southwest questions

[livethedream]

what are they asking in that simulation?

are they hiring mostly military guys?

thanks

 

[SWA/FO]

are they hiring mostly military guys?

NO, thank God.

 

[Tank68]

SWO/FO + Military = Flamebait

So much for a productive thread

 

[328dude]

60% Civilian and 40% Military. They try to keep it 50/50, hence the reason the lowered the PIC requirment to 1000 from 1300 to help out some of the military folks that are ending thier military careers and didn't have 1300.

 

[Motive Flow]

what are they asking in that simulation?

The secret LOI question is:

"Do you cut the red wire or blue wire?"

 

[SWA/FO]

lowered the PIC requirment to 1000 from 1300 to help out some of the military folks

nice....next they will let them by-pass training, since they know it all anyway.

On a serious note, the LOI is a paper trainer where you play the captain. Its roll playing, acting, sadly a lot of good pilots make it harder then it is...and don't make the grade. Example: if the plane is on FIRE - nearest suitable airport sometimes doesn't mean nearest Southwest Airlines city.

The SWA/FO does not like or endorse this "process". This is a make or break simulition in the interview process. Be "the man" make decisions.

If you need good gouge on the LOI see your nearest AF or Navy guy, they have them all. Plus, they have a list of all the interviewers names, interests, title etc...etc.. Not uncommon for an Navy type to show up with 60 letters of recommendation. I call this a "JOKE". Most civilians have 3-4 tops...since its harder to say one flew with someone in the civ World.

I will leave you with this last bit of info... on a recent trip with a very cool check airman (ex-Navy guy) he said "Commuter, Corporate & Freight guys do the best on IOE"

the SWA/FO imp:

 

[JumpJetter]

... sadly a lot of good pilots make it harder then it is...and don't make the grade. ...

the SWA/FO imp:

...this happens mostly to civilian guys....

 

[Aubie]

SWA/FO - I used to find you entertaining but more and more I am embarrassed we work at the same place. I Don't want to sound harsh, but regarding the LOI, if a "good pilot" can't logically sort through a scenario in a paper trainier, would sorting through a similar situation in the real world be easier? I have flown with a ton of great guys and gals here from every different source imaginable - generalizations just don't hold up.

You and General Lee were in the same Dungeons and Dragons club in high school, weren't you?

 

[328dude]

I'm ashamed to. Looks like another avoidence bid candidate.

 

[ATRCAPT]

...this happens mostly to civilian guys....

Horse Hockey...mule muffins...bull$hit

 

[Benhuntn]

SWA/fo, sorry dude but I am with the boys on this one....your way out of line. You would be slinging hash at the Country Buffet if the Military guys didn't put their lives on the line. Now you want to belittle them again and again and again. We all know how you feel. I would love to fly with you I am sure we could teach each other a few things. Well, you could teach me, I am sure your rock for brains doesn't abosrb much. At least you can fly in the wx and think out of the box. Your tiring!

 

[SWA/FO]

You and General Lee were in the same Dungeons and Dragons club in high school, weren't you?

Can I borrow your 20 sided? Sorry my Union Brothers feel that way.

I think the LOI is BS. I'm not sure but I think Fed Ex stopped doing theirs? If you want to see how someone flies, maybe have the letters of rec mean something! Background checks produce tons of info..

 

[furloughed dude]

SWA/FO,

Did you mean role playing? Idiot....

 

[ATRCAPT]

I have a confession, I used to think like SWA/FO. At my previous airline the two biggest pricks in the company were ex military (USMC and USAF). The Marine guy was the WORST pilot I have ever seen. He made gross mistakes all the time, but always spun it into being the fault of the F/O, the push crew, the desk clerk at the hotel, etc. He was a miserable, mean spirited waste of skin. The USAF was a good pilot, but an extremely poor check airman. Any moron should know that screaming and insulting your student is not the way to get them to learn (no, I didn't have him for IOE).

Fast forward to SWA and I have completely changed my attitude. Every ex-military captain I have flown with has been super cool. In fact every captain I have flown with has been super cool. I think it's a testament (sp?) to the kind of people they try to hire. I have heard from a few of the check captains that some of the mil guys, particular fighter guys, take a while to adjust to the airplane and the 121 way of doing things. This is ONLY because they have never done it before. Civie guys, let us remember the first time we flew at the regionals.

The long of the short of my rambling is that I'm a civie and I disagree with SWA/FO. Besides, the mil guys seem to be more fun at the bar! This, of course is just my opinion. I could be wrong.

