Comair Question
 

I just got my confirmation letter for a June 14th interview and noticed that among other things they want a copy of the ATP written. I have not taken my ATP written yet and from all the gouges that I have studied, most did not have the written completed at the time of the interview. Is this a new requirement and would it be alright to not have my ATP written for the interview? Thanks for tolerating my ignorant post and for providing some helpful answers.

it actually sounds like an old requirement more than a new one, as the current trend isn't on tightening up requirements but instead loosening them. You don't have a whole lot of time left, but...you have more than enough to study up hard for the interview and...get your ATP written done, it'll be one less thing to worry about later. Also, i'm sure you'd feel far better knowing that you have everything completed before going to the interview, heck, if the floor is level, and you're the only one with an ATP written, you're a step above the rest, but if someone else has it and you don't, you're now subpar.

You've got plenty of time to get it...just go to ATP and take the one day course if you're worried about it. You want to have as many boxes checked as you can when going into an interview.

Thanks guys. My main concern is passing, but with a less than favorable score. Would it be better to have the written done with a 75 or like score than not to have it?

go without it. worst case theyll hire you and tell you to come to training with it. which i still doubt. heck i still dont even have mine and im at my second 121 carrier

If you have the funds and are close to an ATP school location, take the one day ATP prep and test. The program is designed so that you don't have to study before you go there. You will go in inthe morning, they sit you in front of a computer to study the question bank (similar to the Gleim, but they reduce it to 500 possible questions) and you take the test later that day. I got a 91 and the only questions that I got wrong were the ones that involved calculations because I didn't want to take the time to do them. I started the studying at 8:30 a.m. and took the test at 2:00 p.m with a couple of breaks for food. Finished the test in under thirty minutes. I have had multiple friends do the program as well, and they have all had silmilar results with scores above 90.

They require it before you start new hire training but they do not require it for the interview. However, they will ask you some part 121 questions during the interview and if you study the ATP written or better yet, take it, then the 121 questions will be really easy. The gouges are pretty much dead on. Good luck.

Thanks, I've been studying the gouges like crazy as well as the study guide from aviationinterviews.com. I got the Gleim test prep CD, so I'll start with the practice tests and hopefully I can knock it out before the interview.

If they tell you to bring something to an interview, you simply have to bring it...that is the first test at any airline interview: Can the applicant follow simple directions?

Generally, you want a score in the mid-90's or higher on the ATP, but who knows.

I agree that the ATP (the school) computer training/testing thing is the solution for you. The first time I took the ATP (immediately after 9/11) I had lots of time on my hands so I studied full time for a couple weeks...I even worked all the flight planning problems, and got a 92%. That one expired, so I took it again a few years later...I did not study, flew an all-night standup (a red-eye really), drove from PHX to ATP at the GA airport, paid $300, spent ten hours (and 28 cups of coffee) in front of their computer, and passed with a 98%.

ATP keeps track of which questions out of that HUGE question bank actually show up on the tests, and their training focuses on those. For many of the problems (flight plan/W&B/Performance) you can just learn to recognize the correct answer when you see it, instead of spending an hour on calculations (to answer one problem).

The one-day cram session is best, because a lot of that knowledge is not relevant to the real world (or an interview) so why pollute your brain with it? Do you REALLY need to know how to do weight/balance/performance calculations for a 727? Use the online gouges to study for interviews.

That's not necessarily true for the calculation based questions. A few years ago, the FAA started using random numbers in the real test instead of the same ones they publish in the practice guides. I don't know if that made it to the ATP test, but the Private and Instrument were supposed to be that way. Could be dangerous just memorizing the answers for calc questions, but by all means do it for the other questions.

I just guessed all the calculation question, and focused on the other types of questions, I got a 89% on it, not the best but better than busting my ass to learn all of those calculations to get a 93% whats it matter really? Best advice I can give is spend the 80 bucks or whatever get the KING ATP 121 prep spend two days just on the thing non-stop and go take the test, it wasnt bad at all, after seeing the questions you will know the answer on the real test from just reading the groups of answers..........good luck

That is true if you want to get 90% or better. All they want to see is that you have passed the exam; 70% anybody?

Also the idea of requiring you to have your ATP done before starting is so that they don't have to pay for it when you're ready to upgrade. You're just saving them few bucks. Got the idea?

