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Mesaba Airlines View Vacancies

Pilot Interview Gouge and Question Bank

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Company website

http://www.mesaba.com/

Bases

KMSP, KDTW, KMEM

Fleet

CRJ900, CRJ200, Saab 340

Interview Profile

Interview usually starts at 1200 in Minneapolis
As a group (usually 3-6) shown a presentation on Mesaba
Company intro slide show
Given sheet with your schedule for the day
"Wonderlic" cognitive assessment test
Written test
- 25 Multiple choice questions
After written tests, waiting for others to finish- not uncommon for an interview Captain to go around the room asking technical question (see tech gouge below)
Simulator ride
Technical/human resource
- 2 on 1
- Pilot and human resource representative
- Turn in paperwork, copies of certifications, logbook
Fingerprinting will be done whenever it works out during the day
Drug test at the end of the day
Given cab fare vouchers to get to testing center, then to airport

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Interview Question Bank

ATP Style Written Test

25 multiple choice questions
Similar to ATP written
Study an ATP written prep book
Basic IFR info
What are you looking for on a VOR test
Shown a Jepp Approach plate
- Sidestep approach minimums
- LOC only minimums
- Height above on MM
- What is lighting system for this runway
What is the FAF on an ILS (glide slope intercept)
Procedure turn required within how many miles of fix (10nm)
Instrument runway lighting o Cloud Clearance Requirements and Visibility for Class D Airspace
Determine Hold Entries
Speed below class B
Max speed below 10,000
Difference between LDA and localizer
What basic operating weight doesn't include (useable fuel)
Approach clears for approach but doesn't tell you which one so what approach can you shoot? (any published approach besides visual or contact)
When you have the approach lights in sight how much you can descend
What MSA guarantees(1000 ft obstacle clearance not nav or comm coverage)
Definition of decision height o What is Va?
What is VDP?
How close to the LOM do you have to remain in the procedure turn?
What is "decision height?"
Read a TAF to determine weather at a given time.
When does fog form?
When does frost form?
Cloud clearance in class B airspace

Cognitive Learning Assessment Test

50 questions
12 minute time limit
They tell you "no one finishes all the questions"
More important to get correct answers, don't guess
Similar to classic IQ tests
Questions get harder as the test goes on- answer the first ones if can.
Example questions:
There will be some spatial recognition questions-
Which of these shapes don't belong in the group, etc.
A physical education class has three times as many girls as boys. During a class basketball game, the girls average 18 points each; and the class as a whole averages 17 points per person. How many points does each boy score on average?
Randolph has 8 ties, 6 pairs of pants, and 4 dress shirts. How many days could he possibly go without wearing the same combination of these three items?
John is a mechanic. He makes $8.50 an hour, plus $3 extra for every oil change he performs. Last week he worked 36 hours and performed 17 oil changes. How much money did he make?
A box of staples has a length of 6 cm, a width of 7 cm, and a volume of 378 cm cubed. What is the height of the box?
What is the average of all of the integers from 13 to 37?
A basketball player averaged 20 points a game over the course of six games. His scores in five of those games were 23, 18, 16, 24, and 27. How many points did he score in the sixth game?
What is the next number in the sequence: 3, 8, 18, 38...?
What is the next number in the sequence: 5, 9, 17, 33...?
What is the next number in the sequence: 9, 3, 1, 1/3...?
Which of the following numbers represents the greatest amount: 6, 6.0, 0.600, 60?
Which of the following numbers represents the smallest amount: 0.400, 0.04, 4.0, 40?
Which of the following numbers represents the smallest amount: 3.26, 0.54, 89.00, 0.09?
Which of the following numbers represents the smallest amount: 3899, 629, 89001, 9867?
CREDIT CREDENCE These words:
A: Have similar meanings.
B: Have opposite meanings.
C: Have neither similar nor opposite meanings.
VINTAGE NOVELTY These words:
A: Have similar meanings.
B: Have opposite meanings.
C: Have neither similar nor opposite meanings.
ASPIRE SPIRE These words:
A: Have similar meanings.
B: Have opposite meanings.
C: Have neither similar nor opposite meanings.

Simulator

Table top simulator
Similar to Piper Arrow
No HSI, DG and VOR/ILS indication
Yoke has no artificial feel to it at all, fly with fingertips
Some has a right turning tendency
Evaluator
- Will give you power settings
- Will talk to you during the sim
- Simple questions like about your background and experience
- Trying to divert attention
- If it gets too busy, tell him- it shows good prioritization
Given Approach plate ahead of time to review
Given card to review with power settings and airspeed
Don't forget to change the VOR frequencies during the ride
Start at 500 feet, given a few minutes to get familiar with the sim
Climb to 2000 feet
Steep turns, 45 degrees of bank, left and right
Repositioned a few times and asked where you are in relation to a VOR
Intercept a radial and track it to a VOR
- Brief intercept angle, when to turn, what indications will be
- Correct brief and usually won't complete intercept o Unpublished hold at another VOR
- Brief the correct entry
- Brief speed to fly
- Again, correct brief and you usually won't have to fly it
Vectored for an ILS approach
- Mesaba has changed the Jepp chart so you can't memorize prior it
- Brief the approach (don't just read the entire chart)
- Don't forget to tune and identify ILS and ADF for the OM
- Fly ILS to minimums
- Make callouts
Go missed off the ILS
- Given radar vectors to an unpublished hold
- Hold is over a VOR or the compass locator
- Be able to talk about starting time outbound in no DME
- Uses the localizer for course guidance
- Brief the entry correctly, and you're done
Sometimes you will fly the published missed to the VOR

