HR Questions Spirit
Can you tell me the company history?
1964 Started as Clippert Trucking in Michigan 1974 GND AIR TRNSFR 1983 Airline founded as Charter One- selling travel packages, entertainment ACY-LAS-MYNN 1992 Became Spirit Airlines 1999 Moved to Miramar Florida 2001 Service to San Juan 2010 Received 30 Airbuses 2016 Took delivery of first A320NEO 2018 CFO Scott Haralson 2019 CEO Ted Christie 2021 100% wifi coverage by 2021 2022 Merge with Frontier Domiciles FLL-ACY MCO-DTW-LAS-DFW-BWI-ORD NYSE S.A.V.E. $47 135 Aircraft 76 destinations 15 countries 180 aircraft by
What was your least favorite plane?
A CRJ 900 with no APU in a hot summer day or the front lavatory INOP.
What makes a good captain?
A good leader, genuine, good communication, mentorship, good knowledge.
What is your dream job?
A job that keeps me feeling challenged without overworking me to the point of exhaustion. A job that I enjoy and feel proud to be a part of.
What is your best quality?
Adaptability. Hard worker. provide examples on how you've used them in the past, and finally, describe the results you've gotten
Tell me about a time that you learned something in the cockpit.
All the time. I learned in how some fixes are named in Mexico and every time I fly there I share it with my captains and a lot of them had no idea. They are always surprised.
Tell me about a time you learned something.
All the time. I learned in how some fixes are named in Mexico and every time I fly there I share it with my captains and a lot of them had no idea. They are always surprised.
Tell me about a time you noticed a safety issue, and what did you do to fix it?
BTMS indicators. Descend via into Zihuantanejo.
What is your proudest accomplishment
Being able to fly for the airlines and inspire young kids in my family to work for their dreams. I grew up in a family where resources were limited and the idea of becoming a pilot was just a dream. I worked hard and persistently to achieve my dream of becoming an airline pilot and now I want to be in an airline where I can retire.
What is something you have had to sacrifice in your life because aviation?
Being close to my family. I migrated in order to become a pilot.
What was your favorite plane?
CRJ 900 because it is my first yet where I been able to build experience as an airline pilot.
Tell us about a time you had to make a safe decision.
Calling in fatigue.
What characteristics would you say an ideal company has?
Competitive, forward thinking, people oriented, honest.
What do you think is the biggest threat to the aviation industry today?
Complacency
Why would you be a good fit for Spirit?
Culture, I feel identified with the positive attitude and the friendly staff i have experience every time.
Tell us why we should hire you.
Culture. I feel identified by the positive attitude, the friendly people, the diversity and I am committed to safety at all times. Tell migration story
What will be a challenge to you while transitioning from your current airline to Spirit?
Don't say the callsign of my last airline before communicating at first.
Tell me about a time that the Captain says, been to this airport dozens of times, at minimums or below we'll just continue.
Encourage the Captain to call company on the radio or offer an alternate, solutions, if he declines advise the tower at DA "Runway not insight" Tower will cancel your approach and you have to do the missed: Safety First!!
What would you do if you were flying with a captain that did not want to do the checklist?
Encourage to follow SOPs and slow it down.
Tell me about a time you supported a company policy you disagreed with
Every regulations was written for a reason; so even if I don't agree with it, I know there is a reason behind it and even if I don't understand it at the moment, I usually do later.
How do you get someone to do something they don't want to do?
Explain the importance of what needs to be done and that the little bit of selfless service will be greatly appreciated by those who will benefit. Lead by example
Tell me about your most memorable flight.
First flight after getting my private license with my dad.
What was your worst flight at your current company?
First time I had bad turbulence.
Tell me about a time you diverted
Flying to Augusta
Tell me about a time you changed someone's mind
Flying to saint louis, there was weather around. We were told to hold over one fix on the arrival (KAYLA) as publish, doing right turns. With the radar ON I knew we were going to be to close to a cell so I suggested to do the same holding with turns to the left instead. The captain at first didn't agree so I set it up on the FMS and showed him how close we were to it. We requested that to ATC and they approved it. We landed after getting vectors around.
Tell me about a time you were the leader when you weren't supposed to be the leader.
Flying with new captain to Louisville, story about captain being late.
What do you think when you see a big yellow airplane?
Great marketing, at first i tough it was too loud but now I really like it.
F/A comes to your room and accuses CA of sexual harassment, how do you handle it?
Hear the FA's concerns and take them seriously. Encourage the FA to immediately contact the Inflight Supervisor or Inflight Support Hotline (depending on company policy, one of these are mandatory contacts for exactly this type of situation).
