Piedmont Airlines      View Vacancies

Interview Profile

• Updated 09/08/2011

• Offered Interview via Email
  Application & Infomation Packet sent via Email in PDF and DOCX Format
  Full Application to Fill out

• Paperwork-
  • Make copies in color  (State DL, SS Card, PPort, etc)
  • Bring exactly what they ask for
  • Make extra copies for yourself
  • Bring originals with you to interview
• Interview starts at 0730
  • Sign in at security, given visitors tag
  • Wait in Cafateria for others to arrive
  • Met by Bob Trout or John Buchanan
  • Taken to 2nd floor conference room
• Written tests
  • Given immediately upon entering conference room
  • 50 questions multiple choice
  • Test is mix of gouge questions
  • Time to take test is 45 minutes and not 1 hour like previously stated.
  • When done go to cafeteria and wait for all to finish
  • Those who pass return to conference room
• Shown slide presentation on Piedmont
  • Pay attention- some question may be asked in interview
• Take quick break
• HR interview
  • Occasionally they will ask one or two easy technical questions
  • 1 or 2 interviewers
  • John Buchanan (Chief pilot)
  • Carl (HR)
  • Bob Trout (HR / Corporate Recruiter)
  • Jay Keen, (Director of Training)
  • Tamara (Corporate recruiter)
• Simulator ride
  • Desktop Elite Simulator
  • King Air 200 w/DME setup
  • PNF will assist
• Wait in conference room or cafeteria
• Someone will come and get you
• Offered job
• Given materials
  • Welcome Letter
  • USB flash drive with materials to study for training

Interview Question Bank

ATP Style Written Test

• 50 multiple choice questions
• 45 minute time limit has been changed to 1 hour
• Similar to ATP written, but questions are Piedmont's own
• Study
  • This gouge
  • AIM, IFR procedures and holding in particular
  • Jepps introduction pages
  • FARs 121, 91 (ATP written type)
• Company questions
  • Bases
  • Cities Served
• Weather questions
  • Thunderstorms
  • What's required to form
  • Difference between air mass and steady state thunderstorm
  • How far should fly around it
  • What does the beginning of rain mean
  • When will frost form on the wings
  • What does freezing rain at lower altitudes indicate
  • Types of icing
  • Most hazardous type of precipitation
  • What WX to expect when updrafts go into stratosphere
  • What is the characteristics of moisture travel INSIDE a thunderstorm
  • METAR/ TAF how long valid
  • Based on given weather do you need an alternate
  • If field is closed how far out do you contact the airport?
• Multi-engine questions
  • Which is the most critical engine, why
  • What speed a turboprop holds at
  • Turboprop speed limits
  • FR turboprop fuel requirements
  • What V-speed is appropriate when engine out and above single engine service ceiling
  • Lose engine, what happens to performance:
    Lose 50 percent of climb or more
    Lose 50 percent of lift or more
    Lose 50 percent of descent rate or more
• Miscellaneous
  • First indication of a stall?
    A) stall horn
    B) buffet
    C) stick shaker
    D) All the above
• Definition of an inverter
• Company info
  • What are the crew bases for Piedmont
  • What cities does Piedmont serve
  • Officers (example- Who is the VP of Flight Ops)
• ILS critical area minimums
• Approach plates
  • - Ithaca VOR 14, New Bern, Salisbury, Syracuse ILS 05
  • - Mins w/o tower
  • - Mins with different altimeter
  • - Holding speed on missed (may be a published speed)
  • - What is FAF for New York VOR approach
  • - Mins with glide slope out
• En-route charts
  • High chart around Atlanta
  • What center would you contact at this location on the chart (ATL)
  • Low chart around Roanoke (GSO VOR)
  • Find MSA off the chart
  • Inbound course on victor airway on Charlotte low en-route
  • Which VORs have DME
  • MORA, MEA, etc
  • When would you change over from one VOR to another
  • What is the holding speed at ABC VOR, hint-read the chart
• Types of hold
• Holding speeds
• 215 heading and hold on 090 what entry
• ATP question about lost communication procedure
• Effects of CG movement
  • On stall speed
  • On cruise speeds
• SDF characteristics
• Takeoff mins for category B
• Is field open 24hours
• Pilot controlled lighting
• When do runway centerline lights go from white to alternating white to red
• How far down the runway do the touchdown markings extend
• Number of flight attendants required for Dash -8/300
• Part 121 Crew rest requirements
• When to step up with a step up fix
• 290kts to fix 150 miles away how many minutes
• What is an LDA?
• VOR service volumes

