Human Resource Questions Flashcards
1
Q
Tell me about yourself and include how you got in to aviation
A
Thank the panel for the opportunity to be an FO candidate Introduce yourself-Where you live-Spouse-children Most important about yourself is how “you” would be a good candidate i.e.: 1. Passionate- about my work, dedicated, loyal and “I love what I do” 2. Ambitious- and driven always looking to improve and bring solutions 3. Highly Organized- so I can meet deadlines, schedules it’s a “lifestyle” 4. People Person- Like meeting new people and making them feel comfortable in my presence, I find it especially helpful on the flight deck or just tending to a “guest’s” need (all passengers are guest) 5. Excellent Communicator- Understanding human nature and listening are very important to me, I’ve found that helps information not get misconstrued and especially helpful in a CRM environment
2
Q
Where are you from?
A
Currently live in TN
3
Q
Who are you?
A
This is your time to give your 3-5 min intro speech.
4
Q
Use one word to describe yourself.
A
Loyal
5
Q
Tell me about your career starting in flight school.
A
Began flying in 1991 and had an unconventional approach into a professional flying career. Flying lessons were with a private instructor and during the next 15 years added all my ratings and certificates in an effort to become a better recreational/business pilot. Got my 1st Type Rating and got an opportunity to fly Twin Turbines and later 121
6
Q
Walk me through your resume.
A
tell me about yourself then work your way into your jobs and other activities.
7
Q
What was your last non-aviation job?
A
Manufacturing
8
Q
What type of flying have you done?
A
Part 121 air carrier, Part 135 Cago ops, Part 91
9
Q
What are your career goals
A
Retire as a line pilot for Spirit Airlines. I love learning and teaching and would look forward to continuing with the training department
10
Q
What do you do in your free time?
A
Enjoying spending time with my family, serve the church (Sunday), anything outdoors
11
Q
What else interests you besides flying?
A
Outdoor Activities, Real Estate Investing, Machining and Home improvement
12
Q
Why do you want to leave your current airline?
A
Opportunity to work for Spirit
13
Q
What would you miss most about your current company?
A
The people I work with.
14
Q
What do you like the most about your company?
A
The people I work with are great and we fly cool airplanes
15
Q
What do you like the least about your company?
A
That the opportunities for advancement and personal income growth are limited
16
Q
Have you had any problems with a former employer?
A
No
17
Q
Have you ever gotten in trouble at work?
A
No
18
Q
What will be a challenge to you while transitioning from your current airline to Spirit?
A
Can’t think of any, but I’ve always enjoyed a challenge
19
Q
Do you volunteer either with your current company or on your own? Tell me about it.
A
Yes, I volunteer to help kids in the outdoors through Church and Outdoor programs.
20
Q
What is your dream job?
A
Spirit sounds like me dream job… A job that keeps me feeling challenged without overworking me to the point of exhaustion. A job that I enjoy and feel proud to be a part of.
21
Q
Is Spirit your dream job?
A
They want you to sell them on why you really want to be at Spirit.
22
Q
Who influenced you the most in your aviation career?
A
My Father as he was a Private Pilot growing up
23
Q
What do you look for in an airline ?(another way of saying “why Spirit”)
A
I love how pilots rave about the great work atmosphere, culture and schedule at Spirit
Great marketing and Business Model for a stable airline.
24
Q
What will you bring to Spirit
A
Great Work ethic, safety minded and a background of understanding what service looks like to make a company grow
25
Why would you be a good fit for Spirit?
Passionate- about my work, dedicated, loyal and "I love what I do" 2. Ambitious- and driven always looking to improve and bring solutions 3. Highly Organized - so I can meet deadlines, schedules it's a "lifestyle" 4. People Person- Like meeting new people and making them feel comfortable in my presence, I find it especially helpful on the flight deck or just tending to a "guest's" need (all passengers are guest) 5. Excellent Communicator- Understanding human nature and listening are very important to me, I've found that helps information not get misconstrued and especially helpful in a CRM environmen
26
Why Spirit?
You need to sell them on why you want to come to Spirit. You have to act excited about the job. If your reason for interviewing is just to move on from a regional, that is not going to be a good enough answer. Career progression is not an acceptable answer either. A good answer would be why you are buying into the Spirit business model. Why do you think Spirit is in a position to be successful in the next 5-10 years? If you can nail your why Spirit question it will set the tone for the interview.
