Recommendation for Interview United

[difete]

Hello Guys,

I have my stuff in with United. I wanted to ask those on the know here, if you can recommend a good interview prep place. I am mostly interested in getting prepped for the Sim ride, as I have no 737 experience.

Any info and/or help is appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[27 driver]

It's just a jet. Just like all others. Don't sweat it. It will be a basic ride. I have never heard of an interview ride being like a type ride. Just basic stuff.

 

[KarmaPolice]

albie

 

[check six]

Friend of mine who was a Comair RJ Captain for 14 years went down to Miami (I think Pan Am) but I will check with him. He said if he had not picked up a few hours on the 73 sim and received some good prep from their career coach down there he might not have cut it. This from a guy who has about 14 years of captain checkrides. I would not take it for granted. He is now flying for UAL and got through training no problem.

Check Six

 

[HalinTexas]

It's as much, probably more, about your personal skills in the interview.

Don't over think it.

 

[RT8VA]

There are about 4 big US airlines now so spend a few hundred bucks to be comfortable in the sim or roll the dice on that one after all you have invested? The prep simply polishes the product and makes you that much more comfortable small investment wherever you do it.
Just my 2cents take it or leave it.

 

[redflyer65]

The preps are invaluable in my opinion.

Especially in today's environment where there are HALF the airlines that there used to be. A lot less opportunities than before.

 

[RJLoser]

Sim+ emerald coast.

 

[skypine69]

A couple of friends that have been hired by UAL recently went to DEN a day or two early and did the sim prep with a company in DEN. You get to use almost the exact sim you will use in the interview and most of the instructors are current or former UAL. I think they told me its about a grand for 2 hours in the sim. Seems well worth it to me.

 

[vetrider]

What sim is used for the actual interview ride? Is it a 200 basic or advanced? A 300 hard ball or efis? An NG?

If its a 200, sim prep in one of those would be invaluable. Pitch and fuel flow. Keep those eyeballs moving.

 

[waveflyer]

I agree- sim prep and interview coach

Albie and emerald coast were the best 8 years-

I cannot say enough good things about emerald coast-
And thoroughly agree with the previous poster- have cash set aside to do whatever work you may need to polish up. Don't overthink it for sure- relax

AFTER you prep

 

[LAHSOinMIA]

It's just a jet. Just like all others. Don't sweat it. It will be a basic ride. I have never heard of an interview ride being like a type ride. Just basic stuff.

When I applied at CAL, I flew first thing in the morning, MD-80 with zero time in type. Things were going great, very relaxed, I had just leveled off, and life was good. That's when there was this discussion between my instructor and my trng FO about making things more interesting... I quickly interjected that I was fascinated being in a jet I'd never flown and found things REALLY interesting!! There was a chuckle from the instructor, followed by five words I'll never forget... "go ahead, make it interesting". My only though as the left engine fire lever was pulled was "oh sh*t". After calling for a checklist and declaring an emergency I was waived off and told all emergency checklist complete, engine secured. That's when they had me hold. That's right a SE hold in a jet I'd never flown before. FUN FUN FUN. This, of course led to the SE ILS with EMER landing brief as well. Perfect. Oh joy. In all the hours I had spent envisioning my sim ride none had gone like this. Finished up. Hopped out of the box was told "great job" and to send down the next victim. The next guy asked me "how'd it go?" The look on his face as I explained what had just happened was priceless. It was as though I'd just stolen his puppy. Needless to say, 3-on-1 interview must have gone well because I've been here for 8 years now...

So not every legacy interview is just a "basic sim ride"...

Now I am aware that my experience was/is not the norm, but sometimes the guys running the sim get bored. Look out when they do. ;-))

Good luck everyone...

-Lahso

 

[difete]

Thanks a lot guys. Lots of good info. I agree a jet is a jet, just wanna have the "feel" of hand flying it if you know what I mean. Specially for steep turns. So I hear emerald is a good sim prep company. I will look into this one and some others in the Denver area. A grand for a prep sounds good to me.

 

[saabservant]

Huh....when I interviewed Feb. 2008 there was no sim....
but of course we were hired just for summer help. Furloughed 5 months later.

 

[Continental]

Try higher power for the sim prep or anyone if you can get and hour or so into it.

I wouldn't sweat the interview prep. They will look over your crap ask some Q and tell me a time things. Just think back to customer focused things, can do "atta boy" stuff. Get the rah rah rah team player stuff going. You love united, dream about united, will name your kid united or jeff. Just lay it on thick. Just be customer oriented. That's what they want to hear. You will do fine

 

[xjhawk]

You never know what to expect for in a SIM portion of an interview. For my first airline job, they made me fly to an intersection after a missed approach. Really? Thankfully I was just off of being a CFII. It was a surprise but I did it. If it happens again, I hope I get to prebrief it instead of doing it on the fly. My point is just be ready for anything. United is still doing a SIM ride huh? I thought they were only hiring highly qualified applicants with thousands of hours of regional jet captain experience? After passing a PC a year for the last 11 years one would think that would be enough of a "SIM" ride.

 

[skypine69]

Its not just a sim ride....there are other aspects of it that I understand to be more important than the actual flying.