These are questions from an older test version (2005) but will give you an idea of the types of questions they like to ask if they change the test again.

• At what temp will lightning most often strike, -5-+5C
• Which is a definition of V2 speed? Take off safety speed
• What is the maximum indicated airspeed a reciprocating engine powered airplane may be operated within class B airspace? 250
• A pilot approaching to land a turbine powered aircraft on a runway served by a VASI shall Maintain an altitude at or above the glide slope until a lower altitude is necessary for a safe landing
• Assuming that all ILS components are operating and the required visual references are not acquired, the missed approach should be initiated upon Arrival at the DH on the glide slope
• What action should be taken when a pilot is "cleared for approach" while being radar vectored on an unpublished route? Remain at last assigned altitude until established on a published route segment
• If being radar vectored to the final approach course of a published instrument approach that specifies "no PT" the pilot should Not execute the procedure turn unless specifically cleared to do so by ATC
• What altitude is a pilot authorized to fly when cleared for an ILS approach? The pilot must maintain the last assigned until established on a published route or segment of the approach with published altitudes
• When must the pilot initiate a missed approach procedure from an ILS approach? At the DH if the visual references for the intended runway are not distinctly visible or anytime thereafter that visual reference is lost
• After experiencing two-way radio communications failure en route when should a pilot begin the descent for the instrument approach? Upon arrival at any initial approach fix for the instrument approach procedure but not before the flight plan ETA as amended by ATC
• A pilot is holding at an initial approach fix after having experienced two-way radio communications failure. When should that pilot begin descent for the instrument approach? A flight plan ETA as amended by ATC
• Under what conditions may an air carrier pilot continue an instrument approach to the DH after receiving a weather report indicating that less than minimum published landing conditions exist at the airport? When the weather report is received after the pilot has begun the final approach segment of the instrument approach
• What are some characteristics of an airplane loaded with the CG at the aft limit? Lowest stall speed, highest cruise speed, least stability
• What does the blue radial line on the airspeed indicator of a light twin engine airplane represent? Maximum single-engine rate of climb
• What effect, if any, does altitude have on VMC for an airplane with un-supercharged engines?Decreases with altitude
• A definition of the term "viscous hydroplaning" is where? A film of moisture covers the painted or rubber coated portion of the runway
• What is the advantage of a three bar VASI? B A normal glide angle is afforded both high and low cockpit aircraft
• What type information is disseminated by NOTAM (D)'s? Status of navigation aids, ILS's, radar service available, and other information essential to planning
• What minimum information does an abbreviated departure clearance "cleared as filed" include? Destination airport, en route altitude, and SID, if appropriate
• Under what condition does a pilot receive a "void time" specified in the clearance? On an uncontrolled airport
• What action should a pilot take if within 3 minutes of a clearance limit, and further clearance has not been received? Start speed reduction to holding speed in preparation for holding
• What report should the pilot make at a clearance limit? Time and altitude/ flight level arriving or leaving
• What does the term "minimum fuel" apply to ATC? Advisory that indicates an emergency situation is possible should an undue delay occur
• Which reports are always required when on an IFR approach not in radar contact? Leaving FAF inbound or outer marker inbound, and missed approach