I LOVE SPIRIT AIRLINES 1. Spirit Airlines is innovative, looking into the future, technologically and logistically 2. Improving "guest experiences". coining phrases " A' la smarte" "Invest in our guest" and offering choices to have certain amenities 3. Committed to their communities and employees 4. Setting higher standards: case in point- OAG recently recognized Spirit's on time performance (May 2019) and were the first Major to take delivery of the A320NEO netting them a 16% savings in fuel cost " That's Smart"!! 5. Overall Spirit has the best model and youngest fleet in the industry 5.6 yrs. I liked the way their employees really like working there, how well they're treated, and that I really liked their business model, and that it would be a company I'd be proud to fly for.
27
Have you flown on Spirit? If yes, give us 1 recommendation about how we can improve.
I answered that I had flown Spirit once while jump seating and also sat in the back a number of times. All the Crew was very friendly and the flight went off without a hitch.
28
What do you think about our product?
Great Marketing, efficicent air carrier makes for an execellent customer experience
29
What characteristics would you say an ideal company has?
Strong Leadership that values all employees as a team who show strong representation and belief in the brand that follows through with excellent customer service at the end of the day.
30
What did you think about the Spirit presentation at the job fair?
Very informative straight forward and enjoyed listening and talking with the recruiters
31
What do you think of Spirit, while being able to observe us here in the training center?
I think that they’re model is working amazingly. Moving in on territory of other LCC and beating them in their own markets. That’s fantastic.
32
What have you heard from your recommendations about the culture at spirit?
Great culture, friendly people and a fun place to work.
33
Use one word to describe Spirit.
Innovative
34
How would you rate you piloting skills on a scale from 1 to 10?
There is always room for improvement, with 10 being perfect.. I would say 9.
35
What is your best quality?
Perceptive of those needs and circumstances around me and being able to help accomplish solutions when they present themself
36
What is your biggest weakness as a pilot?
Probably being human and I do make mistakes, however I always try to be humble and willing to make improvement where needed
37
What is your proudest accomplishment?
Being a Dad
38
Tell us about your worst day at the airlines.
... Cant think of a worse day at the airlines, a lot of days were much worse working in other fields. If I had to say one of my most difficult days...Flying IOE with the owner of the Airline.
39
Tell us why we should hire you.
I believe that my diverse flying and business experience would be a tremendous asset to Spirit Airlines as I understand the fundamentals of what it takes to keep a business running and employees and customers happy.
I am a genuine hard worker and will contribute to making Spirit the best Airline it can be and am excited about the opportunity of joining this team.
40
Have you ever failed a checkride?
yes, intial Metro type ride. I thought the engine hotstarted and shut the engine down... I incorrectly stated the Residual Start Procedure limitations. The DPE was the owner of the company... Chalked it up as my nerves
41
How would your friends describe you?
a loyal friend, a person they can depend on
42
When was the last time you called in sick?
Last week. Caught a Sinus Infection from my Son and could not clear my ears to fly
43
Have you ever lied?
Yes unfortunately
44
Have you ever stolen anything?
I had a younger sibling, of course I have
45
Tell me about a time you broke a reg.
Yes signed a release and weather forecast changed requiring an alternate which we did not know was needed. Captain and myself spoke with Dispatch about it and filled at ASAP & NASA Report
46
What was your favorite plane?
Cessna 210 holds a special place
47
What was your least favorite plane?
C 152
48
What would you do for a living if you couldn't fly?
Real Estate or run my own business again
49
What would you do if you couldn't upgrade for 5+ years?
Be glad to be at a stable airline and enjoying the best office views
50
Captain shows up drunk in the morning, take it from there, what do you do?
Encourage him to call in sick. Then call crew scheduling and ask for another captain. Follow up with the captain. Contact chief pilot. Leave it between Chief pilot and the captain. File an ASAP
51
F/A comes to your room and accuses CA of sexual harassment, how do you handle it?
Tell the F/A to call her supervisor and do not get involved
52
Have you ever violated a regulation
I may have violated the speed limit a time or 2 in my personal vehicle.
53
Tell us about a bad experience you had with a Captain?
Cliff complaining about EDCT Delays, Calling Tracon on cell phone.
54
Tell us about a bad experience you had with a Captain?
complaining about EDCT Delays, Calling Tracon on cell phone.
55
How do you feel about flying red eyes?
Smoother air and less traffic. Welcomed break from busy times
56
What do you think of our crew bases?
This should be an easy selling point for you. Answer it. Add in what the commute looks like for you (there’s 4 spirit flights a day to get to this base, etc). It shows you’ve really thought it through and are serious about working here.
57
Are you a Chicago Bulls fan?
Yes, I lived in the era of Michael Jordan
58
Tell me about a time A superior questioned your integrity.
Fortunately I have not this happen before
59
Tell me about a time You provided great customer service (besides helping a passenger get their bags, or helping a person in a wheelchair).
