Author: Charles Berg
Source: ezinearticles.com

You get a lot of different reactions from people when you mention Southwest Airlines. The little airline from Texas as grown from a cult following to a 800 pound gorilla thanks to a lean, mean, efficient business model.

When you are talking about pilots, you get many different reactions as well. Some scoff at the long days, not so glamorous layover destinations, and “Wal-Mart” crowd customers. However, some light up like a Christmas tree when you mention Southwest as it represents a unique culture. They love to have fun, help each other out, and party hard.

So when a lucky pilot gets the call for that interview it is a huge thrill. Hopefully by that time they have already done some homework. But I bet you want some good gouge. Okay, let’s get to it.

Day Before Interview

Southwest will offer to fly you to Dallas the day before the interview. If you have convenient access to Southwest service, you should take it. However, you need to remember that the interview starts as soon as you step foot into the airport! Don’t give the ticket agent an attitude because the flight is late or oversold. As I’ve said in a previous article, they are watching you. They know that you are traveling for an interview because of the ticket code. Some guys have blown their chance before even starting the interview by giving the agent attitude, with the agent promptly calling HR. Yes, it has happened.

Interview

There is a morning session and an afternoon session. You will probably take a group tour of HQ. The interview consists of:

HR Interview
Line Oriented Interview (LOI)
Logbook review

HR Interview – Here you will probably talk to an HR person and a line pilot. Since its Southwest, the big thing here is attitude. Are you someone who is pleasant to spend a four day trip with? They are looking for someone who is easy-going, enthusiastic, and a leader without being “alpha male”. Make sure you smile (subtle), but don’t try to be a comedian, even if it is Southwest.

LOI – You sit in a cardboard cockpit and are given a challenging scenario. Basically you will be given a situation where you have to divert in the middle of the flight. Here is an example:

You are west of Colorado Springs going to Las Vegas.
You have a medical emergency in the back, you need to divert.
Denver, Grand Junction, Springs are low visibility with icy runways, weather worsening.
Albuquerque is a little farther with great weather but tailwind slightly over limit with a long runway.

There is usually no one good solution. However, the key is how you come up with the solution, not what the solution is. If you use good CRM, delegate tasks, keep everyone in the loop, you should be fine no matter what you decide to do. Don’t try to be the hero and fly single pilot! You only have seven minutes (which will whiz by) so you need to use all resources to finish in time. So as soon as the clock starts, first thing to do is transfer controls to the FO. Then put the jumpseater to work looking up landing data, weather, etc.

After you are done they tell you to debrief yourself. Be honest about you positives and negatives, but put more emphasis on the positives.

Conclusion

If you get a Southwest Airline pilot interview, consider yourself very fortunate. The opportunity doesn’t come often and it may not come again. So make sure you are friendly but not goofy. Also, even though the will make you feel very comfortable, do not let your guard down until you are at home.

Want to find more tips and resources on pilot interviews? See 5 Killer Interview Tips Here…