sorrygottarunway
Well-Known Member
I guess if I think about it, the hiring process began back on September 24th when I noticed that there would be a career fair at Manassas and colgan would be there. I had not really gotten to into sending resumes out, I wanted to wait another week until I had my 1000 hours, but I thought the experience would be good to put my resume (as it stood) on table and get some feedback. I had begun researching regionals, and wanted to work for one that was small, would afford a great experience, have competitive pay, and with a management that had a solid head on its shoulders: Colgan fits the bill on all counts.
So I headed down to Manassas, and was greeted by a number of key staff from colgan: Kathy from HR, Chuck Colgan Jr himself, Captain Jed, and Brittany and Ashley (both FAs). They were all very informative, and were able to answer a lot of my questions about lifestyle and colgan-related questions. Little did I know, but that was a preliminary interview- I brought my resume right to Mr. Colgan, he looked it over, and we sat down and talked. I answered some questions about the Cherokee 6 which I can’t say I have flown that much, but they were basic “how many cylinders, how many horses” type questions. I also answered some questions from the two flight attendants Brittany and Ashley about my past, what I hope for in the future, why I am interested in colgan etc… At the end, I was told to submit an electronic application online.
About two days after submitting, I got a call from Mr. Colgan inviting me to interview the following weekend at LaGuardia. I studied the gouges which describe the interview being split into several parts: written test, HR interview, technical interview, sim ride, drug/fingerprinting. They are right on the money, so I definitely recommend reading them as well if you are interested in seeing what it is like.
So I drove this past Monday (10/3) into LaGuardia to be there by 9am at the FlightSafety building (which is right next to the Marine Air Terminal, which merits a visit since it dates back to the B314 Clipper Era, the golden days for Pan American). Unfortunately I hadn’t been notified that the interview was cancelled (yikes!) so the interview crew didn’t arrive until 11am with some new hires from Friday’s interview that were just there for fingerprinting and the drug test. Fortunately, Francine (the HR lady) called up the office, found out who I was and got the OK from Mr. Colgan to give me the interview one-on-one, right there on the spot. This is where Colgan really shines as a company: they care for their employees, as well as their potential employees. Francine could have cancelled with me (would have been no problem) due to her flight leaving around 12:30, but she stayed the next few hours to give me the whole interview. Now that is awesome dedication, and it made a great impression on me (and I thought I was the only one that was supposed to make a good impression!)
The written test is 50 questions in multiple choice format and comes from the FAR-121 questions from the ATP written. There is also a little IFR approach and enroute chart reading, and some questions about logging time in a part 121 environment. Know the reserve fuel requirements for domestic carrier flights, and your basic IFR skills.
The HR interview was a lot of fun. Francine and I talked about what was on my resume, what I studied in college (which was german, pre-med, biochemistry) and all the details that made me change from an entirely different career route into flying. She also asked me about what I liked about instructing, disliked. Some other questions: How did I first get interested in flying? What makes me good enough to eventually become a captain? When have I had difficulty with students, and how did I solve those problems? Why am I interested in flying for an airline that has no jets, when so many of those with jets are hiring? The whole HR ended up seeming like just a friendly conversation, and as long as you are yourself and have strong convictions about what you do and plan to do, there should be no problem.
The technical interview was brief, about 20 minutes I would say, and it was done by one of the sim instructors since no one else was on hand. He asked me about the fuel system on the C172, memory items for an engine failure, what happens when a student pulls the throttles back on final during a single engine approach. At this time he also pulled out the profile we would be flying in the sim: ILS 22 at LGA. He asked me the importance of the MSA, where is the FAF, what are the minimums if the GS is out. Brief the approach.
We went on into the simulator, which is a B1900C Level-C simulator (full motion, however being Level C it can only simulate night time). He gave me several minutes to look over the profile and get the power settings into my head, and I met my “copilot” (who was a captain upgrade, he was going to play my “gear and flap monkey”). My first tip to anyone taking the sim ride is to make yourself comfortable! The thing has a lambskin seat with armrests. Pull those down, they make it easier for you to feel feedback from the pitch changes. We departed LGA straight out, climb to 4000 feet, I was given some vectors, intercepted a few radials off of LGA, returned to the VOR for a hold, and if you brief the hold and fly it correctly he gives you vectors for the ILS 22. Weather is about 500-1 (and the simulator does a great job of simulating that!) so you don’t have to break out at minimums. Tip number two is that when you break out- do not look out the window. I did and started to fall below the glideslope, so I went back in instruments and got myself recentered until 213ft and then landed visually. The thing seemed to handle my Cessna-pilot style well, and I loved how you can actually feel the reverse thrust as you add it. I was surprised how well I did, but keep in mind that just the basic attitude instrument stuff applies. Once in the air, its just a regular airplane.
Finally I did the fingerprinting with Francine again, she gave me some last info about class dates, how much money to bring, etc. I then went to Hangar 3 (LGA Med Center) to get my pee test done, which doesn’t need explaining in detail here
I got the call two days later from Chuck, Kathy (HR) and Darrel (head of pilot ops I think) and they asked me some more technical questions, and why they should hire me over another candidate. I told them exactly why and was offered the class date for October 17th in the Saab. It’s funny because I drive a Saab 9000, so I think I have a head start!
Ok all jokes aside, it was really a lot of fun, and quite a worthwhile learning experience. I would have to say that the most stressful part of the interview was the drive to and from the airport- for those who drive in NYC area, you know what I mean.
