Heard back from the manager within a few weeks. Had only one interview which was easy. They explained the job fully and asked simple questions. Nice people and interesting company.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
What's your availability and are you open to working weekends?
I applied online. I interviewed at Berry Aviation (San Marcos, TX) in Apr 2021
Interview
Required to take pre-interview screening test to check writing skills. Part 1 was taken at home and took a few hours to complete. Interview on site followed, which was pleasant overall, except for Part 2 of the screen, which took another hour. Total time at interview was a couple of hours.
Interview questions [5]
Question 1
I. FORMATTING TEXT: the following text represents the actual procedural steps from a pilot’s flight checklist. Present the text in an organized and effective manner for use by a flight crew. You may use any formatting functions and techniques you deem necessary to generate an easily readable and efficiently actionable checklist. Hierarchy is critical. The steps below are in the correct order and include amplifying information following each checklist item that should be incorporated into the steps in a thoughtful way.
Before landing checklist
auto feather - on
select auto feather switch to on
prop sync - off
select prop sync switch to off
gear - down/3 green
make certain speed is within limits and select gear handle down. both pilots must verify six green lights illuminate for the item to be complete.
condition levers - max
at flying pilot’s command, non flying pilot moves the condition levers to max rpm
flaps - as required/checked
verify the flaps are set to the intended position for landing. make sure proper speed for the flap setting requested is maintained prior to selecting the flaps.
pressurization - checked
check that the cabin altitude has reached or is approaching the desired altitude.
a/p yaw damper - off
minimum altitude on ILS coupled approach is 200 ft. above the ground.
II. RESEARCH SKILLS: Research each of the following concepts or terms. Create a table that best displays the questions and results. List the concept/term, its definition (or an explanation of the term or concept), and the source (website) where you found the data. Format the table for easy readability and efficient communication.
CONCEPT/TERMS:
1. What is the FAA definition of MOVEMENT AREA?
2. What is the FAA AIRCRAFT WAKE TURBULENCE CATEGORY between “Upper Large” and “Upper
Small”? List three different aircraft that fall into that category.
3. What does the acronym ICAO stand for (in aviation terms)?
4. What is the actual SPECIFIC GRAVITY of AVGAS 100LL?
5. We are looking to send a crew to the capital city of Mauritania, Africa. What INTERNATIONAL
AIRFIELD should I use and what is the FIELD ELEVATION AND RUNWAY LENGTH (in feet and
meters) of the longest runway?
6. When the time is 6:20 p.m. today in San Marcos, what will be the TIME IN JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN? 7. Find the name, address and phone number for the AIRFIELD MANAGER at Northwest Missouri Regional Airport.
III. EMAIL ETIQUETTE AND COMPOSITION: Draft an example “thank you” email for Berry Aviation President, Stan Finch. Ensure the email contains the following points
• Thank Mr. Martin Schafford of SkyWard Air Carriers for hosting a recent meeting with Stan at their headquarters in Portland, OR.
• The topic of their meeting was the purchase of four new aircraft
• Express BAI’s gratitude for making the short-notice meeting possible
• Offer to host the follow-up meeting at BAI’s headquarters in San Marcos
• The aircraft in question are in great condition and well suited to our operations.
• Explain how BAI is looking forward to making the new purchase agreement
• Conclude with a standard professional closing and contact information
Note: You may create/editorialize any names, details and information you deem important in order to complete a professional email.
IV. AUDIENCE: The following (fictional) press release contains information of importance to our company. For the purpose of this assessment, consider the subject airport to be an alternate base of operations for Berry Aviation (i.e. – aircraft and crews will periodically remain overnight and initiate flight operations from this location). Also, assume this content is brand new information to all employees at Berry Aviation. Use of specific employee names or aircraft information are inconsequential. Tone and content are key.
News Release – Airport Manager
Ryland Municipal Airport (KRNM), New Mexico June 13, 2021
On Sep 27, 2021 the Corgal Corporation will initiate drone flying operations at Ryland Municipal Airport. Corgal is a multi-national technology firm hired by Parker County to provide overwatch and surveillance to critical infrastructure properties in the local area. Corgal drones are equipped with infrared still camera, standard digital video recorder, long-range microphone, and GPS tracking capabilities. The R-711D Kestral is a small industry- leading drone with an extensive flight time (approximately 2 hours) and .... [truncated]
Compose three short messages, using applicable information from the press release above, addressed to the specific audiences listed below. Use the three prompts below to determine what information you believe should be included in each message. Fully consider the sending office and their designated audience. These messages need not be complex or lengthy. Tone, content, and audience are the primary objectives.
1. Write a email brief message from the BAI Operations Officer to company managers.
2. Compose a short Safety Bulletin from the BAI Director of Safety to all employees.
3. Draft a “Flight Operations Bulletin” from the BAI Chief Pilot to all company pilots.
Part 2 of Assessment:
1. A page of commonly misused words such as “there” and “their.” Required to write a sentence for each of the words. Probably about 16 or so.
2. A page of a few hundred words, 4 variations of each word, required to circle the correct word spelling.
3. A number of sentences with errors. Required to correct and rewrite.
4. Choose from one of five task descriptions given. Required to write a description of how to complete the described task.
I applied through an employee referral. The process took 3 days. I interviewed at Berry Aviation
Interview
They flew me out and booked me a hotel for two nights which I thought was nice considered most of the majors did not offer as much. We had a very friendly lunch the day after arrival with a small tour of the San Marcos area. I interviewed with two upper management personnel. Was introduced to most of the employees in the small home office as well as given a tour of the dispatch office. Extremely enjoyable experience.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
They asked a lot of questions about my ability to work and live in adverse conditions. Asked questions about navigation and prior experience.