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Interview Profile

• Emails instruct you about what to bring and what to expect 
  • 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 detailed presentation on SkyWest
• Written tests
  • 50 questions taken from ATP written
  • If you have a current ATP written, there is no formal, written exam at the interview. However, all candidates complete a no-threat, written test to help the interviewers have a starting point
  • No time limit
  • Mechanical aptitude test has been discontinued
• Pulled away from written for other portions of interview, then return to finish written
• CRM scenario
  • Three at a time (Captain, FO, jumpseater)
  • Start scenario enroute with x minutes of fuel onboard
  • Given emergency/inflight irregularity
  • Use CRM to come to a solution, implement a plan
  • Debrief after, "what would you have done differently?"
• 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

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?
• How would you judge in-flight visibility upon breaking out of weather (assuming tower called below mins after FAF).
• When can you descend below mins to 100’, 50’, etc. 
• 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
• Be able to draw and explain a system of your current airplane (such as electrical).
• Draw and explain different types of jet engines.
• Basic jet engine knowledge- bypass ratios, thrust reversers, etc

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)- evaluator will complete them
• Brief (departure, holding, approach)
• Takeoff
• Intercept radial
• Holding instructions
• Lose radar contact, determine where you are (DME, radial) 
• 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

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.
• Received interview call X weeks after application.
• Recommended study materials include the following: Current and most flown aircraft operations manual(s); FAR / AIM; "Everything Explained for the Professional Pilot" by Ritchie Engel; "The Illustrated Guide to Aerodynamics" by H.C. Skip Smith; "Advanced Aircraft Systems" by David Lombardo; "The Turbine Pilot’s Flight Manual" by Brown & Holt
• According to their instructions, the sim is either an “ATC-810, non-motion, non-visual or Frasca 142 non-motion, limited-visual simulator … configured with an HSI, RMI and an instantaneous VSI.  The sim ride may include air work, basic IFR navigation, a precision approach, non-precision approach and holding.”
• If you have a current ATP written, there is no formal, written exam at the interview. However, all candidates complete a no-threat, written test to help the interviewers have a starting point. They said even if you got a zero, it wouldn’t knock you out of possibly getting hired but the interview would probably be rugged. It was a hard test. One Captain said the record high score is 86 (I got a 70).
• Didn’t have easy access to a Frasca/ATC 810 so I prepared for the sim by flying MS Flight Sim 2004 (Baron – pitch sensitivity maxed out) most days leading up to the interview. After flying the Skywest sim, my preparation was reasonable as the sim went fine.
• The morning started with a detailed presentation of the company and the Captain said they need pilots. In fact, out of our group of nine, he said they could potentially hire all of us. They took all our paperwork early on (except logbooks). Part of the briefing included the keys to success: professionalism and attitude. Be honest but never let them see you sweat.
• We were pulled out by threes to do the 7-minute CRM scenario. In my group, they put the pilot with 121 experience as the jump seater, the less experienced guy as Captain and me (the moderately experienced pilot) as the FO. They set up the flight enroute with fuel remaining in minutes. We had a medical emergency and had to decide where to divert. I should have pushed my thoughts more assertively. The two Captains then debriefed the scenario including asking, “What would you have done differently if you had been the Captain?” “Where you satisfied in your position or do you wish you had been in another seat?”
• The sim was very basic to include takeoff, airwork, clearance to hold as published and vectors for an ILS. Left the prop levers forward and just changed the MP – they give you the power settings and speeds. Once cleared for the holding, the evaluator asked my plan. Once I explained it, he knocked off the holding and starting giving vectors for the approach. At one point, the Captain said, “We just lost radar, where are you?” so I gave him a radial and DME. I had to fly and change nav radio frequencies (comm frequencies were simulated). Also, call for checklists which evaluator completes.
• All portions were individually debriefed as well as an overall debrief at the end of the day. Wear a suit, have a briefcase of some sort to present the best image.
• Don't complain about the free lunch provided during the interview.