Atlas Air Interview Help
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Seattle
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How about an update on training jeopardy:
Atlas Executive Council Flight Action Alert (FAA)
Atlas Crew Members,
This action alert is to advise you of a recent turn of events regarding B-747 training. The FAA has recently instituted enhanced training requirements for flight crews and in particular with respect to First Officer PC Check Rides. Apparently, this relates to the company’s unwillingness to negotiate an appropriate AQP program, as a vast number of carriers in the industry have already done in order to enhance their training programs.
It appears that from this point forward, first officers on the B-747 will be required to complete a PIC check ride on their PC. You should all be ready to take this type of check ride, in addition to an extended and enhanced oral examination. The company, with the FAA observing, has run a few tests of this new requirement and the results have not gone well. You can expect the FAA to sit in on your check rides on a more frequent basis going forward, especially during the initial stages of this transition to the agency’s enhanced requirements.
The recent increase in failures underscores the fact that our crews, and in particular our first officers, are being required to take check rides for which they are not adequately prepared.
It is the union’s position that these problems are, in part, attributable to the poor quality of our simulators, inadequate training provided to the FOs for this requirement, a lack of familiarity and experience of flying from the left seat, and a rapid change in the training program and the requirements needed from our pilots.
The union considers this a serious problem that can have serious adverse consequences on a pilot’s career. Indeed, as a pilot progresses in his or her career, their path to advancement might be curtailed by a training failure on their record that should never have happened if he or she had received adequate training and support in the first place. As a result, we have taken immediate action to rectify this issue.
A letter was sent yesterday to Captain Jeff Carlson, SVP Flight Operations, requesting the following training measures be instituted immediately:
1) An additional simulator session to bring the FOs up to a level of proficiency to fly this check ride (PC & RFT). Also, this extra simulator session should be comprised of the same crew that will be working together on that particular PC or RFT.
2) An independent company, approved by the union, be brought in to evaluate and issue a report that will detail what is needed to bring the current simulators at Atlas and Pan Am up to industry and FAA standards.
3) An in-depth oral prep ground school instruction period to bring our pilots up to speed on items to be covered on the newly expanded oral exam.
The union will work quickly and proactively to get this problem corrected and under control. If you have any concerns that you may not be properly prepared for a training event, we encourage you to get in touch with the union’s Training Committee for assistance.
We will update you further as this situation evolves.
Atlas Crew Members,
This action alert is to advise you of a recent turn of events regarding B-747 training. The FAA has recently instituted enhanced training requirements for flight crews and in particular with respect to First Officer PC Check Rides. Apparently, this relates to the company’s unwillingness to negotiate an appropriate AQP program, as a vast number of carriers in the industry have already done in order to enhance their training programs.
It appears that from this point forward, first officers on the B-747 will be required to complete a PIC check ride on their PC. You should all be ready to take this type of check ride, in addition to an extended and enhanced oral examination. The company, with the FAA observing, has run a few tests of this new requirement and the results have not gone well. You can expect the FAA to sit in on your check rides on a more frequent basis going forward, especially during the initial stages of this transition to the agency’s enhanced requirements.
The recent increase in failures underscores the fact that our crews, and in particular our first officers, are being required to take check rides for which they are not adequately prepared.
It is the union’s position that these problems are, in part, attributable to the poor quality of our simulators, inadequate training provided to the FOs for this requirement, a lack of familiarity and experience of flying from the left seat, and a rapid change in the training program and the requirements needed from our pilots.
The union considers this a serious problem that can have serious adverse consequences on a pilot’s career. Indeed, as a pilot progresses in his or her career, their path to advancement might be curtailed by a training failure on their record that should never have happened if he or she had received adequate training and support in the first place. As a result, we have taken immediate action to rectify this issue.
