Pilot Recruiting Process

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• Pilot Recruiting Process

You can listen to a brief summary of Ameriflight pilot recruiting information by dialing 818 503 2898

When a resume is received that indicates that a pilot meets or exceeds Ameriflight’s minimum requirements, that pilot is then asked to complete an Ameriflight application. Candidates are screened from completed applications. Applicants selected for further consideration will go through a four-step pilot recruiting process:

1. Telephone Prescreening
2. Interview
3. Simulator or Flight Evaluation
4. Successful completion of Ameriflight Initial Basic Indoctrination/General Subjects Training

The Telephone Prescreening generally lasts 5-10 minutes. It is primarily used to find out more about your background, to answer any questions that we may have about your application, and to discuss current or projected openings.

The next step for pilots who have successfully passed the Telephone Prescreening is the Interview.

Interviewing for a job that may launch your career as a professional aviator is stressful . . . but try to relax. We'll do our best to put you at ease. Our job is to try to evaluate, in a short time, your attitude, technical knowledge, experience, and proficiency level to see how well you’ll fit into our team. We won't be trying to trick you or make you uncomfortable. Be straightforward and honest with us, and we'll be the same with you.

Be prepared. Be sure you have the items that we'll want to see with you:

• All airman certificates
• Current Medical Certificate (at least 2nd Class)
• All logbooks
• Valid Drivers License (for the purpose of operating company vehicles)
• A current Passport will be required during your interview
• Documents that verify that you have the right to work in the U.S. Visit the following website for complete list of acceptable documents: http://www.uscis.gov (Note: You will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed. You don't need to print the form)
• If you were in the military, please bring a copy of your DD 214
• A current resume showing your complete employment history with dates, supervisors' names, and phone numbers.
• A timer, kneeboard, and/or yoke clip for use during the simulator evaluation if you are selected

Do some studying in preparation for the interview questions. Review the AIM for recommended procedures and U.S. airspace structure. Look at the legend material in your Jepp manual, and regulations that apply to what you've been doing and what we do. Be prepared to read TAFs, METARs, and other common coded weather products. Review the systems of aircraft in which you claim experience. Your current pilot certificates, ratings, and experience indicate that you should already have considerable technical knowledge that you'll need on the job with Ameriflight. We want to confirm that you do.

Get current on instruments. If you're interviewed at Burbank, you'll probably be checked in our one-of-a-kind Chieftain simulator. At other bases, we use other common multiengine training devices manufactured by ATC, AST, and Frasca. Being current in a particular make and model of simulator is much less important than being current, period! Best way to do this is get some serious sim time within a week or so before the interview. Line oriented sessions, involving departures, enroute flight, and approaches will prepare you for what you'll do with us. Our sim eval captains tell us that it's obvious within the first five minutes who's prepared and who isn't. As of late 2004, more than 30 percent of applicants didn't pass the simulator check, usually because of poor scan or loss of situational awareness; in short, lack of currency.Don't ruin your chances by skimping on preparation for this important element in the interview process! By the way, sitting in the right seat giving "CFII" dual won't keep you current!

Be honest with us about your flight experience. Don't claim time in airplanes where you sat in the right seat and didn't touch anything -- that kind of experience ill-prepares you for our questions about that make and model's handling qualities and systems! Be up-front about incidents, accidents or violations on your record. Best we hear about them from you first, rather than uncover them later in FAA-mandated background checks.

During the interview, current openings will be discussed in detail. Depending on the airline's needs and your performance, the availability of these positions and associated domiciles may be subject to change. After the interview is over, you will receive a letter in the mail once a decision has been made. If invited to ground school, you will need to be able provide your own transportation to Burbank, CA. Once you arrive, Ameriflight provides hotel accommodations and transportation to and from our training facilities. Be prepared for intensive classroom sessions and after-hours study in the week-long Basic Indoctrination - General Subjects (BIGS) initial ground school. Minimum passing score is 80 per cent on the comprehensive course-end written test. Our training is more like the scheduled airlines than general aviation, and concentrated effort on your part will be required to qualify for assignment beyond BIGS. You are not officially an employee until you successfully complete BIGS and are assigned to aircraft-specific training. Candidates will begin receiving compensation on a per training hour basis beginning with aircraft specific training. Typically it is about 3 weeks from the time you enter the ground school until the time that flying on the line begins. The location of aircraft specific training will depend upon the aircraft. SA-227 training is conducted in Seattle, WA. Brasilia training takes place in Atlanta, GA. Training for all other aircraft usually takes place in Burbank, CA, but may also take place at the domicile to which you have been assigned.

We're looking for confident, competent, conservative pilots with whom we can comfortably trust our airplanes, our customers' cargo, and our reputation, who will do the job the way we need it to be done, and become an important part of the team that has produced four decades of safety and success. We hope the recruiting process shows that you're one of those people!