 

[SWA/FO]

SWA/FO,

Did you mean role playing? Idiot....

Yeah, thanks - Its a good thing you caught that. I think, I'll be able to sleep better tonight.

 

[skyflier]

"Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Whose gonna do it? You?.....I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom.....And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to."

Col. Jessep....A Few Good Men

 

[IslandDriver]

Back to the original question about the LOI...


Just work the problem as you would at your current job....the scenario that i got was very realistic. I just worked it as if I was flying at my current regional. Use CRM, be the captain and make a decision....

It worked out for me...now I just have to get that type rating to get a class date!

Good luck

PS....I am a civie guy and every Military guy I have ran in to at SWA seems fine to me....I will see once I get on line....

 

[waverunner]

My experience has been most guys and gals you fly with here are great! Having said that, on occasion you get to fly with with someone off the scale "super cool" or to the other side of the spectrum a "super tool". I've seen both civilian and military in the extreme categories. That said, the vast majority of the "super cool" fun to be around Capts I've flown with are former military. I hate to say it SWA/FO but the biggest "tools" and all around weirdos (remember, very few and far between - thank God!) that I've flown with have been the civilian Capts. Being a civilian myself, I sure hope I never become one of the "tools". Just keeping it real SWA/FO. Just keeping it real.

 

[Schiphol]

SWA/FO - I used to find you entertaining but more and more I am embarrassed we work at the same place. I Don't want to sound harsh, but regarding the LOI, if a "good pilot" can't logically sort through a scenario in a paper trainier, would sorting through a similar situation in the real world be easier? I have flown with a ton of great guys and gals here from every different source imaginable - generalizations just don't hold up.

You and General Lee were in the same Dungeons and Dragons club in high school, weren't you?

Dude, back off. SWA/FO is a lever 7 dungeon master to this day. I think he was even on that special segment with Triumph the Comic Insult Dog at some sci-fi convention.

He was the dude in the full Darth Vader outfit w/ the buttons on the get-up to speed dial his mom if the other nerds made fun of him.

SWA/FO...pls don't use any of your powers for evil.

s.

 

[Whataburger]

LOI. CRM, CRM, CRM. Also, make a decision and back it up.

 

[livethedream]

sorry to start such a hate filled thread

I heard that most guys hired were ex-military, not knowing it was such a bitter subject, I asked a simple question and you guys jump up and down on each other

all I really wanted to know is what they are asking on the LOI since I have not seen it here or on aviationinterviews...

 

[Tejas-Jet]

"Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Whose gonna do it? You?.....I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom.....

Col. Jessep....A Few Good Men

Col. Jessup is a fictional character....just like Popeye the Sailor

 

[fugghedabowdit]

When you make your diversion decision, make sure you say we're going to XYZ, and this is WHY. Then thank your crew for their input. Notify the FAs, the company, and ATC. Don't let time run out before this happens.

 

[Benhuntn]

LIVE THE DREAM don't worry, in days gone by SWA/FO was an FO and now he is an MDW capt. His humor/satire has grown old as he has grown to believe what he writes. You didn't start anything you just got caught in the crossfire. SWA/fo is known to stir the pot and some guys like me just decided we had enough. Good luck at the interview. If you get here you have won the lottery. You can go to MDW and meet the man for yourself and see if he is as good as his typing.

 

[Alcatraz]

all I really wanted to know is what they are asking on the LOI since I have not seen it here or on aviationinterviews...

My suggestion would be to only study one or two scenarios just to be familiar with the concept of what an LOI is... many are very similar with only tiny (but significant) details changed. I know if I studied a situation where we were over Colorado with a medical emergency and DEN is snowed in, I'd end up with an LOI where a diversion to DEN was the best solution... and I'd get all confused.

I disagree with SWA/FO on many issues (I'll leave it at that), and one of them is the use of the LOI in the interview. I think the LOI helps show who knows how to sort through a bunch of info to find what's important, truly use CRM, and make a good decision. This can be an excellent measure of a good captain.

Congrats on the interview, and good luck!

 

[SWA/FO]

You can go to MDW and meet the man for yourself and see if he is as good as his typing.

I hope my flying is better then my typing.

 

[livethedream]

thanks for working it back to the original question
hope to meet at someday

 

[Bob_Sacamano]

Now wait just a G.D. minute! You can slam my civilian flying skills all you want. But there's no military pansie that's more fun at the bar than me (straight bar, thank you very much)!

Besides, the mil guys seem to be more fun at the bar! This, of course is just my opinion. I could be wrong.