Technical Questions

Current Multi aircraft (or CRJ if your have any experience in it)
- Limitations
- Systems
- Prop
- How does a constant-speed prop work
- What it's advantages over a fixed pitch prop
- What happens when you have a prop over speed on your plane
- Electrical system
- How does an alternator work
- What happens if you lose one alternator, both?
- Magneto operation
- Deicing systems (difference between deice and anti-ice)
- Landing gear
- Engines
- Avionics
- What does two green lights after a gear extension indicate?
- Emergency memory items
Jepps Charts (approach, airport and enroute)
- Questions about fixes
- Restricted airspace
- Markings
- Where is the MSA?
- How much area does the MSA cover (25NM)?
- Where is the MSA based off of (LOM)?
- Where is the highest point
- What the FAF?
- How many IAF's?
- Finger fly the approach from an IAF to the runway
- What is a split MSA?
Definition of critical engine
Definition of Vmc
What electrics would you have if you lost your left engine and right alternator?
Down to battery power in solid IFR, what would you do?
What would you do at an uncontrolled field if there was an ILS hold short line?
What would you do at an uncontrolled field if there was an ILS hold line?
Read NOTAM- glideslope OTS, can you shoot the approach with the given weather?

Human Resource Questions

How did you hear about Mesaba?
Why Mesaba?
What kind of leader are you?
What is your management style?
- How do people respond to it?
Talk about your educational/work history.
What was your toughest educational decision?
What has been your biggest obstacle to a flying career
TMAAT that you were scared/ nervous as a pilot.
TMAAT you had a stressful flight.
TMAAT that safety was compromised
TMAAT you wish you spoke up.
TMAAT that you resolved a conflict between two people. How did you do it?
TMAAT you made a safety related decision that cancelled a flight.
What successful project have you ever been a part of?
The captain is aimed at a line of level 5 thunderstorms what do you do?
You are flying with a captain whom you have recently turned in for violating SOPs. How would you handle this?
Tell me about something dangerous a coworker did and how you responded.
Tell me about a flight you shouldn't have gone on?
Not living in one of the bases, how are you going to overcome that?
How do you feel and what does your family think of you being away and making low salary.
TMAA flight you shouldn't have gone on.
TMAAT you noticed someone doing odmething bad, and what did you do about it.
How do you feel about commuting/low pay?
What do you when your captain won't follow checklists?
Why do you think you're ready for the airlines?
What are your strengths?
Training will be very difficult, how will you handle?
How did you get into flying (tell me about yourself)?
With winter weather around the corner, how would you prepare yourself for that type of flying?
What makes a good captain?
Who's your favorite captain to fly with and why?
TMAAT you had to make a split second decision while flying.
What are your career goals?
TMAAT you made a decision you later would have changed?
Explain your traffic tickets.
How would a former employer (student, mom, subordinate) describe you?
What would you do if you're a new FO and you and your captain find out there has been damage to the aircraft caused by a small space heater? Ground crews do their best to clean up the damage prior to you reaching the airport. Damage caused by the heater includes the smell of smoke and some burns in the carpet. The captain calls dispatch and they give you the green light. Everyone is pushing for go.
What would you do if you were flying with a weak Captain and it made you uncomfortable?
TMAAT you noticed someone doing something bad

Please send your interview questions

Comments

Homestead Suites now $69.00 plus $6.56 for taxes for a total of $75.56 as of OCTOBER 10th 2007 (10/11/07)
Very laid back and professional (09/14/07)
Be personable, honest, and POSITIVE! (08/20/07)
At the MSP airport look for Spectrum Shuttle to get a free ride to Mesaba's HQ

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Latest Ratings


dp - 27th May
Career Potential
Compensation
Equipment
Quality of Life
I interviewed at Mesaba in April 2007 and began training a few months later.. The training program was/is excellent! I learned a lot, and although the information was not spoon fed to us (studying required) if we had a question it was answered and we left class feeling like we knew our airplane. I upgraded after 15 months, and was downgraded 13 months later (Delta is parking the Saabs). While the pay is not the greatest as a new hire, understand we are currently at the end of a 5 year contract negotiated while in bankruptcy..I would definitely recommend anyone go this airline..

26th May
Career Potential
Compensation
Equipment
Quality of Life

26th May
Career Potential
Compensation
Equipment
Quality of Life

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