Airlineapps says comair does not require an ATP written, I have to agree with whoever on here posted, that the regionals are lower their requirements not tightening up on them. I know several people flying the line without it.....They do want it before upgrade JUST so they dont have to pay for it.... This was told me by one of the recruiters ( a Captain) AT our interview..... Also when we were about 2 weeks into class they told us to bring all of our certificates and medicals, when we asked if to bring the writtens they laughed and were like KEEP THAT IN A SAFE PLACE TIL YOU UPGRADE........ your decision though

Just take the freakin' test.

I'd suggest taking the test. I was hit heavy on 121 stuff in my interview. I had about a week and a half to prep for taking it. Just used the Gleim test prep software...took the real thing after I could get an 85% or better 3 times in a row. Got an 88% on it. That was guessing at the complex calcs and doing only a few of the more simple ones. Whether or not you need it is another story. Some in my class have it, some don't. I'm glad I have it out of the way now - one for the tech portion of the interview and two for just not having to do it later on. I have a few friends trying to find time to study for it now, inbetween flying and life, so they can upgrade. Good Luck!

POAK,

You have to believe me because I have been to Comair. You are correct they will not make copy of your ATP; however they still want you take it before attending class. The idea SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR IT was said to us during the week of basic Indocs, by one the chief pilot who can to visit the class, unless things have changed. Who knows.

Take it and pass
 

I did the one day crash course at ATP and ended up getting 85%. I told a few guys and got some smirks as they were oh so proud of their 95%+. Well I took my ATP checkride and got my rating and guess what? It says AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT. Don't get me wrong...I'm not one for half a$$ing anything. If the ATP written truly contained the stuff you need to know on a daily basis I would say max it but the truth is there is some goofy stuff on that test. I guess if I'm interviewing at a major someday and they want to know about weight and balance of a 1900 I'm screwed but somehow I'm not sweating it. :)

Yeah I work for Comair too.......they never took anything and like I said I know tons of FO's without it

Good deal, I would guess those TONS OF FO were smarter than I because Laurie wanted me to take mine before coming to Comair. I guess she succeeded in scaring me!!!! Anywho, just take the test if you have to.

What is the deal w/ COMAIR???? I ve heard they raised mins from 600TT 100 ME to 1200 TT 200ME again???Or is that erroneous???? I was jsut in ATL for the job fair 2 weeks ago and they were "desperate for pilots" ....they seemed interested in me even w 450TT 102 ME becasue I had 2 internal recs....are they at a standstill w hiring now with the news from last week or are they still hring w the same mins they were at for the past 2 mo.???? thanks in adavance for the info!!

610 TT 70 ME for me... Interview next Thursday. Put your stuff in and see what happens.

Hiring will probably pick back up to normal, there are apparently a lot of senior people splitting after the get the bankrupt checks........

will do diver driver......how are you getting your ME time?? instructing???

No, I do not have my CFI. My TT comes from being a weekend parachute jump pilot and I bought a 50 hour block of ME time in order to get to the 70 that I have now. Before that I was renting a Seneca here and there, but the price was not conducive toward building bulk time.

I agree with what was said above... checks were deposited into the 401K's today. we'll have to see how many people quit in the next 3-4 days

Just curious, was it a lot of money?

where are most of these folks going........................?

it was a very very good amount of money. It was spread out over Years of service. I believe something like 10k per year served, but i'm not 100% sure

ATP Written
 

When I interviewed in March they actually took a copy of my ATP written. I would just go out and take the test.

Also, does anyone know if the ATP still expires in two years after taken it? Someone said as long as your with a 121 carrier it will stay good until you upgrade. Just curious if I should go rent a twin this summer to do the oral and practical test.

Thanks,

The Chow

The Bk claim had 5 different areas of which money was awarded. Most senior guys got around 80k guys around the 5-10 year level got 35-50k and most junior guys like me (been here five months) got almost 12k. Why did I get money you ask? It is because I was hired at a different contract rate and my part of the claim is for money I will lose over the next four years of the contract. So in a sense I really didn't get anything at all, but it beats a poke in the eye thats for sure.

That is true...as long as it was still current as of your 121/135 DOH.

3-4 days would be assuming people have a job waiting for them that they could begin this week. I think it will be at least 2 months before attrition really spikes up due to this payout.