I do this regularly by looking for ways to keep the flights running on time, help out wherever possible, and fly with comfort in mind.
60
Tell me about a time You stood up for a company policy you disagree with.
Tell me about a time You got called into the bosses office.
61
Tell me about your most memorable flight.
1st flight as a private pilot and the exhileration and unbelief that I was a licensed pilot
62
What is your favorite airport to fly into?
CODY, WY
a lot of history and memries there
63
What if we close the base that you were interested in?
Doesn't matter new opportunity somewhere else that's all!!
64
Tell me about a time you helped a gate agent.
At an outstation the Gate agent and ramp crew were the same person. I helped throw bags on the conveyor so we could get the flight out a little closer to departure time.
65
Tell me about a time you had a long delay but the flight didn't cancel.
In the airline would this happens from time to time. We had a maintenance problem and delays due to weather. We ended up taking our two hour extension and got off just before our must take off time. As airlines pilots this is something that will happen time to time and it’s important to maintain a positive attitude. At the same time safety is a factor and we should be aware of our fatigue. We talked about it and decided we were both okay prior to taking the extension.
66
Tell me about a time you learned something in the flight deck that you were able to apply to life outside of work.
Also he told me answering 3 questions is it safe smart or legal answer no to any of these and you don't do it! Good advice
67
What is the worst thing about your job?
Missing time with family
68
If you could not fly anymore what career would you choose?
real estate or business
69
What makes a successful pilot?
Flexible, attentive, open minded, decisive, pragmatic, professional,
70
What would you do if Delta called?
Ask them how they got my phone number and then politely explain to them that I am very happy with my current position at Spirit Airlines.
71
Tell me about a time when job opportunities were limited and was it bad or good?
Present job there is no career progression past captain. I would like to instruct but there are no foreseeable opportunities.
72
What do you not like about being an airline pilot?
Job Uncertainty
73
) Tell me about a time a mechanical problem caused a significant delay in your schedule and what did you do about it?
Kept the passengers apprised of the situation and coordinated between MX and Dispatch
74
Tell me about a time you learned something.
I was flying with showed me some inputs into the fms that I had never seen before.
75
Tell me about a time you changed someone's mind
I had a captain who wanted to fly through a good size cell because he did not want to take the time to deviate. He was pretty adamant about a deviation so I called atc and requested one received it and then told the captain there you go now you can go around the weather and not risk us getting knocked around. He complied.
76
Tell me about a time YOU were a problem for your crew.
i was coming down with the flu. I find my self sneezing and coughing. My ears kept on clogging up. It appears that I was jeopardizing the crew of getting the Flu. When we got back I called in sick.
77
What annoys you most in the cockpit?
Negativity
78
What is something you have had to sacrifice in your life besides aviation?
Time with Family
79
Tell me about a time that you learned something in the cockpit
Flying with more experienced Captian
80
What have you been doing to prepare for being a Captain?
Constantly studying and implementing SOPs. Noticed what my fellow captains do and asking them how they prepared.
81
Give me a briefing to the crew about a flight (you make up the flight)
“IMSAFE” briefing
82
Tell me about a time when you had to make a critical decision in the cockpit?
Run through a diversion scenario.
83
Have you had any DUI's?
No
84
If I could be based anywhere, fly for anyone and fly any aircraft then where?
Spirit Airlines captain flying ATL base
85
How do you get someone to do something they don't want to do?
Explain the importance of what needs to be done and that the little bit of selfless service will be greatly appreciated by those who will benefit
86
Tell me about a time when you had an First Officer not agree or like something you were doing.
I explained a situation and what it ultimately ended up being was the FO was confused. Once he brought it up to me, we were able to look it up and both see the answer
87
Now you're a First Officer at Spirit and a Captain is doing something that you don't like, what do you do?
Open a dialog to find out why the captain is doing the thing you don't like. Report if it goes against SOP or REGS
88
This will be a difficult type and hard training will you be able to keep up?
absolutely. Whenever I am faced with a difficult set of circumstances, I am able to prioritize the tasks to meet those needs that are more readily important. This is especially helpful in a training scenario, when pilots are given a lot of information a short period of time. I am confident that I will be able to keep up and excel during training.
89
What qualities do you think a captain should have?
Organized, neatness, attention to detail, informed, engaged, inclusive, open minded, helpful, willing to share ideas and skills and techniques, be efficient and proficient
90
How do you approach crew briefings (paraphrased)?
Review the paperwork. Get the full team together and ask how they are doing and what their needs are. Explain how the flight will be and explain I will back them up with anything and everything. This is a team effort and we are all in this together let’s make this “Xyz” flight fun but most importantly safe.
