blearned

I went through the PARC/NCA interview last week. Sorry this took so long to post - back at work in Europe/ME with serious Internet challenges.
They indicated that:
Training will be at NCA training facility in Narita, accomodations at the Excel hotel. Training ws originally projected to be up to 6 months (total elapsed time, including return home after SIM and about a month of IOE). Planning on classes of 8 candidates each, every other month beginning in April, for a total cadre of 32 pilots, who are to replace junior JAL pilots that NCA had employed while on furlough and are being recalled.
Next screening (after the one this week) will be in December. PARC and HAAC are still accepting resumes.
PARC will reimburse the cost of the airfare to/from, and trains etc when there. Hotel is paid dirctly by NCA. Stay at the Excel Hotel in Narita (adjacent to the north end of the airfield). There is a crew-only cafeteria in the basement, which is a great place to meet and mingle.
Day one of the screening consists of a sim evaluation followed by panelinterview, both conducted at NCA's new training facility adjecent to the airport. PARC/HAAC rep will escort you and three other candidates to and from the training center. Each sim and interview is individual...everyone else waits in a conference room while the otheras are screened. Morning or afternoon sessions, but either lasts about 5 hours, with a lunch break.
You will revieve a one-page sim profile and the NRT ILS Rwy 16R approach plate, which you will review with a NCA Captain and the Chief Pilot. Very relaxed - they let you know what they would like to see. The Captain in the left seat runs all your checklists. In the sim: engines running, holding short of the runway, depart NRT 16R, engine flame out at V1. @500', LT to 010*, flaps 5* and 1,000' accellerate to 200kts, climb to 3,000, then Autopilot on. You're on a modified downwind for the approach. 3-engine ILS to a full stop, Autopilot off once established. Clear the runway at the highspeed ad stop. Done. In and out in ~20 minutes! They just want to see you fly and that you're trainable!
Panel interview included one PARC rep, who guided the questions, the chief pilot, and a NCA representitive. Standard interview questions (why NCA, you ok with Japanese culture, what would you do if a captain did this..., and a very few general aviation questions. Seems like basically a "Normal" test, verify that you are who you say you are.
After screening, return to hotel and await phone call to let you know that you "passed" the initial screening and will continue to the medical screening the following day. There were more applicants than medical creening slots available, so guys that are based or live in the area were asked to return at a later date for screening. Screening is in a large diagnostic clinic in downtown Tokyo. Train runs from the airport to the city, easy, with no transfers. Screening took 5 hours - extensive vision test (with dilation - bring sunglasses!!), hearing, balance, psych screening, EKG, EKG on treadmill, EEG (brainwave exam), chest exray, barium swallow digestive tract radiogram, E,N,&T exam, blood and urine sample. Return to hotel after about 1pm, and done. Medical tests take about a week to get back to NCA, then about a week for the house doctor to review them, and passs the results to the hiring board. Unclear when we might be notified of intent to offer a contract.

pegasus6234

It's pretty quiet here. I haven't gotten the results for my medical yet. Has anyone? I also heard a rumor of a possible earlier class. As implausible as that is (the Japanese plan years in advance,have multiple committee agreements and a manual written) it may change the picture a bit. The FY2013 begins in April and I'm sure that is how the budget was written. Anybody hear anything good or bad?

The Dominican

Just wanted to post a correction to one of my earlier posts that was brought to my attention by a colleague, the NCA contract is held by HACS, not CREW, we tend to mix these two due to their common roots but I wanted to make the distinction.

seaplanenow744

Anyone care to comment (if they know) what max BMI is considered acceptable for the "initial" medical.

I've heard numbers as low as a BMI of 27 (max.) or under 30, considering other things are acceptable (i.e. cholesterol, etc...).

Thanks in advance !

The Dominican

Although it isn't a number they do share, but for what I understand in talking to the contract agencies folks is that the magic number is 30 or bellow.

seaplanenow744

as always: thanks Dominican!

I think I owe you a # of beers already -

Yeah, I've heard under 30, too - but then a couple of people started tossing around the "27" number as an initial cut-off.

pegasus6234

I got word last night that background check/etc...paperwork is being sent next week. It sounds like they are starting to get results of the medicals back. What a nail biter.

upspeed

Same here! Got the good news yesterday about the JCAB medical.

There's also been talk of moving the first course dates earlier to March, but nothing certain yet.

Fingers crossed.

Upspeed.

pegasus6234

NCA is trying to put together a class of 16 for the last week of January. Invitations should go out in the next couple weeks after background checks come back. It's starting to happen finally.

Offwidth

On the HACS application site there is one section that I'm unsure about; it is separate and below "Last PC". What's the best way to fill out the section: "Date-Last Instrument Rating"

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance