


• TMAAT you disagreed with a Captain.


• What do you know about the Q400?


• What would you do if the Captain went below minimums?

Simulator Evaluation

• Expect a takeoff, some sort of departure climb, holding instructions (possibly fly the hold), dragged closer for immediate vectors to the ILS and that's it!  We got: depart Rwy 13 LGA, whitestone climb, holding instructions, brief correctly and you won't have to fly it, immediate vectors to ILS 22 LGA (not even enough time to transfer controls to brief, just fly it). You are not graded on your landing if you make one.


• Previously used profiles: 
  
  
  
  • Profile 1
    
    
    
    • Take off Runway 16 at HPN
    
    
    • Continue climb while turning to a heading, level at 3000'
    
    
    • Go direct CARMEL VOR and hold as published (or LGA VOR)
    
    
    • If the entry is briefed correctly, you may get radar vectors prior to the hold
    
    
    • Radar vectors to ILS 16 at HPN.
    
    
    • Fly the ILS approach to minimums, be prepared to land even though they may have said earlier that they would freeze the sim at decision altitude
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • Profile 2
    
    
    
    • LGA 1 Departure with Whitestone climb
    
    
    • Climb to 5000
    
    
    • Turns left and right
    
    
    • Direct LGA VOR, given holding instructions
    
    
    • Brief entry correctly, then probably won't fly it
    
    
    • Descend to 3000
    
    
    • Vectors for the LGA ILS 9
    
    
    • Break out at minimums
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  

The profile is pretty simple, no flaps on takeoff.
Set torque 3,000
"check power"      "power checked"
"80 knots"
"80 knots"
120 "V1" 122 "rotate"
"positive rate"
"gear up"
1000' "climb checklist"         "climb checklist complete"

climb at 140-160 kts
cruise 160-180 kts
descent 140-160
approach 140
speeds +/- 10, altitude +/- 100, 1/2 dot GS

If you set the power like they say, the speeds should be right on. Use your PNF as much as possible!

Comments

• Human Resource director= Cathy Angelo, V.P. Safety and Compliance= Dave Vance, Chuck Colgan=Chuck Colgan (11/02/07)


• Don't forget to talk to your interviewers during lunch (11/02/07)


• Interview begins as stated with a phone interview, with an interview offer. If accepted, they fly you non-rev positive space to the interview site LGA, MCO, wherever. Turn in logbooks and paperwork in the order they asked for it. If that all looks good to them you stay and take the 50 question ATP written. (REGARDLESS OF HAVING DONE THE WRITTEN OR EVEN HAVING YOUR ATP). If you pass the written you stay for the technical/HR interview. If you pass that you stay and fly the Beech 1900 SIM around a little. We left without knowing the final results and were told 2 weeks before hearing anything, which could be better or worse or the same as those sent packing early with a definitive "No Thanks". Very nice people, honest, enthusiastic to hire you, and generally want to hire you.  (02/19/10)


• I think you have to take the written even if you have the ATP written completed.  Not sure though. (06/21/10)


• Interviewed in July, 2010. Offered the job. If you are considering Colgan, you know they don't pay much, so stop whining already. That being said: Everyone there seems very nice and friendly toward each other.It is a growing company and most want to be a part of it, especially now! The following are things we were told. You will know everyone you work with at your base by name. Colgan is taking delivery of 15 new Qs and has options for many more. There are many pilots transferring, upgrading...etc. so the high time new hires will go to the Q and the lower time new hires will probably go to the saab, IAD probably. Houston is a senior base, don't expect it.


• Get all the paperwork done ASAP! Make sure to cross all your T's and dot all your I's or they will send you packing. Stay at a hotel close to LGA, one of the ones on their list. If you get in early on the first day, it can end up being a 1 day interview, if not AND you make it to the sim session, it ends up being a 2 day interview.


• For the multiple choice test get the "Sheppard Air" software, it is worth the money.


• You have to fly the SIM perfectly!! 30-40 interviewed and not a single person was offered the job. Experience ranged from CFIs to furloughed airline pilots. Good luck, we're all counting on you (12/11/10)


• If you can get into a B1900 sim and practice the profile ahead of time, I HIGHLY recommend it! Most applicants get sent home because they don't pass the sim. Not for procedures, but because they aren't use to the handling of the sim and have trouble getting stablized/maintaining altitudes/airspeeds/etc. (12/13/10)


• Prepare some non-selfish questions to ask about the company or the job.


• Good luck, they want to hire you!


