JRReaume

I have an interview with Horizon on June 21st. My first airline interview. Has anyone recently interviewed with Horizon who can give me a run down on what the interview entails?

Also any current QX pilots who can tell me about the lifestyle?

Thanks

thwhite2000

I interviewed at QX at the end of April, for the second time. I had previously been an FO there from 2014-2015. Anyway, the process is much easier now, without the sim. Previous gouges on WFFD and aviationinterviews.com are still spot on. You'll do an HR portion with some TMAAT questions, a chief pilot interview, which is some more TMAAT questions, logbook and certificate review. Then you'll do a technical portion - probably with a QX FO. In the tech, they'll give you a scenario going from one small PNW airport to another. They'll give you a dispatch release with your flight info, weather and NOTAMS. Then they'll give you a few minutes to take notes and make a go-no go decision, and then go down a list of questions related to the scenario.

Really straight forward. All the people were very nice and welcoming, really trying to put you at ease. Being your first interview though, read gouges from the above sites I mentioned, study Everything Explained if you have a copy, and I highly suggest picking up a copy of "Checklist for Success", by Cheryl Cage, if you don't have it already. Her book is pretty inexpensive, and it really gives you some good questions to start building your inventory of stories to handle a wide variety of TMAAT questions. Not that you're not on top of that already, I'm just making a friendly suggestions without assuming you know what to expect.

Best of luck! Just prep thoroughly, be real, and be yourself.

cactusflyer

The lifestyle at QX varies a lot, depending on whether you're commuting and where you're based, but there are some pretty good descriptions in the latter pages of the "What's happening at Horizon and Jets?" thread.

Griever

Do yourself a favor... read the heck out of the thread mentioned above. If you're willing to put up with everything mentioned, I salute you.

But if you read through it and get the feeling that, even though our contract is solid, quality of life here is not that great, then run.

Like the wind.

I don't know what your reasons are for interviewing here, but take the advice from someone on the inside: you can do better somewhere else.

If it's bases you want, Skywest and Compass offer similar bases.

If it's pay you want, any other regional will allow you to take home more pay (don't look at hourly rate, it means nothing)

If it's an interview at Alaska that you want, understand that even if you get hired you will get stuck in a pool (SEPARATE from the regular hire pool) where you may not get a class date before other pilots working for another airline.

If you like watching management crap on your contract and payroll screw up your paycheck, this place is for you.

Choose wisely.

JRReaume

Thwhite, So you're a returning pilot? What did you do in the interim and what made you decide to return to QX? If you don't mind the questions.

Also, can anyone tell me why Horizon is QX?

snackysmores

It's our IATO code, every airline has one. Faster to type Qx than Horizon Air, or 'OO' for Skywest.

JRReaume

Right, I knew that. I meant why QX as opposed to HZ or HA or whatever?

thwhite2000

I left to fly contract ISR in the Middle East for 5x my salary. However, by the end of my first year, my marriage was crumbling due to the extended deployments. So I came to my current employer flying 135 charter. They promised a 6 month upgrade since they were growing fast and I already had a type. It wasn't in writing, but I took the gamble - a year and a half later, it still hasn't paid off.

My options are to 1) stay an SIC on a King Air and upgrade in another 1-2 years, 2) go to SkyWest and make a 2-leg commute to Detroit or 3) go to QX, and probably commute to MFR for a couple months before getting back to PDX, where I live.

Either option is better than my current situation. They both offer a clear path to upgrade and it will look better on my apps to get to a destination airline. They both offer longevity pay raises and more vacation than I have now. Personally, I don't think SkyWest is worth a 2-leg commute to Detroit over QX, but that's just me.

word302

For the record, you would likely get PDX at OO within a few months of completing training. Might have to start in ORD, but not likely. People are getting west coast bases before finishing training on the ERJ.

snackysmores

Yeah but if he wants to upgrade at OO he's going right back to detroit again. Tough call, depends on how much you value your time.