I cannot wait to go tear up groundschool and learn about new aircraft, a new company, new procedures, and look forward to meeting some really grand people! Nor can I speak enough of the welcoming feeling the staff at Colgan has portrayed to me.
Any questions, drop me a PM.
So I headed down to Manassas, and was greeted by a number of key staff from colgan: Kathy from HR, Chuck Colgan Jr himself, Captain Jed, and Brittany and Ashley (both FAs). They were all very informative, and were able to answer a lot of my questions about lifestyle and colgan-related questions. Little did I know, but that was a preliminary interview- I brought my resume right to Mr. Colgan, he looked it over, and we sat down and talked. I answered some questions about the Cherokee 6 which I can’t say I have flown that much, but they were basic “how many cylinders, how many horses” type questions. I also answered some questions from the two flight attendants Brittany and Ashley about my past, what I hope for in the future, why I am interested in colgan etc… At the end, I was told to submit an electronic application online.
About two days after submitting, I got a call from Mr. Colgan inviting me to interview the following weekend at LaGuardia. I studied the gouges which describe the interview being split into several parts: written test, HR interview, technical interview, sim ride, drug/fingerprinting. They are right on the money, so I definitely recommend reading them as well if you are interested in seeing what it is like.
So I drove this past Monday (10/3) into LaGuardia to be there by 9am at the FlightSafety building (which is right next to the Marine Air Terminal, which merits a visit since it dates back to the B314 Clipper Era, the golden days for Pan American). Unfortunately I hadn’t been notified that the interview was cancelled (yikes!) so the interview crew didn’t arrive until 11am with some new hires from Friday’s interview that were just there for fingerprinting and the drug test. Fortunately, Francine (the HR lady) called up the office, found out who I was and got the OK from Mr. Colgan to give me the interview one-on-one, right there on the spot. This is where Colgan really shines as a company: they care for their employees, as well as their potential employees. Francine could have cancelled with me (would have been no problem) due to her flight leaving around 12:30, but she stayed the next few hours to give me the whole interview. Now that is awesome dedication, and it made a great impression on me (and I thought I was the only one that was supposed to make a good impression!)
The written test is 50 questions in multiple choice format and comes from the FAR-121 questions from the ATP written. There is also a little IFR approach and enroute chart reading, and some questions about logging time in a part 121 environment. Know the reserve fuel requirements for domestic carrier flights, and your basic IFR skills.
The HR interview was a lot of fun. Francine and I talked about what was on my resume, what I studied in college (which was german, pre-med, biochemistry) and all the details that made me change from an entirely different career route into flying. She also asked me about what I liked about instructing, disliked. Some other questions: How did I first get interested in flying? What makes me good enough to eventually become a captain? When have I had difficulty with students, and how did I solve those problems? Why am I interested in flying for an airline that has no jets, when so many of those with jets are hiring? The whole HR ended up seeming like just a friendly conversation, and as long as you are yourself and have strong convictions about what you do and plan to do, there should be no problem.
The technical interview was brief, about 20 minutes I would say, and it was done by one of the sim instructors since no one else was on hand. He asked me about the fuel system on the C172, memory items for an engine failure, what happens when a student pulls the throttles back on final during a single engine approach. At this time he also pulled out the profile we would be flying in the sim: ILS 22 at LGA. He asked me the importance of the MSA, where is the FAF, what are the minimums if the GS is out. Brief the approach.
We went on into the simulator, which is a B1900C Level-C simulator (full motion, however being Level C it can only simulate night time). He gave me several minutes to look over the profile and get the power settings into my head, and I met my “copilot” (who was a captain upgrade, he was going to play my “gear and flap monkey”). My first tip to anyone taking the sim ride is to make yourself comfortable! The thing has a lambskin seat with armrests. Pull those down, they make it easier for you to feel feedback from the pitch changes. We departed LGA straight out, climb to 4000 feet, I was given some vectors, intercepted a few radials off of LGA, returned to the VOR for a hold, and if you brief the hold and fly it correctly he gives you vectors for the ILS 22. Weather is about 500-1 (and the simulator does a great job of simulating that!) so you don’t have to break out at minimums. Tip number two is that when you break out- do not look out the window. I did and started to fall below the glideslope, so I went back in instruments and got myself recentered until 213ft and then landed visually. The thing seemed to handle my Cessna-pilot style well, and I loved how you can actually feel the reverse thrust as you add it. I was surprised how well I did, but keep in mind that just the basic attitude instrument stuff applies. Once in the air, its just a regular airplane.
Finally I did the fingerprinting with Francine again, she gave me some last info about class dates, how much money to bring, etc. I then went to Hangar 3 (LGA Med Center) to get my pee test done, which doesn’t need explaining in detail here
I got the call two days later from Chuck, Kathy (HR) and Darrel (head of pilot ops I think) and they asked me some more technical questions, and why they should hire me over another candidate. I told them exactly why
and was offered the class date for October 17th in the Saab. It’s funny because I drive a Saab 9000, so I think I have a head start!Ok all jokes aside, it was really a lot of fun, and quite a worthwhile learning experience. I would have to say that the most stressful part of the interview was the drive to and from the airport- for those who drive in NYC area, you know what I mean.
I cannot wait to go tear up groundschool and learn about new aircraft, a new company, new procedures, and look forward to meeting some really grand people! Nor can I speak enough of the welcoming feeling the staff at Colgan has portrayed to me.
Any questions, drop me a PM.
