I got hired at Skywest in the summer of 1999. Like many of the regionals at the time, Skywest did not pay us for being there or provide housing. It was all up to us. Two of my friends from my previous job were in the same new-hire class so we split the cost of an efficiency short-term rental apartment in the same complex with about half of our classmates. Today the company provides a hotel room for new-hires and pays them a salary based on 60 hour/month at the new hire pay rate ($19.00 I think).
Class is held at the Salt Lake maintenance hangar/training facility. We arrived to find long tables with a stack of books behind personalized name tags and “place settings.” The books included the Flight Operations Manual (FOM), Brasilia systems manuals, a cockpit poster, Brasilia Quick Reference Handbook, a notepad, and a handful of pens and highlighters. A welcome letter with instructor’s names and a syllabus was on top.
The first couple weeks were Basic Indoc. We learned about the operations, Part 121 regs, emergency equipment, and the FOM. Our time outside class was spent reading chapter after chapter of the FOM and beginning to learn our cockpit flows and checklists.
The next few weeks was spent learning the aircraft systems. Two by two we split into our sim pairs (we chose our own sim partners). Outside class we met with a line pilot who would guide us through our “static” syllabus- learning the flows and checklists; sometimes in the actual airplane, sometime sitting in front of a wood or cardboard mock-up.
A couple tests were given during the time. 70% was passing. No pass, no continue!
When I went through, most everything was on overhead transparencies, but now they’ve moved to PowerPoint presentations. While there is a lot of material to cover, the atmosphere was very relaxed with plenty of coffee breaks and time to stretch your legs. Class would usually start around 8am and be done 4:30-5pm with an hour lunch.
Then came Sim training. At the time the Brasilia sim was in SLC. Now it’s in Long Beach, CA. If I remember correctly it was 5 or 6 sessions where we learned everything from how to operate the autopilot and flight control panel to flying a single-engine NDB to minimums. After sim we climb in the actual airplane for some actual approaches and landings.
All in all, a great experience. The company wants to see you pass, so there are no tricks to wash you out or intimidate you.
