Interview Prep for CAL?

[slcaviator]

Does anyone have any thoughts about doing an interview prep for CAL (not sim prep), and who does the best prep (emerald coast, cage, judy tarver, ect...)

Thanks in advance!

 

[lookin4better]

 

[lookin4better]

did you get an interview yet? I think the flood gates may open up soon with that recent vacancy bid.

 

[pkober]

I did an interview prep which helped to get my mind in the right direction. I didn't do an sim prep. If you have flown anything with a flight director recently I don't think you need it. For me, August 2005, it was a MD-80 sim with full flight director guidance. Peice of cake. The other pilot sets the MCP so all you have to do is fly.

Good luck.

CLAMBAKE

 

[taxicabdriver]

Who did you do the prep with? Did you find it helpful? I'm going to keep my fingers crossed for an interview sometime this fall and would appreciate any info you have to share.

 

[CAL EWR B737]

FYI hearing rumors MD 80 sim is sold and will be leaving. I have a recurrent sim the middle of the month will report back what I find out.

 

[CAL EWR B737]

Some additional info that could effect CAL hiring. Our lump sum multiplier for our frozen "A" plan is based on the GATT rate. The GATT rate has an inverse relationship to interest rates. The GATT rate is published twice a year June and November.

For many of our pilots nearing retirement it may be more financially advantageous to retire early before the end of November. In some cases the difference could be like working for free.

Rumors have anywhere from 50 to 350 early retirements, time will tell how many will really retire, talk is cheap. 2007 is our peak year in normal age 60 retirements with just over 300

 

[lookin4better]

yes all this helps TONS!! I was recently told I was moved to an upper folder where interviews are granted from. With those numbers it may not be too long! Either way I will patiently wait until I hear something and in the mean time learn as much as I can. Once again thanks!

 

[geshields]

Who did you do the prep with? Did you find it helpful? I'm going to keep my fingers crossed for an interview sometime this fall and would appreciate any info you have to share.

I would recomend against doing a one on one type of interview prep. Go to aviationinterviews.com and read..read..read..then formulate your own answers..Interview is informal and very relaxed.

I am torn on whether to recommend the sim prep. As long as you know the proper callouts, power settings, etc and can fly the F/D it was a piece of cake. For me, doing the sim prep sort of eroded my confidence. As long as you are current and comfortable in a simulator you will do fine. The Alteon MD-80 sim in Dallas was extremely pitch sensitive.. However, the CAL MD-80 sim was rock solid..

I guess the question really boils down to is the job worth $400 just to be sure you don't have to say "I should have done the sim prep" I can say now the $500 I paid was not worth it..

My $.02

 

[munson]

i have to go with geshields on this one. I didnt do the sim prep, just studied what was on that website he mentioned. It was VERY relaxed and informal, kinda like hanging around the ready room or pilots lounge. The sim prep I do recommend, especialy for military pilots. The callouts and checklists are like nothing we do and using a flight director takes a little getting used to if you have never seen one. Bottom line like he said...is it worth $400 bones for the job, even if it just gives you nothing more but a little confidence. The sim ride was not hard at all, I dont think it was more than 10 minutes in the box, but it felt good knowing I had done it. I used a guy named Jack something (forget the last name) out at Alteon and he was real good. Something about that last sentance doesnt sound right...anyways good luck.

 

[Patriot328]

Do the sim prep! As geshields said, you'd rather be saying I wasted $400 doing the prep instead of saying "I wish I'd spent the $400 doing the prep", believe me.

Also, if you do it in Dallas, like geshields said, remember that that sim flies a lot worse than IAH's sim. If you can fly the DFW sim decently, you can almost sleep through the IAH one.

Good luck

 

[flatspin7]

I as hired at CAL about 5 months ago... I didnt do any interview prep but I read a lot of the gouges and thought about my responces to the obvious questions. The interview is very much so a story driven one... Tell me about a time when you.... questions are the meat of it. They can smell a canned or BS answer a mile away, be your self.

As for the sim... I was flying the ERJ and was damn glad I few the -80 sim before hand. The ERJ and I assume the CRJ really shrinks you instrument scan and it was good to get the chance to run though the profile a few times before the real deal. It was great for piece of mind.... I was actually able to sleep the night before the sim in IAH..

Good luck
If any one has any questions PM me.

 

[lookin4better]

All the previous posts are very helpful....I have a few other questions:

How long after the call does an interview usually get scheduled?

How long after hired is a class date?

If hired today, ( guys at CAL now) what would you bid and where?

 

[ACWild]

I didn't pay for any interview preps. All I used was the gouge from Aviation Interview, which is free. The info is accurate and helped out a lot. I also skipped out on the sim prep and feel that it isn't necessary. The profile is also on the interview gouge and is very accurate. That's easy for me to say since I've already got the job, but looking back, I can say that there are no tricks and I would have gone the same path.
As far as choosing which plane, that's very subjective to what you're looking for. Some who picked the 73 love it and others don't. What exactly are your goals? From those, we can probably tell you which plane to bid, assuming you will have a choice, which may be likely. Just don't expect the 777 right away.

 

[lookin4better]

I guess understanding the reserve system better might help me out. I am assuming someone hired in the next few months will most likely be on reserve on the 756( if they had a choice) for a considerable amount of time. What are the diferences between A and B reserve?

 

[CAL EWR B737]

My two cents get the sim prep. The worst case you wasted $500 bucks the best case you have a job instead of a rejection letter. Of my three guys I recommended all did the prep all got hired, two out of the three honestly wouldn't have made through the sim without the sim prep. They were flying glass corporate aircraft and the round dial md80 really would have thrown them for a loop without the prep.

The third didn't need it but instead of doing good enough, he did an outstanding sim ride as told to me by the VP of Flight Standards and Training. He was flying a 756 and told me the round dial would have really thrown him for a loop if he didn't get the prep, and it really relaxed him for the sim ride. At the very least it will give you more confidence and you will be more relaxed for the real sim ride.

I have two friends here who recommended two (so they say) sharp candidates. Both of them passed on my advice to their friends about the sim prep. Both decided not to get the sim time and were both rejected. They say in hindsight they should have gotten the time. Their problem they got nervous and made too many mistakes. Some may not need the sim time but many newhires I have flown with were very happy they got the sim time for the reasons discussed above.

Good luck

 

[lookin4better]

I agree completly about the Sim prep! I plan on calling Aleton in DFW shortly after I get the call to set up a prep session! It will be worth every penny!

 

[AlbieF15]

Emerald Coast can put you in DC-9 in MSP if that is more convenient for your travel requirements...

 

[SOVT]

I just finished my first year at CAL. About halfway thru the sim ride I wished I had done a prep session. I obviously flew well enough to get hired but after a couple of years on pure glass I felt really rough.

As for the interview prep, I used Emerald Coast a couple of years ago for an interview, unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately as things turned out) I didn't get hired there, but the tools that I learned during the prep secession really helped out at CAL. In fact the management interviewer that escorted me out of the secure area told me twice that it was about the best interview that he had ever sat in on.




Good luck.