• While being vectored to the final approach course of an IFR approach, when may the pilot descend to the published altitudes? Only when approach control clears the flight for the approach
• A visual reference is lost while circling to land from an instrument approach, what actions should the pilot take? Make a climbing turn towards the landing runway until established on the missed approach course
• Which rule of thumb may be used to approximate the rate of descent required for a 3? glide path? 5 times ground speed in knots
• When is the course deviation (CDI) considered to have full scale deflection? When the CDI deflects from the center of the scale to full scale left or right
• When cleared to execute a published side-step maneuver, at what point is the pilot expected to commence this maneuver? As soon as possible after runway environment is insight
• When cleared to execute a published side-step maneuver for a specific approach and landing on the parallel runway, at what point is the pilot expected to commence this maneuver? As soon as possible after the runway or runway environment is insight
• How does the SDF differ from an ILS localizer? SDF 6? or 12? wide, ILS 3? to 6?
• How does the LDA differ from an ILS localizer? LDA- offset from runway +3?, ILS-aligned with runway
• What is the lowest cloud in the stationary group associated with a mountain wave? Rotor cloud
• Which types of clouds are indicative of very strong turbulence? Standing lenticular
• What characterizes a ground based inversion? Poor visibility
• What feature is associated with a temperature inversion? A stable layer of air
• En route at FL270, the altimeter is set correctly, on descent, a pilot fails to set the local altimeter setting of 30.57, if the field elevation is 650 ft., and the altimeter is functioning properly, what will it indicate upon landing? Sea level
• When can the maximum hazard zone caused by wind shear associated with a thunderstorm be found? On all sides and directly under the thunderstorm cell
• What is the feature of super cooled water? The unstable water drop freezes upon striking an exposed object
• Freezing rain encountered during climb is normally evidence that A layer of warmer air exists above
• What type of service should normally be expected from an en route flight advisory service? Weather advisories pertinent to the type of flight, intended route of flight, and altitude
• METAR KMAF 131756Z 02020KT12SM BKN025 OVC250 27/18 A3009 RMK RAE 44. Which weather condition is indicated by this METAR report at Midland(KMAF)? Rain of unknown intensity ended 16 min. before the hour
• The prevailing visibility in the following METAR is Less than a ? SM
• Isobars on the surface weather chart represent lines of equal pressure Reduced to sea level
• A sever thunderstorm is one which the surface winds are 50 kts or greater and or surface hail is ? inch or more in diameter
• What is an important characteristic of wind shear? It may be associated with either a wind shift or a wind speed gradient at any level in the atmosphere
• What initial cockpit indications should a pilot be aware of when a head wind shears to a calm wind? Indicated airspeed decreases, aircraft pitches down, and altitude decreases
• Which condition would initially cause the indicated airspeed and pitch to increase and the sink rate to decrease? Sudden increase in a head wind component
• What initial cockpit indications should a pilot be aware of when a constant tail wind shears to a calm wind? Altitude, pitch, and indicated airspeed increase
• Which flight conditions of a large jet airplane create the most severe flight hazard by generating wingtip vortices of the greatest strength? Heavy, slow, gear and flaps up
• What effect would a light crosswind have on the wing tip vortices generated by a large airplane that has just taken off? The upwind vortex will tend to remain on the runway longer than the downwind vortex 2. When do you start timing when entering an NDB hold? Abeam the fix
• Is Field open 24 hours?-The tower is not open 24 hours a day but the FIELD is, with pilot controlled lighting. Make sure to read the question