A letter was sent yesterday to Captain Jeff Carlson, SVP Flight Operations, requesting the following training measures be instituted immediately:
1) An additional simulator session to bring the FOs up to a level of proficiency to fly this check ride (PC & RFT). Also, this extra simulator session should be comprised of the same crew that will be working together on that particular PC or RFT.
2) An independent company, approved by the union, be brought in to evaluate and issue a report that will detail what is needed to bring the current simulators at Atlas and Pan Am up to industry and FAA standards.
3) An in-depth oral prep ground school instruction period to bring our pilots up to speed on items to be covered on the newly expanded oral exam.
The union will work quickly and proactively to get this problem corrected and under control. If you have any concerns that you may not be properly prepared for a training event, we encourage you to get in touch with the union’s Training Committee for assistance.
We will update you further as this situation evolves.
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: USA
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Intruder, forget about it! Atlas will not even sit down with the pilot's union to even try to get the ball rolling on a new contract. With so many other companies hiring crews, I would put Atlas at the absolute bottom of any company to be considered. Most of the other airlines are almost proactive in working with the unions on a new contract. Not this Atlas management.
Atlas pilots with five or six years of seniority are jumping ship. If it is a good company to work for, why would they give up six years of seniority?
Atlas could be a very good company to join, but wait till the new contract is signed. If you join Atlas now and there happens to be a strike, and you have not completed your first year, you will be held hostage by the company and if you refuse to cross a legal picket line you will be fired. Best look for greener pastures.
Atlas pilots with five or six years of seniority are jumping ship. If it is a good company to work for, why would they give up six years of seniority?
Atlas could be a very good company to join, but wait till the new contract is signed. If you join Atlas now and there happens to be a strike, and you have not completed your first year, you will be held hostage by the company and if you refuse to cross a legal picket line you will be fired. Best look for greener pastures.
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: America
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Well something better happen as they are using Atlas to outsource our flying.
http://www.pprune.org/fragrant-harbo...reighters.html
http://www.pprune.org/fragrant-harbo...reighters.html
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Australia
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Well, if anyone is taking the Atlas online assessment in spite of reading the above and the 1600 page thread over at Airline Pilot (https://www.airlinepilotforums.com/h...ir-hiring.html) I would suggest you get a second laptop or computer handy and pull up the JFK charts. The ones in the test were illegible on my computer, so I used this: https://yinlei.org/x-plane10/jep/KJFK.pdf
Many q's on 3 to 1 (1/2 groundspeed) descent, if told to cross XYZ fix via ABC fix how many dme from ABC will you start your descent? Weather symbols, metars, tafs as expected. Rule of thumb for converting kts to miles per minute - at least 3 or 4 q's on that. Some aerodynamic stuff and jet engine stuff as predicted. Mostly straight from the ATPL question bank. Keep a note pad handy to write down any doubtful question numbers to go back later if you have time. I finished all 100 in time with an 84%, but you have to be willing to "hit it and move on!" Don't linger... (average time available to complete each question = 36 seconds...).
Also, check to make sure that FLASH works on your browser BEFORE starting the test. https://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player.html
If I go to Atlas I hope to make as many friends as possible as soon as possible before they leave for the career airlines. Beers on me!
Many q's on 3 to 1 (1/2 groundspeed) descent, if told to cross XYZ fix via ABC fix how many dme from ABC will you start your descent? Weather symbols, metars, tafs as expected. Rule of thumb for converting kts to miles per minute - at least 3 or 4 q's on that. Some aerodynamic stuff and jet engine stuff as predicted. Mostly straight from the ATPL question bank. Keep a note pad handy to write down any doubtful question numbers to go back later if you have time. I finished all 100 in time with an 84%, but you have to be willing to "hit it and move on!" Don't linger... (average time available to complete each question = 36 seconds...).
Also, check to make sure that FLASH works on your browser BEFORE starting the test. https://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player.html
If I go to Atlas I hope to make as many friends as possible as soon as possible before they leave for the career airlines. Beers on me!
