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Skywest Airlines View Vacancies

Pilot Interview Gouge and Question Bank

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Career Potential

Compensation

Equipment

Quality of Life

Company website

http://www.skywest.com/

Bases

EMB Bases- FAT, MRY, PDX, PSP, SAN, SBA, SBP, SLC, SMF, LAX; CRJ Bases- ATL, COS, DEN, FAT, MKE, ORD, PSP, SBA, SLC, SMF, TUS, LAX, SFO

Fleet

CRJ900, CRJ700, CRJ200, EMB-120

Interview Profile

Emails instruct you about what to bring
- Bring exactly what they tell you
- Open all attachments, complete all forms
- Make an extra copy for yourself
- Get college transcripts early
Interview usually starts at 0800 at the hangar/training center
As a group (usually 3-6) shown video and presentation on SkyWest
Written tests
- 50 questions taken from ATP written
- Won't take test if you bring a copy of your ATP written results
- No time limit
- Mechanical aptitude test has been discontinued
Pulled away from written for other portions of interview, then return to finish written
Technical/human resource
- Two on one interview
- CRM scenario is incorporated into this portion of the interview
- At the end you will be expected to critique your interview performance.
Simulator evaluation
- CRJ/ERJ or jet/glass experience, you may not have to do the simulator evaluation

Please send your interview information

Interview Question Bank

ATP Style Written Test

50 multiple choice questions
No time limit
Similar to ATP written
Study an ATP written prep book
No figures, except some basic Jepps chart reading
Examples
- Part 91
- Part 121
- Flight attendants required (based on number of seats)
- Where should a bull horn be located on the airplane
- NTSB 830
- Aerodynamics
  - Parasite vs. induced drag
  - Aft CG characteristics
- Airspace
- Airport
  - Taxi lights signs
  - Light gun signals
- Runway edge lights
- Weather
  - Ice pellets/ freezing rain; what weather above
  - Read reports
  - Thunderstorms - Wind shear, aircraft indications
  - Decode winds aloft - 782945= wind 280/129, temp -45
  - What cause downdrafts

Technical Questions

Flight Release from RDM to SFO
- What frequency is tower?
- What does the (*) mean next to Frequency?
- Where would you find the hours of operation for tower?
- If Tower closed what changes?
- How would you get clearance?
- Obtain ATIS
- Can you take-off?
- Some questions on low en-route charts along the way
- What are the different types of icing?
- What is turbulence?
- You will get some random scenarios, show your CRM/Decision making skills.
- Given TAF, do we need a destination alternate?
Turbulence
Icing
Passengers fighting in back.
Bad Weather
Obtain Arrival ATIS. Can you land?
Brief Approach.
Weather below minimums. Can you continue?
General Approach plate questions
Current Multi aircraft
- Limitations
- Systems
- What are the procedures for an alternator/generator failure in the current twin you are flying?
Larger ones- electrical, fuel, hydraulic
Be able to draw diagrams
Difference between alternator and generator
How does TR work
Emergency memory items
Calculate climb gradient given airspeed and climb rate
Airspeeds limit below 10,000ft, at 10,000ft
Jepps Charts
- What is mountainous terrain?
- Approach plate
- Symbology
- Brief approach (don't just read it)
- How would you fly approach
- NoPT
- Hold entry for missed
- Fly missed from a circle
- Visibility requirements
- What is Final Approach Fix on ILS
- If inside FAF and weather goes below mins, can you continue
- What is missed approach point of ILS
- Where is the DME located
- MSA definition
- VDP, how to calculate if not published
- What would you do if lost the DME on a DME Arc
- Enroute Chart
- Symbology
- Blue/green airports
- Altitudes and definitions
- Airspace questions
- Restricted area
- Who has separation responsibility in MOA
- Definition of mountainous area
Weather
- Thunderstorm stages
- Thunderstorm avoidance (upwind)
- What are the different types of hydroplaning
- What are the types of fog?
Amp vs Volt
Know something about a jet engine
What is an airfoil and how does an airplane fly
Logbook Questions
- Interesting airplanes
- Times that don't add up
Explain lift.
What's a bus?
What is difference between AC and DC?
What is the difference between a turbo-prop and a turbo jet?
Explain how a turbine engine works, how air flows through it.
What is RVSM airspace?
Definition of light, severe turbulence

Human Resource Questions

Why do you want to work for SkyWest?
Why should we hire you?
How did you get into aviation?
Someone you look up to?
Ever been scared in an airplane?
Flown with someone you didn't get along with?
Flown with someone you disagreed with?
What do you like most/least about current job?
Ever committed a felony?
Any FAA violations?
Ever been fired?
Ever failed a checkride?
Why are you leaving your current job?
Why did/ didn't you major in aviation in college?
Tell us when you had a disagreement with management
What is a weakness we will see in your flying when you fly the simulator?