Simulator

• Dash 8 sim with the motion turned off (if available)
• Usually a table top version PCAT set up like a King Air
• Instructor gives explanation
• Given briefing sheet with profile with callouts: "set takeoff power", positive rate= "gear up", 1000ft= "flaps up, set climb power", "set cruise power", "set course for the XYZ VOR", Identify LOC", "Start time", 1.5 dots below glide slope= "speed check, gear down, set approach flaps.", More/less torque", "1000 above, 500above, Minimums"
• Given one approach plate ahead of time to review
  • Examples of ones they have used recently-
    • ILS 06 Allentown (ABE)
    • ILS 13 Allentown (ABE)
    • ILS 04 New Bern (EWN)
    • ILS 05 Syracuse (SYR)
  • Consider altitudes to fly
  • Consider course reversal plan
  • Consider holding entry
• Takeoff- track localizer outbound or runway heading
• Climb to 3,000
• Direct a VOR
• Given holding instructions- (often hold as published)
• Brief the entry correctly and usually don't have to fly it
  • May ask about initial turn upon crossing VOR
• Simulator paused and repositioned for 30 degree intercept for the ILS
• Fly ILS down to the runway
• Instructor will talk you through a landing
• Hints:
  • Fly flight director
  • Ask for instructor to set power for you
  • Slow and configure early on the approach
  • If confused ask for clarification
  • Scan
  • Talk (make callouts, if you make a mistake- vocalize it and say correcting)
  • Brief missed approach even though you won't fly it
  • Whole things lasts 10-15 minutes
  • After Takeoff don't use the rudder
  • The later you get in the sim the more time you have to look over the profile and approach plate

Human Resource Questions

• Why Piedmont?
• Any problems with your driving record?
  • DUIs, DWIs, speeding tickets?
• Have you had any accidents incidents on your FAA record?
• Where did you go to school?
• Tell me about your flying experiences.
• Where did you receive your flight training?
• How many days a week do you work at your current job?
• How do you feel about flying a lot (like 1000hours a year)?
• Do you feel you are ready to work for Piedmont?
• How do you feel about moving?
• Where do you see yourself in five years?
• What are your goals in aviation?
• How have your past experiences prepared you to work here?
• Do you do any outside flying?
• Why are you leaving your present company?
• Be able to calculate a VDP.

Comments

• Homewood Suites has rooms for $36.00/night (Piedmont Rate) (11/06/07)
• Interview scheduled for 0700, 0630 is considered late! Be early! (11/06/07)
• Everyone is very friendly and nice, seems like a great place
• Keep a positive attitude, it shows
• AmeriSuites offers US Airways corporate discount- $91.50 (10 min away), if full the Ramada Inn South (on Woodlawn/ B.G. Pkwy) can be used (20 min away)
• There is a bag storage room at the training center so you can bring everything with you from the hotel and leave it while you interview.
• Don't come here,..training environment is distasteful. everyone here is leaving asap. dying airline with no future..no new planes, no flow through to usair (03/17/11)
• The minimum times are irrelevant. They have special agreements between several schools such as ATP and Perdue University. There were four of us with 1500 hours or more and non of us were hired. Six were from the above mentioned schools and had less than 500 hours. They were all hired. This included one who forgot his entire application packet.  was told by HR that the times were a deterent as less people with those times would opt to fly turboprops instead of jets. I personally have over 4000 hours. After telling me all this I was informed I needed more experience. On further questioning I was informed the part 135 companies are not good places to gain experience. (03/24/2011)
• I have just interviewed the past week and been told they are changing the test. This gouge they say is now useless. (03/24/2011)
  • Note: This last comment was posted by one interviewee, confirmation needed.
• Update received 4/4/2011, written has not changed
• Many interviewees take 0600 Hotel Bus to Training Center for 0630 arrival (04/04/2011)
• Leaving hotel at 0630 for a 0700 arrival is fine.  Interviewers were on this shuttle so watch what you say (04/11/11)
• If you stay at the Quality Inn the rate is $38 with tax and by taking the 0630 shuttle you don't miss out on breakfast. (04/11/11)
• Classes of 16 running through September. (04/11/11)
• I have not heard anything about the test changing. (04/11/11)
• Hiring an additional 60 pilots to the end of the year. (09/08/11)
• The written information here from the 2005 version of the test was the most accurate for my interview. (10/02/2011)