Interview experience:
Folks - just had my interview on Monday, the 19th and inputting this on Wed. ATA has changed their notification process from phone calls to letters for positive and negative replies - so expecting notification sometime next week. First of all, before getting to the gouge - ATA has done some really good stuff the last two years and I think you can't go wrong with them. Everyone we met was positive and happy to be there and financial situation looks really good in the coming years. They are looking to hire 90-140 FO's this year, depending on new deliveries. Aircraft could be either the 737-800 or the 757-200/300, plus they are still training some limited classes of FO's on the L-1011. Our group was told we could expect a split. Or interview group consisted of 6 guys with a wide range of experience. 3 furloughed TWA/American pilots, 1 fractional, 1 commuter, and 1 retired military. Total times ranged from 12,000 hours to 2,700 hours - age 44 to age 26!
Okay, the gouge. Everything you have read so far in earlier posts is absolutely right on (with some new refinements). I'll detail my exerience. ATA interviews once (maybe twice) a month, typically from Mon-Thurs. Van arrives now at the La Quinta at 0745 and transports direct to the ATA Operations Building. There, you are guided to a small conf room and met initially by Sharon Turley. She explains the morning activities and schedule. Some changes from previous info is that the test if given to you right then along with all the paperwork to fill out. Paperwork is same as detailed before. DO THE TEST BY "COOPERATION" - it's expected - and do it first thing before people start getting pulled off for interviews. Also, new change is that you will submit a DOT Urine test that morning at the ATA Clinic. Drink lots of coffee!
Mike Chidester, Asst Indy Chief Pilot briefed us for 30 mins or so on everything from hiring, pay, benefits, to a typical day of flying. Then, we started getting pulled off 1 by 1 for interviews with Pilots and HR (approx 30 min each). Gouge previously is right on. Be candid and friendly - I got the impression they definitely were NOT looking for the "interview prep answers" and ended up having a great time conversing with my interviewer while giving the answers. At 1200, we met with the two pilots that were driving us to Purdue and would also be our sim evaluators. The old ATC guy has retired. If you have a Monday interview, you ride with the sim pilots. Tues-Thurs you ride with a driver. Again - can't emphasize enough that ATA's philosophy is that everyone that makes it to Indy can and will be hired - you can only loose the chance based on your actions and performance. So, you aren't competing against your other 5 peers - advise to band together and work together. Check in at the Radisson (ATA pays) around 1:30 PM with a show for the sim at 3pm. Relax, change to casual clothes and refocus.
The sim was straight forward with the profile as presented before - expect there are now 4 different departures and they will use all 4 randomly (I guess too many folks got too good at the Northbrook One transition...). Approach was the ILS to 14R at ORD with 200 OVC and good vis. I did not do the sim due to my schedule - our group was split down the middle - 3 did the sime prep and 3 didn't. All 3 of us who didn't were firmly convinced and wished we had done the prep. It is well worth the money and the 727-200 sim there needs the one hour of prep to get used to it's "peculiarities". If you can clear your schedule to do the prep - I highly recommend it - no kiddin.
Dinner afterward at a restaurant of choice. We went to a hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant that was really good. ATA picks up the food bill but can not pay for drinks. Margaritas and Beers flowed freely and we had a lively exchange with good banter. Back to the hotel where the sim pilots announce you are "off the clock" and head off to their rooms. Our group of 6 - who had become quite close by then - went to the hotel bar for a nightcap. Pickup next morning at 0800, at Indy at 0930.
I can't speak from experience about airline interviews, but ATA is a class act and this whole process was first rate. Friendly people, great planes, up and coming company. I think all 6 of us really worked ourselves over too hard prior to the interview when it was all said an done. If you read thru all the gouge from top to bottom, there will be no surprises. I for one am hoping like heck to get a good letter next week. Good Luck!
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