91
What makes a good captain?
Honesty and a sense of humor.
92
Why I feel I will be successful in their Airbus program as it is known to be more difficult than most.
Proven to be successful, determined, and motivated.
93
If United calls, why would you stay?
Culture!! Spirit won’t have the best compensation package. And growth may stop (avoid talking about fast upgrades).
94
Tell us about a time you had to make a safe decision.
Calling in fatigue. Keep it simple sometimes everyone. You don’t need to be John Wayne every question.
95
Our classes are filled with a very diverse group of people, how will you fit in there?
I’d fit in great. I’m a friendly outgoing person and love meeting new people. I have found that I’ve learned the most from people with different backgrounds and always enjoy hearing other’s stories.
96
Have you had any training failures?
No 121, a 135 Metro Initial type failure explained earlier
97
Tell me about a time you scared yourself the most in an airplane.
time I got Noro Virus mid Flight.
Whole new level of being scared in flight haha
98
Tell me about a time you were the leader when you weren't supposed to be the leader.
Part 135 Cargo flight
Deice truck broke down at outstation without maintenance personnel. I was able to troubleshoot the issue down to a low battery cell and replaced the battery enabling the flight to resume first thing in the morning.
99
Tell me about a time you diverted
Part 121 flight from Ohare to UP of Michigan, Weather went down and we diverted back to Chicago.
100
Briefing you would give pax if there was a hydraulic failure en route and you're diverting.
Enough to explain what’s happening and why, but not enough to scare them.
101
What qualities do you think a pilot should have?
attention to detail, the ability to accept criticism and to always keep learning
102
What do you like most about other pilots?
Learning about their background and their culture. We are human and all unique.
103
What bothers you?
Negativity in the cockpit. Bring up a story of a grumpy crew member and how you turned the day around!
104
Tell me about a time you had a coworker speak negatively about you
It should never happen, but it is a common occurence in many industries. I feel it's important to listen carefully, understand human nature and be receptive of the constructive criticism. Take the burden off the co-worker and offer a solution for their concerns. Give them praise for allowing you the opportunity to see a different prospective.
105
What would you do if the destination is forecasted below mins and ALT is no good. Captain briefs approach and how he plans to go below mins to get in. Now you are at airport and you are at mins....
I would ask the captain to allow me to call operations, get their input, look at our alternate and ultimately call the tower at minimums "runway not in sight" and have them cancel the approach and ask us to go around on the depicted missed approach procedure.
106
Do you want to go to UA DL SW AA etc?
No
107
Tell me about a time that you made it difficult for another crewmember.
Got Sick during flight
108
How have you failed as a leader?
Yes, we all fail ourselves on occasion, whether it's personal, work or business related, and under those circumstances we fail those that look up to us.
109
Have you ever called in tired or fatigued?
Yes flying Cargo 135 while the company expected me to do training during the day
110
How would you handle an angry passenger who missed his connection that was yelling?
Request a gate supervisor and try to help explain
111
Tell me about a time you had a disagreement with a captain.
Flying Flight Director on arrival and Captain owner wanted me to fly with Flight Director off.
112
What would you do if you had a conflict in the cabin with the captain?
This depends on where you are at. In cruise you can discuss it, but if you are on final you should save it for later
113
Do you get mad sometimes in the cockpit?
No
114
A captain decides to continue below the minimums, what do you do?
Notify atc that the runway is not in sight and "we are hung around/missed approach" and suggest proper callouts for a missed approach procedure to the captain.
115
Have you ever called in sick when you weren't actually sick?
No
116
Tell me about a time that the Captain says, been to this airport dozens of times, at minimums or below we'll just continue.
Encourage the Captain to call company on the radio or offer an alternate, solutions, if he declines advise the tower at DA "Runway not insight" Tower will cancel your approach and you have to do the missed: Safety First!!
117
What is Spirit call sign?
Spirit Wings
118
Can you tell me the company history?
1964 Started as Clippert Trucking in Michigan 1974 GND AIR TRNSFR 1983 Airline founded as Charter One- selling travel packages, entertainment ACY-LAS-MYNN 1992 Became Spirit Airlines 1999 Moved to Miramar Florida 2001 Service to San Juan 2010 Received 30 Airbuses 2016 Took delivery of first A320NEO 2018 CFO Scott Haralson 2019 CEO Ted Christie Domiciles FLL-ACY MCO-DTW-LAS-DFW-BWI-ORD NYSE S.A.V.E. $47 135 Aircraft 76 destinations 15 countries 180 aircraft by 2021 100% wifi coverage by 2021
119
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Captain at Spirit/Frontier
120
What do you think when you see a big yellow airplane?
