Selection process of regionals...
 

I've heard that AWAC and Xjet does away the sim checks for their selection process... Are there any other regionals that does that? How do those regionals actually "test" out the flying abilities of an applicant? I mean do many of the lower hour pilots get washed out from the training classes afterwards or what?

They typically go in a back room, flip a coin and decide who gets hired.....

as long as you guess heads or tails, your golden

err seriously?

haha do they have a choice? theyll take whoever they can get their hands on. im sure most people make it through fine regardless of flight time unless you really dont want to be there.

Yes, seriously..........

are there any other regional that don't require sim check for their applicants?

Really...that shouldnt be criteria for applying or not applying... if you are afraid of a sim eval whether it be in on a PCATD... or a full motion sim.... maybe the job is too much at that point.

I agree, the sim should be required..........

I sorta agree... if nothing else than to give them something else to look at. My original point being if someone would be shying away from an interview because of the sim eval perhaps they should re-evaluate whether they are ready for a jump of this magnitude.

All regionals should make this as a standard...

Yeah, by the time you're ready to go a sim ride should not be a problem. I think they are just looking for basic skills(IFR), not necessarily how great a job you can fly a sim. I would say base your decision on the airline you want to go to and prepare the best you can.

They take a glance at your PPL, check your pulse and then shake your hand and give you a class date.

Sim rides are easy your basic IFR climb/descend, hold, shoot ILS and keep your scan going. Don’t worry about washing out even if low time, no glass you will do fine. Just work hard study and it all depends how bad you want to pass! You only know if you are ready or not, ask your self that question. :cool:

:eek::rolleyes::D

These are the companies that I know have or have had simulator portions of the interview. Some of them might waive the sim requirement based on applicant qualifications:

Piedmont: Dash 8 simulator (no motion)
Republic/Chautauqua/Shuttle: Fixed Base FTD (Frasca)?
Horizon: Fixed Base FTD (Frasca)?
Compass: 727 simulator (no motion)

Perhaps other folks in the know can add to this list (I haven't been part of the regional hiring scene in quite some time).

Skywest: Frasca 142 or ATC 810 (i think its an 810)

While I agree that there should be a sim eval, I strongly disagree with operations (like my own) who use PCATD steam gauge flavor sims for the eval. It flies nothing like an airplane and can often burn experienced aviators who are current on the company's aircraft. If you are going to do a sim eval, do it right. Full motion sim (even if you don't go up on motion) is the only way to go.

Many regional will let you crash PCATD and still hire. I think decisions are based on Cog tests, written, oral and hr.

definitely. i remember doing that stupid frasca sim for the skywest interview. it was absolutely horrible and by far the hardest sim ive ever had to fly. what a horrible way of selecting pilots. any and everybody with previous jet time was like what i have to fly THIS? while all the CFI's were like yea this is my bread and butter baby

They make you do sim with 121 exp.

pinnacle had a frasca eval till a few months ago, now they do the situational eval. i guess no one could fly an ils!

Hahaha yeah I had to fly one for my multi training and it kicked my butt.

I think what got me was the lack of motion. I found that I had to scan a lot harder than I normally do just to keep then damn thing straight and level. Then try doing a single engine ILS...............hehe

hah! thats funny. I hated that thing.

ASA does a sim eval .... -700 full motion is what I was told.

They do. I think that they are one of the last ones to do a full motion sim eval.

I agree, but the sad part is, any guy/girl can get the gouge, put on the 45 minute show (interview), shell out the money on a sim prep, and get through just fine.

Seen it happen plenty of times.

It's a sim. They want to see trainability, IFR procedures, and how you're going to act in the cockpit when faced with a difficult situation. No one expects you to be Chuck Yeager on this thing...just go in and fly it as best you can and call it a day.

Where people usually get screwed is they pay so much attention and get all wrapped up in being off by 100' that they blow through an ILS or forget to clean up the engine. But people have crashed the things before and still walked away with a job because at least they handled the situation appropriately (if not the airplane).

The whole point of using a PCAD besides seeing BASIC IFR skills is that if you can reasonably handle it then you'll be fine in a fully automated autopilot on at 500ft FADEC jet that a monkey could fly to mins.

Ok, at Mesa the sim ride consists of a small mirror being placed 1 to 1.5 inches below the applicant's nostrils. If the mirror fogs up in at least 5 minutes*, the applicant is hired.

*Per company policy, the interviewer is allowed to prompt the applicant to breathe only one time.

(I crack myself up... we lost another 79 pilots in Oct and 25 or so by Nov 5. My seniority went up 13 points between Nov 5 and Nov 11. Yiiikesss)

psst.... i know of somemore leaving in the next few weeks....LOL

Good on ya! Who is the lucky carrier?
:D

LOL.... define lucky...

They won't have to bust out the mirror!

LOL!!!
:D

Love the avatar!!! All you need is a bell and a horn>:D

Why are you afraid of a sim check? If you are a rusty pilot, get some instruction. No shame in that. Prepare properly and get back in the game.

yeh, sim eval is nothing to be afraid of. If you haven't flown one in a while, normally they're pretty cheap to rent out for an hour, and instructors are happy to collect a couple of bucks to sit around and run the stupid thing, failing instruments, and engines is always fun.

Only thing i could see someone worrying about is that they don't fly like airplanes, but...you can get over that if you just fly the thing is good as possible, keeping a good scan, there should be no problem, i used to love flying the old frasca 142...gets you a heck of a good instrument scan when you can't feel anything, it wants to turn in every direction, and every approach is shot right down to minimums and has to end with a missed (no visual)...and an autopilot. what's that?

Another note, when i was going through my recurrent at TSA, i noticed a new slew of computers sitting in the old "interview" room, all having a joystick connected to them....besides surfing the internet, these things all have MS flight simulator installed....and the ERJ model loaded....anyone know if they're ACTUALLY doing evaluations based on MSFS? If so....that's a new ultimate low in cheapness, tackiness, and lack of professionalism.

Maybe they'll set up one of those nickel kiddie-rides from the supermarket and call it "full motion"! :D

i dont see the need in taking a sim portion of an interview full motion. The sims rarely fly just like the airplane. The candidate has probably never flown this airplane or anything like it prior to this interview unless he has shelled out some cash. This gives the advantage to well to do individuals or people who need the extra help. I wish it was a level playing field based on who you are, what you have flown, and not who you know or how much you paid for your sim prep.