ERAU CFI in Prescott

[Sir Humpalot]

I was just wondering if anyone has any information on flight instructing and the interview process at ERAU. I got a phone call with an interview date scheduled. The gentleman on the phone was very informative and sincere and he did mention that as an instructor i would be able to take classes for free. Does teaching at ERAU carry any weight in the airline industry even though i graduated from a different university unrelated to aviation? Any information would be greatly appreciated.

 

[cpritchie5]

I taugh at Riddle in Daytona from 1998 to 2000. the interview process there was in four parts. A HR interview that includes a teaching demonstratio, A instrument check in the sim, a flight eveluation and a written exam covering PTS items. As far as the airline hiring from Riddle is concerned it never hurts to have the name on your resume. You so get connections there. Its a good place to work and well amintained aircraft.

 

[bobbysamd]

Riddle-Prescott interview

I worked there from late 1988 through mid 1991. Probably the process changed. My interview in October of 1988 included a meeting with the Chief Flight Instructor, a written exam, a flight in a 172, and a group interview with the Chief Instructor and the three training managers. Training managers are senior instructors who supervise groups of instructors and are the first level of management to which instructors report.

The written exam was based on all FAA writtens you take for Private to CFI-I. See if you can find out if you will be given a written; if so, get out your ASA books and start studying. Once again, I'm talking about 1988.

I figured that having instructed at ERAU on my resume was almost as good as being a graduate (and all that implies) and would be a good reference. I did have four interviews and one cattle call invite from commuters while I worked at Riddle. However, that response seemed like a very small return against the forests I felled for all the paper I outputted. I had no further airline interviews after I left Riddle. I got other instructing jobs after I left Riddle, and having it on my resume was a major plus.

Some of the quality people who were at Riddle when I was there are still there. PM me if you want their names.

There was a ton about ERAU-Prescott that I didn't like. In looking back, though, it was the best aviation job I had overall.

Good luck with your interview.

 

[Riddle momma]

I just graduated from ERAU-P and have many friends instructing out of there. Three just went through the interview process. It's still the same as the other posts. A flight with the CP, an impossibly hard written test (it is said that the average score on the test is 50%, and that it can only hurt you if they don't like you. ie, their excuse to not hire you), a Frasca141 sim ride, and an interview with the team managers (there are 5, as an instructor you belong to a "team" only for organizational purposes). The interview is nice and mellow. The guys over there are all super cool, and all the frustrated instructors that would be hardbutts just left for ACA. The CP, Mike Corradi is a character. He's a retired Air Force guy with lots of experience. Has a Pitts and LOVES aerobatics. Don't worry about the test too much, like I said it's supposedly only used as an excuse to not hire you should they have a problem with you.
Being an instructor there you have many oportunities with the regionals. They (Eagle, ACA, CoEx, ASA, Mesaba, Mesa) used to (before 9-11) go to Riddle and take our instructor by the handful. We lost instructors faster than we could hire them. It looks like it is comming back again. ACA came to campus and took, I think, 17 of our instructors about 2 weeks ago.
Yes it is a very structured program, and they are anal about a few things (most things), but overall the experience is nice. You do get 6 credits a semester free, and your MEI is free (if you don't already have it). The students are pretty good, most are there to actually fly, especially now that it is so darn expensive. Good luck to you!!! If you want any contact names PM me!

 

[Dutch]

The interview process does not always involve the Chief Pilot. My 172 ride and F141 sim were both conducted by members of the standards department, not managment. The interview was conducted by a panel of two Training Managers (Assistant Chiefs) and an Assistant Training Manager (ATM). The written took me 2 hours and you are given 3 hours to complete it, you can use anything you could use in a FAA written test (E6B, plotter, non-programmable calculator, etc). Expect to be there for the whole day. My interview started at 0800 flight at 0900, sim at 1100, and written at 1330. The last I heard was that the pool was empty and that there were 10-15 candidates that they were interviewing for early October ground school.