NJ HR ?'s

[SDCFI]

I'm curious how people here have/would answer the situational questions NetJets asks during the interview. For example: 1) You take off with owner A and are picking up owner B at dest, owner A wants to go back for left item, what do you do? 2) You're enroute on a transcon, owner wants to make unsheduled dinner stop halfway, do you? 3) Special occasion for owner(s) (b-day, anniversary, etc) what do you do to make it special? Flowers, CD's, wine, etc? I've never flown pax so I haven't had to think about these issues before. Real-world examples from the frac guys/gals would also be great. Any ideas are appreciated.

 

[flywest]

Here goes:

1. Go back. It is the owner's plane, and if they want to go back, you go back. Of course taking into consideration: safety, performance, etc. Notify company as soon as practical.

2. Yes. See answer above.

3. Interview answer: Flowers, wine, CD?? yes, yes and yes.
Real world: Owner service generally takes care of everything, just take the time to make sure they know where everything is and how it works.

For these answers and many more, go to www.aviationinterviews.com for the good poop.

 

[Guitar rocker]

Here goes:

1. Go back. It is the owner's plane, and if they want to go back, you go back. Of course taking into consideration: safety, performance, etc. Notify company as soon as practical.

2. Yes. See answer above.

3. Interview answer: Flowers, wine, CD?? yes, yes and yes.
Real world: Owner service generally takes care of everything, just take the time to make sure they know where everything is and how it works.

For these answers and many more, go to www.aviationinterviews.com for the good poop.

I agree with flywest here.

 

[SAEflyer]

3) Special occasion for owner(s) (b-day, anniversary, etc) what do you do to make it special? Flowers, CD's, wine, etc?

I was asked to choose one of those three and i said flowers because for one, you don't know if they drink alcohol, and two, you don't know what kind of music they like, but i said who doesn't like flowers? They seemed to like my logic.

 

[Going2Baja]

Think of the pax as your soon to be in-laws. What could you possibly do to stoke them out and make the flight the best flight ever? (And NO - a dog-$hit Burrito doesn't count!) This is the kind of stuff HR is looking for.

If you have no pax experience in your flying career look back to any cust service job you might have had and use those stories - Line Service, FBO, Hotel, restaurant, etc....Come to think of it - a 'Gentelman's Club' might count...Hmmmnnnnnn.

Good Luck!!

Baja

 

[2Inverted]

For Q's 1 & 2;
You could also call dispatch on the sat-phone to make any arrangements necessary. ie; ground trans, Customs, Permits, forgotten items delivered, etc..

With most owners, a simple Happy *** from crew members will do. If the company wants to put something extra onboard that should be their decision (and their expense).

 

[Slim]

Here's a different one...

How do you answer this question...does your employer know you are interviewing with us today? One of my F/Os was asked this question at UPS, then FEDEX.

He told the UPS interviewer, "No. I'm on a scheduled day off." He didn't get the job. At FEDEX, he received the same question . This time, his answer was "They better know...the chief pilot arranged personal time off so I could be here today." As yet, there's no response from FEDEX.

My wife doesn't think I need to inform my employer, even as a courtesy. I'm more inclined to extend them that courtesy. But, in a general sense, they (Comair) shouldn't be surprised. They've lost a bunch of pilots since before DL filed for Ch. 11 and took Comair along for the ride.

Is NJ asking that particular question?

 

[jtf]

I wasn't asked that. They just needed to know when I would be available to start. They did ask why I wanted to leave my former job and what things I didn't like about it. They also asked about CRM at my old job. Good luck. If you get the job, see if you can get a leave of absence from Comair so that you can still jumpseat while you are in training and until you decide to tell them you officially quit. I talked to at least one former Comair guy who did that it and it made things work better for him and his familly. There are big gaps in training that the jumpseat would have been nice to have to travel for free on.

 

[FLYLOW22]

1) You take off with owner A and are picking up owner B at dest, owner A wants to go back for left item, what do you do?

2) You're enroute on a transcon, owner wants to make unsheduled dinner stop halfway, do you?

3) Special occasion for owner(s) (b-day, anniversary, etc) what do you do to make it special?

Flowers, CD's, wine, etc?

1) If you have fuel remaining to turn around, coordinate the Owners desires with dispatch, get the numbers and fuel calcs. Pull the charts, check the NOTAMS and WX. Go back. It the Owners plane. The company will find anotehr bird for the Owner at B.

2) Same as 1.

3) I offer verbal condolences. I know of pilots buying something simple like stock (coke, gum, candy, peanuts) for the plane without ACP approval and getting that expense item denied. If the company sends a cake, flowers or a card then I display it for them. Period. We are not authorized to do anymore without approval.

 

[Flyerjosh]

He told the UPS interviewer, "No. I'm on a scheduled day off." He didn't get the job. At FEDEX, he received the same question . This time, his answer was "They better know...the chief pilot arranged personal time off so I could be here today." As yet, there's no response from FEDEX.

I'd say that a simple yes or no answer is the best here. The "no" answer is okay, as long as you can offer some insight as to why if asked a follow up. Something like: "I haven't told them that I was interviewing, however it is a normal career progression and my airline doesn't expect us to remain at the regional level indefinately if we would like to move to larger equipment" is a great answer. I'd also suggest that you inform the interviewer's that out of respect for your current employer you would like to offer at least two weeks of advance notice.

The "They better know..." answer seems arrogant or might seem like a put down to your current employer and could give the wrong impression...

"KISS" principles should always apply in tax audits, checkrides, and interviews!