• Don't pay attention to the things mentioned here for colgan it's not correct. However be a professional pilot and know what you need to know and you'll do fine. Don't know if I was hired yet but I did well. There's a standard 25 question test the wuerlick exam and hr and brief low alt enroute chart items and approach plate items. Be yourself and you'll do fine. Sim is equivelant to b-58 and is straight forward. Good luck to all. They are very kind and curtious (03/01/11)


• Good experience. Company unsure how integration will pan out exactly, but everyone is positive and there seems to be a lot of opportunity now. (03/03/11)


• Very good experience. Everyone is friendly and positive. They want you to be comfortable throughout the whole experience. The interview is nothing like it says above. Its all very straight forward. The feeling I got, is that this is a company you should try and get on with at this time. Good things are happening! Good Luck to all. (03/17/11)


• Interview process is no longer conducted by Colgan Air HR representatives. Candidates are being sent to Mesaba in Minn. for the interview. Process now includes a Wunderlick test and the simulator evaluation uses a Frasca-type fixed-base trainer configured similar to a Baron. (04/22/11)

• Mesaba is conducting all interviews on behalf of Colgan.  If you meet the Colgan minimum requirements (1,000TT/100 Multi), you will probably be interviewing for a Colgan position, but there is no difference between how they conduct the interviews.  The previous Mesaba gouges were spot on, so I would also study those.  Interview was conducted at Mesaba HQ in Eagan, MN.  They positive spaced me on United to MSP the day before and put me up in a Country Inn & Suites very close to their headquarters.  When you get to the airport, make sure you are getting on the shuttle for the right Country Inn, as there are multiple Country Inns in the area.  When you check-in, be sure to sign up for the hotel shuttle to Mesaba HQ the next morning. The hotel is just OK.  For dinner, there is really only a McDonald's and Subway within walking distance but the hotel shuttle driver said that he would be able to give me a ride somewhere with more food choices if I so desired.  Typical free hotel breakfast is available in the lobby in the morning. All 8 of us that were interviewing took the shuttle at 730AM, and it gets you there in 5 minutes, perfect time to arrive for a 745AM interview.A CRJ-900 Captain for Mesaba came out to the lobby to meet us and take us to a conference room where he showed us a brief powerpoint presentation and told us some very basic information about the company.  He was very nice, had a good sense of humor and really put us all to ease.  After this, we were asked to fill out a sheet of paper with your checkride history (pass/fail) and flight times such as total, multi, last 6 months, and last 12 months.  He then gave us a quick tour of the Operations room where Dispatch, Maintenance, and Scheduling all do their business.  He then took us to the simulator that we would be using later for our sim evaluations.  It was an ATC 810.  He told us that he would be conducting the sim evals and that he wouldjust be looking for basic instrument skills.  He gave us the general profile of the sim eval and told us that all the radios would already be set and that really all we would have to do is use the HSI.  He also said that after basic maneuvering, he would pause the sim, we could brief the approach, and then he would unpause it and we would fly the approach (BEWARE if he tells you this, because this is not necessarily true - i'll explain further when I get to the sim eval).He then took us back to the conference room where we first took a Wonderlic test.  These questions have nothing to do with aviation and I recommend trying to find sample tests on the internet to practice with.  There were 50 questions and a time limit of 12 minutes.  I only finished 35 which is pretty normal, so don't feel rushed to try to finish them all.  They tell you if you don't know something, then don't guess because this will hurt your score if you get it wrong.  Next was the 25 question IFR/FAR test.  This was multiple choice and was a piece of cake.  Some questions that I remember include speed limit under Class B, decoding METARs and TAFs, cloud clearance requirements in Class D, hold entry procedures, and basic questions about a couple approach plates.Next they took us all to the cafeteria where we waited to be either taken to get finger printed, or be called in to do the HR and Tech. portion.  They schedule all the HR and Techs. based on when your flight out departs.  If you have an earlier flight out, expect to be one of the first ones to be called in.  I had one of the latest flights out so I had to wait around in the cafeteria for almost 4 hours before I was called in.  There isn't much to do other than chat with the other applicants.  I ended up buying a sandwich out of the vending machine for lunch which held me over til dinner.I was second til last to be called in for HR and Tech.  It was with one lady from HR and a Mesaba line captain on the CRJ.  Both were very nice and they created a relaxed atmosphere.  First I was asked to tell them about my flying career.  Then, why Colgan?  How will you deal with low pay and being on reserve at first?  Then I was asked a couple Tell Me About A Time questions...TMAAT you flew when you shouldn't have.  TMAAT you were uncomfortable/scared in a flying situation.  What has been your toughest obstacle in your flying career? Then the CRJ Captain began asking technical questions.  First one was a scenario where before the first flight of the morning a ramper tells you (the FO) that an electric space heater had malfunctioned on the airplane overnight leaving burn marks around the electric outlet on the plane.  You are at an outstation and no maintenance is available.  What do you do?  He will try to convince you to go by telling you that all your passengers are going to miss their connections, but just remember that safety should be your number 1 concern.  Next I was asked about some airport signs and markings.  