If I could be based anywhere, fly for anyone and fly any aircraft then where?
I WANT TO FLY FOR SPIRIT, I DON'T MIND MOVING OR COMMUTING, BUT if I had to choose a base, I would choose DFW because that is where I live.
Tell something about yourself that is not on your resume.
I am firm believer that there is something positive in every situation, sometimes is hard to see it at first, but there is always something positive.
What do you not like about being an airline pilot?
I am very family oriented, so I think the fact that I can not be close to my family as often, but when I can spend time with them I make the most out of it. The pros about the job outnumber the cons by far.
Tell me about a time You stood up for a company policy you disagree with.
I can disagree with some policies but I still follow the rules, because I know there is a reason behind this.
What would you do if Delta called?
I don't feel identified by their culture
Tell me about a time you had a bad crew
I don't think I ever had a bad crew. I had difficult crew members but never a full crew. Most of the time is because they are not having a good day and after some time they always get better.
How can you improve to a 9.5/10?
I don't think anyone can be a 10 in this industry. I am always pushing myself to learn and improve, but being a pilot is a learning curve. and it there is always something new. I want to improve my leadership and a mentorship skills and be able to help others and inspire their careers.
Tell me about a time you had a coworker speak negatively about you.
I don't think that has happened. I do an effort to be positive even on the difficult days
Do you get mad sometimes in the cockpit?
I got mad only once. Story landing in ECP
Tell me about a time when job opportunities were limited and was it bad or good?
I have been blessed because I always had a job in my adulthood and been able to pay for my expenses. I am not afraid of doing different jobs. I was raised to be humble. My first was bagging groceries when I was in high school, I've worked cleaning tables at a restaurant, then I did housekeeping assistant at a hotel, server, bartender, I worked cleaning houses and apartments, did Uber, amazon deliveries. In general I am grateful I always have had a job.
What did two things did you like about your current job and one thing you didn't like?
I like the people I work with, I like the type of aircraft, I didn't like being on ready reserve. The ready reserve periods are really long, the good thing is that it was always a surprise destination.
Our classes are filled with a very diverse group of people, how will you fit in there?
I love diversity, I am from Colombia and I believe diversity is an asset.
What do you think about our product?
I love how spirit makes it possible for more people to travel to more places, more often by having affordable prices. Great personal experience with friendly staff every time. Youngest and most fuel-efficient fleet in the U.S. Spirit is consistently an industry leader in lowest fuel consumption per passenger. All the destinations in the U.S., Latin America, and the Caribbean
How do you gauge when to call in fatigued?
I recognize that I'm beyond tired because my thinking process is slow and sluggish, that is when I know I am getting close to fatigue.
What do you think about our business model?
I think its a great model out there. Being an ULCC allows for highest profits and least expenses. The "frills" are still offered, but only for those who are wanting to pay for them. The average traveler wants to go from point A to point B. Also having a modern fleet that helps with the fuel consumption allows this model to be sustainable.
What do you think of Spirit, while being able to observe us here in the training center?
I think that they're model is working great. Moving in on territory of other LCC and beating them in their own markets. That's fantastic *** work on it
Do you want to go to UA DL SW AA etc?
I use to when i started my career. Now i understand that quality of life is more important.
Tell me about a time when you had to make a critical decision in the cockpit?
I was PF and the captain, who is a good captain had a long day after commuting. We were cruising along at our max altitude. We started experiencing some waiving activity and the speed and altitude started variating dramatically. I immediately suggested to descend to have a better control of airspeed.
Tell me about a time YOU were a problem for your crew.
I was pulled out of my trip for crew necessities. I was landing in DFW and my gate was occupied because they were delayed waiting for me. After they waited for a good 30 minutes, we waited for approximate 20 minutes for the company to assign a different gate.
Tell me about a time that you used another crewmember to resolve a problem.
I was walking on the terminal and a passenger approached me for help, I did not have too much time to get to my gate. The passenger needed to go to a different terminal and I did not have time to show her. There was a wheelchair assistant walking by with a wheelchair, and I asked him if he could show the lady how to get to her terminal. He was heading to that terminal anyway so the passenger just followed the wheelchair. I was on time for my flight and it didn't cause any delays.
Tell your favorite story from your previous career.
I was working a flight with a brand new captain, she just completed IOE, one of the flight attendants was on her first day out of IOE as well and at the same time it was the other flight attendants last day. It was one of the best trips I ever had because everybody was on an excellent mood. Jessica the captain and me still great friends to today. Every time there is other friends around she says I was her first... FO.
What if we close the base that you were interested in?
I will commute at first and then evaluate and discuss with my lady if is convenient to move.