Great marketing!
121
Tell me about a time you noticed a safety issue, and what did you do to fix it?
Tell issue with other pilot or issue at ATY Ramp being slick and notified Gate Agent temporary fix put salt on it, long term fix brought up to SMS
122
What does CRM mean to you?
Crew Resource Management is the freedom to communicate freely as crew the issues at hand needed to safely operate the flight
123
How did you get where you are now?
Sacrifce, dedication and hard work
124
What did you do to improve yourself today?
I worked out, looked at some company material and looked at some industry websites to catch up on what is happening in aviation.
125
Tell me about a time you were criticized by a coworker.
captian choosing to fly raw data instead of SOP and FD on Arrival or Departure
126
How did you get where you are now?
Sacrifice, dedication and hard work
127
Tell me about a time you were criticized by a coworker.
captain choosing to fly raw data instead of SOP and FD on Arrival or Departure
128
Have you had any remedial training?
Yes after Metro Type failure
129
Have you ever been fired or asked to resign in lieu of termination?
No
130
Have you ever struggled in training? What did you do to overcome that?
Study Harder
131
What is your favorite layover
Haven't had any favorites yet
132
You've been with your current airline X years, and have Y thousand hours, why are you just now coming to us? (Asked of a high time pilot.
Training Contract
133
How do you gauge when to call in fatigued?
"Im Safe"
At anytime I fell I can no longer focus or perform my duties safely.
134
What do you think is the biggest threat to the aviation industry today?
Automation. While it is a great assets and helps us become safer it also hinders our primary flying skills. New pilots rely too much on automation, sometimes allowing aircraft to get ahead of them, instead of removing the automation and hand flying aircraft.
135
What is your style of Leadership?
Lead from the front. ...by example. Will never ask someone to do something I’m not willing to do
136
What do you know about Spirit?
Be sure to know the model of the LCC. Don't just repeat why spirit, but rather know why the do the things they do like charge for each thing. Know their growth plans, most of this stuff can be found on the company site under Spirit 101 and investor relations.
137
What would you do if the Captain/FO didn't want to go around when required to, how would you handle it and deescalate it?
state " go around" wave hand in front of face / startle them announce and tell atc that you're going around
138
What is something someone who does not like you would say about you?
I work too hard. When I fly, I do the mental math to figure out how high I should be based on 300 ft/NM AGL station elevation for the sake of passenger comfort on descents while balancing an efficient, fuel saving profile. I also pride myself on airmanship because if left to my own devices, I should be able to intercept the localizer and glideslope at the same time while continuously descending. The Chief really liked that answer because that is what they strive for at Spirit...the fuel savings.
139
What's one thing a friend would say is bad about you?
I answered that I would probably nag. I said that I want to make sure the tasks get done and sometimes that causes me to nag. They seemed to like that answer and chuckled a little.
140
Tell me about a time you didn't reach a goal you had
went to a flight school out of town with goal of an accelerated program and booking flights back to back to get ME rating within 2 weeks. Flight school was unable to oblige
141
Tell me about a time you had a bad crew
Owner of company flying as Captain and had multiple anger outburts after EDCT delays and issues with how company does things
142
As a pilot, how do you approach a problem?
Systematically. I would see what needs to be done to reach the final goal and then break it down into smaller tasks to ensure it got completed.
143
As a pilot, how do you make the passenger experience the best?
Be about safety, on time, courteous and helpful
144
Do you think any pilot can be a 10/10?
No, I think the best pilot is always learning something new on every trip!
145
What was your worst flight at your current company?
issue with owner flying as captain and upset after delays
146
What did two things did you like about your current job and one thing you didn't like?
Safety first, company culture, no legal protections
147
How much notification should you give to your current employer of your resignation?
2 weeks
148
Tell something about yourself that is not on your resume.
Being a Father and living life out by example means everything to me
149
GUA ILS 02 - If you're at 39,000ft, when do you have to start your descent to cross AUR at 9000?
90 nautical miles before AUR
150
Tell me about the hardest decision you have ever had to make during a flight.
Choosing to Divert and continue to final destination due to Trim Motor Failure after Departure. Chose to continue due to bad weather Departure airport and intermediate Destination
151
What would you do if you were flying with a captain that did not want to do the checklist?
Be persistent and start the checklist anyway killing him with kindness
152
How would someone who dislikes you describe you in one word?
Loyal
153
Why do you want to work as a FO at Spirit, instead of CA at current airline?
Pilots are happier, destinations are more attractive, company is more stable/ recession proof