Simulator

ATC 810 or Frasca 142
The usual airports that are used for the simulator evaluation are Los Angeles ILS RWY 24R (KLAX), Burbank ILS RWY 8 (KBUR), and Trenton, NJ ILS RWY 6 (TTN), and possibly Teterboro, NJ (TEB)
They give you basic power settings
No visual
No glass, all round gauges
Know FARS as they pertain to simulator
- Non radar= full procedure
- DA what do you need to see to continue/to land
- Weather required to takeoff, continue approach, land
- Given ATIS, is Takeoff alternate required?
- When can you descend below decision altitude?
- Required radio calls
Ident Navaids
Call for checklists (After T/O, Approach, Landing at a min)
Brief (departure, holding, approach)
Takeoff
Intercept radial
Holding instructions
Vectors to ILS, full procedure
Published missed
At the end the instructor will ask you what you could have done better

CRM Scenario

You will play the part of the Captain
7 minutes for scenario
2 interviewers play all roles (flight attendant, ATC, company, etc.)
Given in-flight problem; examples:
- Passenger with medical problem
- Maintenance issue
- Enroute weather
- Attempted hijacking
- Fight between passengers
MAKE SURE SOMEONE FLIES THE AIRPLANE
Everyone stays in "the loop"
Prioritize
Captain gathers information
- Flight attendants
- ATC
- Dispatch
- Maintenance
- Passengers (doctors on board, etc.)
Captain takes/other give inputs and suggestions
Captain makes final decision
All follow through with Captain's decision
After- self critique with little feedback for interviewer

Please send your interview questions

Comments

If you have low time, say close to the 1000 hrs. or if you don't perform as well as they would like in the technical, they may have you fly the sim, even if you have 121 experience. (07/06/08)
Simulator is very pitch sensitive. do not even think about getting it trimmed out. ID stations and remember that even a sim needs clearance to land. (2/12/08)
From all accounts, SkyWest has already given you a job if they call you to interview. Therefore, the job is yours to loose. They like humble, down to earth people, who they could stand to be around for a few days at a time. (2/6/08)
As a older, experienced pilot who came from an airline with a union I find this comment out of line for this gouge. Sorry you didn't make the cut. 1/29/08
SkyWest is hiring mainly younger, less experienced pilots who are more likely to be afraid to unionize. Older, more experienced pilots are being rejected. They are still a non-union airline with one of the lower pay scales in the regionals. If you are OK with that, then SkyWest is a great company to work for. (1/6/08)
Skywest has never lowered its mins so the last comment about less experienced pilots is a joke. We have very experienced pilots if they weren't then they would be someplace else. (06/02/09)
You have to pay for your own hotel-
Candlewood Suites ~ $45/night
Comfort Suites ~ $50/night
Bring money for lunch (vending machines or food truck "roach coach")
Skywest hires older pilots- just not ones that are crusty and unhappy with the airline industry and their life in general. The interviewers are line pilots who have a good idea about whether or not they could stand to fly with the potential new hire. It definitely sucks to fly with someone who projects their industry woes on you. Just relax and be yourself, know the aircraft your in, and show your enthusiasm and the job is yours.

Please send your comments

Latest Ratings


29th July
Career Potential
Compensation
Equipment
Quality of Life

20th April
Career Potential
Compensation
Equipment
Quality of Life
"Family Oriented Airline", just make sure your families medical emergencies don't require you to take time off or miss a day of work. Good ol' boys in certain management positions that lack general aircraft and operation knowledge since they don't ever fly the line (ie ORD). No recourse should you have a grievance since there is no union, and SAPA is nothing more than a management controlled figure head. The company pays your pilot reps. to represent you...maybe a conflict of interest!

8th April
Career Potential
Compensation
Equipment
Quality of Life
Overall a good company to work for. Been here five years. Bent over backwards to avoid furloughs, currently 0 on the street. Theres a reason were still union free. If your arrogant/over confindent, stay home. No one likes to fly with a know-it-all.

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