How many hours are fake?
 

I read airline HR/CRM/tell us about a time interview questions / experience and if I come across one that catches me as original I ask my co-workers / boss to get their insights / use them as sound boards for my answers...Unfortunately, this is one they couldn't help me with since they don't fly...I read it in a Airnet interview profile-chief pilot asked during the interview...

Your thoughts / insights to this one?


V/r,
LA

What exactly is the question?

How many hours are fake?

Fake Hours
 

LA,


These days companies are hiring with such little time it seems unnecessary to fake time anymore but I am sure it still happens. I was working as a CFI years ago and sat by and watched as a co-worker filled out an application to buy a fake college degree. I told him that he was an idiot and that he would waste his $1500. I assured him that any HR department would easily discover it as a fake and he would be blackballed forever. Well only a few years later he got on with Alaska Airlines. All his college and most of his flight experience was faked I am sure, but it worked for him.

Since most of these guys are on with big companies I don't think they keep track of that kind of thing. Try flightinfo.com those guys are mostly younger and still struggling with issues like that.

Slyline

I'm not saying I am going to fake time or would encourage others to do the same...I'm just asking how does one respond to a question like that in an interview?


Thanks...

LA

I think I would ask the individual who asked the question something like this:
I'm sorry, I'm not really sure I understand. Are you asking ME how many of
my hours are fake? If they say yes, then just say zero hours are fake
and ask them if they have had problems with this in the past. Twenty
years ago they didn't ask stuff like this.

I had a friend who faked some hours to get that first multi job. He also paid a guy t take a language class in college, memorzed the eye chart, and lied about some more time when he interviewed. He got on with a major. I wished I had followed his example but did not have the nerve or willingness to do that. He is furloughed now and has changed careers. If I had to do I again I might be tempted to strech the truth to get that first job. It's an unfortunate and common tactic.

The couple of people I know who faked hours have one thing in common....thay are all A-HOLES (big mouths, big egos, bad pilots, etc).

None of them has gotten too far as a result of it. One actually just got a violation recently and was forced out of his corporate job. The only company that would take him after that was PSA. He changed his last name and I am willing to bet that he didn't disclose the violation....and now he is JUNIOR to me!! (hehehehe)

Faking hours is plain STOOOOPID. You will get there, wherever "there" is, soon enough and the experience you pick up along the way is invaluable. That is how I would answer the question.

Interview lies
 

I was working as a CFI in ANC when a frantic guy came in and told me that he has a Pvt Plt and needed his Comm MEL within 30 days since he just got hired at Penair as a FO and his ground school started at the end of the month. His log book was filled with what looked like a hundred hours of Parker pen time. We booked every day and he completed his training. I saw him on the ramp a few years later in a Penair uniform.

Skyline

So you're saying you can actually BS hours in an interview etc and still get hired and there is no way they can actually look up how many hours you have?