These were trickier than I thought they would be because you have no context with them, and he also threw in kind of a trick question with a taxiway named 15 (it was a taxiway that leads onto a runway).  Know when to hold short of an ILS hold short line at an uncontrolled field (weather below 600-2 for precision approaches and weather below 800-2 for non-precision).  He then had me decode a METAR and TAF for CLE.  Know the remarks section of a METAR such as RMK AO2 LGTCCCG SLP159 T14741409.  He then asked me if based on the TAF, could we make the flight to CLE?  Would we need an alternate?  What does the forecasted weather have to be at an airport in order to file it as an alternate?  Does it have non-standard alternate minimums?  My alternate was ERI, and it did not have non-standard alternate minimums.  Then he pulled out an approach plate for ILS 6 into ERI.  ATC tells you "Colgan 1, turn left heading 090, maintain 5,000 until established, cleared ILS runway 6 into Erie."  When can you descend down to 2,800?  When are you considered on a published segment of the approach?=within 1 minute of the Erie VOR on the inbound course.  At what rate would you need to descend at to be at 2,800 at the VOR?=2,200FPM.  He then told me that we are inside the final approach fix and we receive a new report telling us that the weather has dropped below the approach minimums, can we still continue inbound on the approach?=yes  Why?=if you are inside the final approach fix then it is legal to continue, ceiling and visibility can change very quickly and you just have to be able to say that you saw the runway environment before reaching minimums.  Runway not in sight, go missed, what kind of entry to the hold on the missed?  On the approach plate, what does the star next to the tower frequency mean?=part time tower, does not operate 24/7.  That was it for the technical portion.  I was surprised that I was not asked anything about aircraft systems or any airplanes that I have flown but I think it might have been because we were running low on time. Following the HR and Tech. portion, they take you out of the room so they can talk for a few minutes to decide if they want you to move on to the sim.  They bring you back into the room and have you sign a conditional job if they decide that you will move on to the sim, but of course, you have to pass the sim eval to get hired though.  Out of the 8 of us that interviewed, 2 were sent home early and 6 were sent to the sim.  Next was the sim.  Before going into the sim room, they have you read a packet of directions for the sim.  Pay close attention to the part that explains how to use the RNAV/DME HOLD/NAV radio.  I have never used a true RNAV before and hadn't even seen one like this before.  It really ended up throwing me off and I wish I had paid more attention to the directions packet, although I still think I wouldn't have done much better.  The sim is a basic multi engine airplane, like a Baron.  Do yourself a favor when you sit down in the sim chair and look at what all the frequencies are set to.  Don't let the sim instructor rush you which is what happened to me.  First, takeoff from runway 8 (can't remember what airport it was), fly runway heading, climb and maintain 3,000.  DON'T FORGET TO RAISE THE LANGING GEAR!  He had me climb at 500FPM.  Climb power was 25/2500.  Leveled off and set cruise power 23/2300.  One steep turn to the left, and one steep turn to the right.  Then he had me intercept and fly outbound on the 330 radial from the VOR.  He then wanted me to intercept the 270 radial outbound.  Once I had the CRS selector set on 270, he asked me what radial I was currently on, so I went to center the CRS needle and he told me not to touch the HSI, and to tell him based on the information I had in front of me.  It took me a little bit but I finally realized that the RMI was tuned to the VOR and I was able to use that (I wish I would have known what the RMI was tuned to before I started the sim eval, but I didn't pay much attention to it because he had said earlier that day that all we would need to pay attention to is the HSI).  I intercepted the 270, and he told me to brief the approach and get everything setup while I tracked outbound on the 270.  This also threw me off a bit because earlier in the day he said he would pause it so I could brief the approach.  The ILS 8 approach used DME off of the VOR, and setting up the DME which is actually on the RNAV  is not intuitive.  I finally figured it out, but the NAV 1 radio does not have a flip flop switch.  What you have to do is before you put in the frequency for the ILS, you have to hold down the "HOLD" button for a few seconds in order to the hold the DME information on the RNAV.  Then you can dial in the ILS frequency.  He vectored me for the ILS approach, cleared me for it, and asked me to report final approach fix inbound.  Power setting is 15/2300 on the approach at about 110KIAS and gear comes down just before glide slope intercept.  Flew to minimums, went missed - this is where I messed up.  Instead of climbing to 1,500 ft. on runway heading and then joing the 097 radial of the VOR, I dialed in the VOR frequency, set the CRS to 097, and joined the course outbound immediately.  It was a stupid mistake and I know I wouldn't have messed that up had I not had to brief the approach while trying to track a course outbound.  He asked what type entry to the hold I would make, and I told him parallel, briefed the hold, and that was it.  The sim flies ok, the pitch is fine, but the roll is weird.  It will roll on you even if the yoke is level so you constantly have to correct for the roll to maintain straight and level, and it really takes away from your concentration if you have to brief an approach while flying that thing.  Overall, I thought the interview process was mostly laid back and meant to make you feel at ease with the exception of the sim evaluation.  This was my first airline interview and now I feel much better prepared for other airline interviews.  Not sure how many of the others were given job offers.  I received an email saying thanks but no thanks 2 days later and I know one guy got a phone call offering him the job the same day I received the email.  Hope this was helpful.  Good luck everybody! (06/19/11)