What did you do to improve yourself today?
I worked out, looked at some company material and I made myself look professional to have more confidence to present myself here.
How would you rate you piloting skills on a scale from 1 to 10?
I would say a 9, you have to be open to learning and improving.
Give me a briefing to the crew about a flight (you make up the flight)
IMSAFE Briefing?
Captain shows up drunk in the morning, take it from there, what do you do?
If this happens at the hotel, I will have a private conversation with him or her and strongly advise to call out sick, then I will call the chief pilot. If this happens at the airport, I will ask respectfully to leave immediately and I would call the chief pilot. If the Captain comes to the plane, I will have the same conversation about calling sick, I will call the chief pilot, I will grab my items and step outside the aircraft until the captain leaves the aircraft.
What will you bring to Spirit
Include the word Safety
Use one word to describe Spirit.
Innovative / Sustainable.
What qualities do you think a pilot should have?
Integrity, knowledge, ability, attention to detail, professionalism, leadership.
Why I feel I will be successful in their Airbus program as it is known to be more difficult than most.
It is all about preparation
What do you look for in an airline ?(another way of saying "why Spirit")
Job stability, quality of life, culture.
Why do you want to work as a FO at Spirit, instead of CA at current airline?
Job stability, quality of life, culture.
What would you do if you couldn't upgrade for 5+ years?
Keep preparing as a first officer, so when the time comes I can be a great captain.
What do you know about Spirit?
LCC with destinations on the US, central America, south America, Caribbean, young fleet of Airbus 320 and variations, growing and now merging with frontier.
Tell me about a time you broke a regulation
Landing without a clearance... ?
What do you like most about other pilots?
Learning about their background and their culture.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Left seat at spirit, check airman or other position where I can help others.
What's one thing a friend would say is bad about you?
Loyal, always ready to help
Tell me about a time you helped a flight attendant with a problematic passenger.
Mask issues
Why do you want to leave your current airline?
Mesa was a great place for me to start my career and gain experience as a pilot. My goal is to go to an airline that I can spend the rest of my career at.
When was the last time you called in sick?
Mid January I was food poisoned. The day before starting a trip, I went on a date with my lady and we ate sushi. There was a piece of bad fish that made me really sick. It was so bad that drinking water was painful and I had to force myself into it to stay hydrated. Before that it was in November 2020 when I had Covid-19
What is the worst thing about your job?
Missing some special moments with family and friends, like holidays and birthdays. Before flying i worked on restaurants so I am use to this. I always make out for it by enjoying to the max every time I can share with my loved ones.
What is your favorite airport to fly into?
Monterrey California. The terrain around is always a challenge. It has a beautiful view and It's also a great overnight.
What else interests you besides flying?
My Family and friends, cooking, traveling, Outdoor Activities, Home improvement projects
Who influenced you the most in your aviation career?
My cousin Carlos. He was always a role model for me.
What annoys you most in the cockpit?
Negativity
What bothers you?
Negativity in the cockpit. Tell story about a captain that disagree on politics, found something in common and had a good time.
Have you ever called in sick when you weren't actually sick?
No
Have you had any remedial training?
No
Have you had any problems with a former employer?
No, I can proudly say that I can go back to any of my old jobs. Tell story about At calling me years after we worked together.
Do you think any pilot can be a 10/10?
No, I think the best pilot is always learning something new on every trip!
Have you ever gotten in trouble at work?
No. I try my best to always do the right thing. Because of that I haven't had any issues at work.
Tell me about your community service
OBAP APIS program
Do you volunteer either with your current company or on your own? Tell me about it.
OBAP Aerospace Professionals in Schools, introduces students to the limitless opportunities available in aerospace industries. I just interviewed to join the Scholarship Application Review Team at OBAP.
Tell me about a time you were criticized by a coworker.
One time there was an issue with a seat being double booked. In my urge to help I was trying to find a solution. The captain told me that it was a good intention but it was not my job and that I needed to let the gate agent fix this.
Have you ever been fired or asked to resign in lieu of termination?
PSA
Use one word to describe yourself.
Passionate
How would your friends describe you?
Passionate, persistent, helpful, visionary.
As a pilot, how do you approach a problem?
Prioritize, Systematically, calmly, no rush. I would see what needs to be done to reach the final goal and then break it down into smaller tasks to ensure it got completed.
Tell me about a time you learned something in the flight deck that you were able to apply to life outside of work.
Prioritizing and multitasking. I was buying my condo and the mortgage company guy called me asking for a last minute documents to close the deal. He was very stressed because the loan process was on risk. In a couple hours I sent all the information and documents he needed. Once the process was completed he told me he was impressed by the way I did everything so calmly and timely. He said that a lot of times people freaks out on this step and makes mistakes.
