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  • WASINC, 8 – 10 MAR 06

    I contacted their chief pilot after having seen a letter he posted on my current company’s MEC web board. He expressed sympathy for our plight and offered a chance at doing some contract work for JAL. A nice letter I thought, so I E-mailed him my resume. The next day he called me and told me all about the company: pay, benefits, etc. A few days later their personnel manager called me and we had a mini-telephone interview. “Why do you want to work for us?” He then set up the interview date. There are a few paper work hurdles to jump through – background investigations, FAA record requests, company contacts and such but no big deal. OK, now to the meat.

    Day 1 is free, positive space travel from your home to DEN. It’ll be an early departure to arrive in DEN by 1PM so it’ll be a long day. Check-in at the company paid Renaissance Denver Hotel. You’ll get a package with a schedule of events for your group and the most important thing “the profile” for the sim eval. You’ll have a much easier time if you can get your hands on this thing before hand from somebody who’s interviewed already. It lists all the crazy call-outs (SPEED CHECK, FLAPS TWO ZERO, SPEED BUG ONE SIX ZERO, etc, etc, etc) that they what to hear during your check. STUDY IT from the first minute! There are 6 candidates per interview class. The other candidates in my group were all fairly young corporate or commuter types with tons of hours. I was the only old fart with a major airline. At 3:45 the testing began. Don’t sweat these tests. I’d recommend getting the ASVAB test book to prepare. There were simple math problems (Bob bought 5 apples for a quarter), vocabulary (phlegmatic), science (who invented the steam engine, the telephone), spatial orientation (pick the object on the right that is the same as that on the left just rotated), Picture stories (arrange the pictures (3-6 of them) to tell a story), literature and the arts. All tests are timed and you probably won’t finish any of them. The “cultural adaptability” test is the only written test and it’s just common sense. I don’t think it matters how well you do on these, it’s just a hoop to jump through and to see how well rounded you are. After the timed tests we had a break and the company bought us all dinner- nice. After dinner we took the MMPI, the most ridiculous test ever conceived. Just remember that you are a good person, you loved both your mother and father but your mom a little more, and that all humans have some faults -- and you’ll do fine. One guy had to take it twice but I think it was a cultural thing since he was French born. There is a rumor that...

Pilot interviewing trend at Japan Airlines

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  1. 1. 

    WASINC, 8 – 10 MAR 06 I contacted their chief pilot after having seen a letter he posted on my current company’s MEC web board. He expressed sympathy for our plight and offered a chance at doing some contract work for JAL. A nice letter I thought, so I E-mailed him my resume. The next day he called me and told me all about the company: pay, benefits, etc. A few days later their personnel manager called me and we had a mini-telephone interview. “Why do you want to work for us?” He...

  2. 2. 

    Interviewed through HACS and was very impressed with the staff. An Admin guy, the HACS Chief Pilot, and a retired JALways 747 Check Airman conducted the interview. There was also a JAL HR guy reviewing logbooks and paperwork but he did not ask any questions. Don’t go out of your way to get letters of recommendation, the Japanese won’t even look at them. No technical questions and no written tests of any kind. They want you to pass, REGARDLESS of your age, because they don’t make money if...

  3. 3. 

    I interviewed with IASCO and JAL. The previous gouge is correct for the IASCO interview as well. I had a good experience overall. I had no technical questions or any written tests, just “Tell me about a time” and “What would you do if”. We were supplied with the profiles and callouts a few weeks before our interview, so they expect that you know that cold. Day one is interview and the first “practice” sim. It is practice, but they are watching, so as always do your best. If...

  4. 4. 

    DON\'T WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY, IF YOUR AGE IS IN THE 40s. Questionable age hiring \"issues\" going on. If you\'re in your 40s and do everything correctly and fly to ATP Type Rating standards, \"extremely high\" probability you won\'t pass the simulator check with the JAL check airman. If your age is in the 30s, even if you totally screw up the simulator profiles, have the JAL check airman instruct you how to fly the simulator and land the simulator for you, there\'s a better...

  5. 5. 

    I just read the other candidates input and would 100% concur with the other candidates observation if you are a candidate in your 40s +. Don't spend hundreds of dollars in simulator practice if you are in this category. I finished interviewing with Wasinc/JALWays during the March 2005 interview grouping. I was in the last few groups to be interviewed. While talking to other candidates who were already in the process or finished Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3, a "disturbing trend" appears to be...

  6. 6. 

    The interview process is fairly straight forward. Day one consisted of a series of written tests: MMPI personality profile, IQ, and "cultural adaptability." Day two were the formal interviews with the management of WASINC and JAL Director of Training, and practice simulator profile. Although they referred to the sim profile as "practice" and "training" about 50% of the applicants are cut after the sim. Recommendation: Buy practice 747-200 sim time at Pan Am Academy, preferrably in Denver....

  7. 7. 

    Good, experience overall. Great folks. No technical stuff. Only advice, if you dont have any heavy time get some. Sim is a horrible piece of equiptment. UA,s 747 classic. Unresponsive at best and all steam. Not to terribly difficult. They want you to memorize some call outs in about 12 hours. 3 ILS approaches...1 with flight director, one without, and one with an engine failure. Get practice on old guages. All flight instruments are original gyro type. Flight director is old school coat hanger...

  8. 8. 

    The interview was for WASINC,one of the companies supplying crews to Japan Airlines with a Honolulu base. I was called three weeks in advance and given a choice of days to interview. They paid for an airline ticket to Denver and also paid for the hotel and breakfast. The interview process was a three day deal: First day, fly in and check in to the hotel. The hotel front desk gave me a welcome package with a schedule tailored for me. It listed times of each event and who would be in my...

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