Flight instructor hiring workshop

CAFFEINE

CAFFEINE

Well-Known Member
Good morning everybody. Any other JC members apply for the hiring workshop? Last I heard 210 people had applied and they were looking to hire around 110. Any of the current/former flight instructors care to comment on the process?

1. What would be good info to study for the written?
2. What all did you guys have to teach in the interview?
3. Are there any particular approaches they make you do on the sim check?

Any info would be greatly appreciated.
 
I'm not applying, but from what I've heard from past instructors and working at Flight Ops...


The written exam is always different, and I think Al Palmer makes up the questions. Also, they used to change the sim profiles. I think it was a DME Arc and an ILS...?
 
I'm not sure who makes the test, but I haven't heard Al Palmer being the one who makes it. I'm pretty sure it is a combo of several higher ups and professors.

As for what to study:

AIM (lots of things in there)
Currency (instrument and landing, differences between the two)
Know how to use an AFD and be able to tell what time zone you're in
Probably will have questions on how to help struggling students
MTR questions (since there are several out west)

Interview

Not sure, could teach something. The instructors last year had to.

Sim

You could get anything but I'm sure it won't be vectors to a VOR course. Expect something with more difficulty: Arc to a localizer or full procedure with procedure turn to remain within 10 miles, arc to an off field navaid approach (ie short arc) with FAF being the VOR (don't chase when near the VOR). I wouldn't doubt if some get the new GPS approaches out there and someone uses the DA minimums with the 430's instead of the MDA minimums.

Hope this helps, good luck.
 
Thanks for the info stuckingfk.

I heard that the test is more geared at CFI stuff (vs CFII stuff) because not all applicants are CFII yet. Is that correct?

Anybody else have any info?
 
I'm going to it tommorow, I heard the test is given 3 hours and the interviews last approx. 15-20 minutes or less, the sim is an arc, missed and a single turn hold, flight check is much like the 414-33. good luck all
 
Siberianflyer said:
I'm going to it tommorow, I heard the test is given 3 hours and the interviews last approx. 15-20 minutes or less, the sim is an arc, missed and a single turn hold, flight check is much like the 414-33. good luck all
Click to expand...

The standardization flight is NOT anything like a 414 33 flight. The approaches in the sim will be different depending what group you're in. If you take 3 hours on the test you shouldn't be a CFI (disclaimer: compared to when I took it two years ago).

Good luck
 
Well its probably too late now to tell you what to study. But Kent Lovelace has made the test in the past. Last year I got a 2 out of 5 on it. Not too good. Have no idea what I messed up on. It was probably the calculations. Once you mess one up the rest are all going to be wrong.
 
This years written was pretty tricky, but I think it probably went pretty well. I think the hardest part was fitting the test, scratch paper, supplemental material, E6B, plotter, and calculator on the tiny desk they give you in clifford 210. I head into the interview in an hour though.
 
honest question here, why would anyone wish to stay in GF any longer than neccessary and instruct here?? is it that difficult to get an instructing job elsewhere?? pay?? benefits??

really curious because so far im busting out of this town as soon as the ink is dry on the diploma....
 
I believe UND has benifits for full time instructors which I think is rare to find. Especially for entry level, which is what I would call it. However, I could be mistaken on both counts. :confused:
 
Several JC members were hired during this workshop. For future reference to those who will be applying, here's my experience:

Written: Pretty intense test. Most people left thinking they did poorly on it. It was one of the hardest tests I've taken. Seems to me Kent Lovelace wrote it (from the civil war references).

Interview: Not a bad interview. 3 person panel consisting of a lead flight instructor and 2 other instructors. Here's some of the questions I remember..
"Why did you apply at UND?"
"Why should we hire you over the other 200+ applicants?"
"What has been your greatest accomplishment?"
"How will you know you've done a good job with your students?"
"How will you keep your students on template?"

Then I had to teach a preflight briefing. I got to pick from power on stalls, power off 180 landings, steep turns, or a couple other maneuvers (can't remember the others right now).

Roundtable: Tues morning they did the roundtable discussion and scored us. I'm not certain what all they talked about in this, but I've heard they take into consideration grades, stage check pass performance, on time completion, previous instructor comments, etc.

Sim: Tues afternoon they posted a list of us that made the cut after the written/interview/roundtable. We were conditionally hired at this time, pending the successful completion of a sim and flight exam. The sim was pretty straight forward. VOR 11R at KVRB. Take off of 11R, heading 300 to intercept the 330 radial to the 7 DME arc, shoot the approach.

Flight: Pretty relaxed flight test. I had to do steep turns, power on stalls, cross controlled stalls, simulated engine failure, S-turns, short field landing, soft field landing, power off 180 landing, and the aerodynamics demo was demonstrated to us.

So that's pretty much the process. Congrats to all of you who made it! Perhaps the other JC folks who were hired will chime in with their experience.
 
TXaviator said:
honest question here, why would anyone wish to stay in GF any longer than neccessary and instruct here?? is it that difficult to get an instructing job elsewhere?? pay?? benefits??

really curious because so far im busting out of this town as soon as the ink is dry on the diploma....
Click to expand...

I think it's probably easier to get a job elsewhere. Also remember that not all of us hate Grand Forks :D
 
Hey Caffeine, thanks for the summary of the process. It'll be helpful should I decide to apply in the future. I'm assuming you got hired too?
 
Yup sure did! Hopefully this will be helpful info for the rest of your guys should you apply in the future.
 
Thanks for posting all that. Sounds like a fairly arduous process, but I guess that's kind of what expected to hear. Hopefully I'll be in the same position as you are next summer. Congrats on getting job!
 
CAFFEINE said:
Several JC members were hired during this workshop. For future reference to those who will be applying, here's my experience:

Written: Pretty intense test. Most people left thinking they did poorly on it. It was one of the hardest tests I've taken. Seems to me Kent Lovelace wrote it (from the civil war references).

Interview: Not a bad interview. 3 person panel consisting of a lead flight instructor and 2 other instructors. Here's some of the questions I remember..
"Why did you apply at UND?"
"Why should we hire you over the other 200+ applicants?"
"What has been your greatest accomplishment?"
"How will you know you've done a good job with your students?"
"How will you keep your students on template?"

Then I had to teach a preflight briefing. I got to pick from power on stalls, power off 180 landings, steep turns, or a couple other maneuvers (can't remember the others right now).

Roundtable: Tues morning they did the roundtable discussion and scored us. I'm not certain what all they talked about in this, but I've heard they take into consideration grades, stage check pass performance, on time completion, previous instructor comments, etc.

Sim: Tues afternoon they posted a list of us that made the cut after the written/interview/roundtable. We were conditionally hired at this time, pending the successful completion of a sim and flight exam. The sim was pretty straight forward. VOR 11R at KVRB. Take off of 11R, heading 300 to intercept the 330 radial to the 7 DME arc, shoot the approach.

Flight: Pretty relaxed flight test. I had to do steep turns, power on stalls, cross controlled stalls, simulated engine failure, S-turns, short field landing, soft field landing, power off 180 landing, and the aerodynamics demo was demonstrated to us.

So that's pretty much the process. Congrats to all of you who made it! Perhaps the other JC folks who were hired will chime in with their experience.
Click to expand...

:yeahthat:
Same experience, but the test wasn’t that bad :)
 
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