Pilotdude...

I was at ASA last week for the interview.

#1. Stay at the Red Roof Inn. It's not great. Actually, I found their customer service pretty lacking. But, it's inexpensive, and directly across the street from ASA and FlightSafety. There is a McDonalds, Ruby Tuesday's, and a few other bar/grill types of places within walking distance of the hotel. My room also had a fridge and microwave.

#2. Expect more of the same type of attitude at ASA's HQ as you got in the phone screening. Actually, I wouldn't even call it 'attitude', because that implies something negative. Some were better than others though, and you could tell a dramatic difference from one employee to the next. Some were happy to be there, and others didn't seem to be as much. I guess some are in a bit of a rut, doing the same thing, hearing the same scripted answers, and looking at hundreds of applications and resumes day in and day out. I wouldn't want their job. Everybody wasn't bubbling with enthusiasm like I got at my Comair interview, but I wasn't discouraged in any way either. They just seem to be doing their job and trying to maintain a very formal, business-like image.

#3. Don't worry about the written test. It couldn't have been any easier without being true/false. If you've made it this far in aviation, and you're still alive, you should be able to pass it with no problem. Spend more time preparing for the technical interview. Sign up for the free account and read the gouges on aviationinterviews.com for technical interview topics. I got lots of CRJ systems questions because I'm type rated in it. But, I also got lots of instrument questions, charts, and approach plates. Many of them were scenario-based as well. Not just, 'what is MEA and what does it give you?' Or, 'what are the minimum holding speeds?' You'll have to apply all your instrument knowledge in a few scenarios, including abnormal stuff (lost comms, etc.). And, much of the technical interview questions depend on who you get. I got lots of systems questions, while other people in my group (even with turbine experience) didn't get any.

#4. Everything is subject to change. Some things are done in different orders and at different times, even in the same interview group. My group wasn't told to show up to FlightSafety until 8:00, even though Phase II was listed as starting at 7:00 in the letter. By the way, you can go ahead and check out of the hotel and leave your baggage at the front desk while you go for the second day of interviewing. Overall, they get you through the process comfortably and quickly. The interview groups aren't that big at all, and they have plenty of staff. So, there's very little down time.

#5. You can probably get this from the letter. But, the general format of their interview process is: Phase I - Company intro and CRJ 700 presentation (for the sim), technical interview, written test (30 questions; instrument, commercial, 121 regs topics), written paragraph (just to see your written communication skills). After day one you'll go back to the hotel and call an automated number to see if you passed to phase II. They said it wouldn't be updated until 6:30, but I called at 4:30 and heard my number already. In my group, 4 out of 5 made it to the second day. Phase II - CRJ 700 presentation at FlightSafety, sim ride (see interview gouges for the profile - no AP, no FD, no FMS, just basic instrument flying on raw data done in the right seat), drug test, fingerprinting, HR interview, meeting with Dan Robertson (Pilot Recruiting Manager). If everything is in line, you might get an answer that day. In my case, they needed a few more days to complete the background check because I was fired from a job about 4 years ago right after I got out of college.

If you read the interview gouges and get to know the glass cockpit displays, you should be fine. The guy that did my sim ride was great and helped out a lot with power settings, configuration, etc. All you have to do is fly on the data given to you on the PFD. Nothing else matters.

I hope it works out. I'd love to be in Atlanta since I'm from that general area, and I like the company as a whole. If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me. Good luck.

Greg