What makes a successful pilot?
Punctual, accountable, attentive, open minded, decisive, pragmatic, professional, humane, humble
What have you been doing to prepare for being a Captain?
Reading my manuals, learning from experiences, asking captains I consider good to give me advices and tell me about their experiences.
What is your favorite layover?
SLP
What would you do if the destination is forecasted below mins and ALT is no good. Captain briefs approach and how he plans to go below mins to get in. Now you are at airport and you are at mins....
Say I am concern about the situation and propose other alternatives.
If you could not fly anymore what career would you choose?
Simulator instructor, so I can use my pilot skills and help others succeed. I would open a restaurant or coffee shop too.
What is your biggest weakness as a pilot?
Sometimes in the urgency to be efficient I catch myself rushing. I recognize it and stop myself before it becomes a problem. I don't see it as weakness, but as an opportunity to improve
What do you do in your free time?
Spend time with family, volunteer, cook
What do you think of our crew bases?
Spirit has a good variety of bases. Mayor airports that allow easy commutes for pilots that commute and good communities to live on
What is Spirit call sign?
Spirit wings
What would you do for a living if you couldn't fly?
Start a business, most likely a restaurant or coffee shop, work as a simulator instructor.
A captain decides to continue below the minimums, what do you do?
State Go Around, if it continues, transmit in the radios, ultimately perform the go around myself.
Tell me about a time you helped a gate agent.
Story about delayed flight to midland tx
Tell me about a time a mechanical problem caused a significant delay in your schedule and what did you do about it?
Story about lavatory smoke alarm. Follow the procedures.
Tell me about a time a captain disagreed with how you were flying
Story about over fueling, over temp brakes
Tell me about a time You got called into the bosses office
Story about taking an early flight after other FO called out sick.
Tell me about a time you had a long delay but the flight didn't cancel.
Story about time when captain was delayed because his inbound was late. I communicated with the company, assumed the responsibility to get the plane ready, briefed the flight attendants, keep gate agents and ramp agents on the loop. Also talked to passengers and explain the situation and apologized for the delay. It was a bad weather day so they were patient.
Briefing you would give pax if there was a hydraulic failure en route and you're diverting.
TEST Type of emergency Evacuation required (emergency cars) Special commands, follow flight attendant indications. Time before landing
Tell us about a bad experience you had with a Captain?
Tell story about captain mustache landing in EPC
Tell me about a time You provided great customer service (besides helping a passenger get their bags, or helping a person in a wheelchair).
Tell story about lady on the terminal that was lost and did not speak english.
Tell me about yourself and include how you got in to aviation.
Thank the panel for the opportunity to be an FO candidate. Introduce yourself-Where you live-Spouse-children Most important about yourself is how "you" would be a good candidate
What would you miss most about your current company?
The people I work with.
What do you like the most about your company?
The people i work with and the fact that it gave me an opportunity to start my career as an airline pilot.
What does CRM mean to you?
The use of all the resources available to complete successfully a task.
How do you feel about flying red eyes?
They are not so bad, the air is smooth at night and ATC is more friendly since they are not task saturated
What would you do if you had a conflict in the cabin with the captain?
This depends on where you are at. In cruise you can discuss it, but if you are on final you should save it for later
What are your career goals?
To become a captain at an airline where I am happy and I feel represented
How would you handle an angry passenger who missed his connection that was yelling?
Try to de-escalate the situation, request a gate supervisor
Tell me about a time you scared yourself the most in an airplane.
Turbulence story
Tell me about a time you used your leadership skills to bring the crew together.
Van issue at SLP
When have you gone out of your way to provide great customer service?
Wheel chair gentleman from SLP, or lady with kid at the airport.
Tell us about your worst day at the airlines.
When Covid started. The first day I walked into an airport and there was no people, all the flights were canceling and the few flights that were going had less than 5 passengers. It was very hard to see that.
Tell me about a time you didn't reach a goal you had
When I had to re-do my commercial multiengine check. I was really focus on it because I was out of money at this point. I prepared better and studier harder to complete it.
How would someone who dislikes you describe you in one word?
Wow. That is a good question as I normally would not focus on negative thoughts or think about people not liking me in a professional context but if I had to give an answer, I would say... Too Positive, some people may get annoyed by that when they are grumpy or venting out.
Have you ever had to call the Chief Pilot?
Yes, I needed a day off to go to a very important appointment with USCIS. I needed to excuse myself from a turn and then go back to my trip.
Have you ever stolen anything?
Yes, as a kid I put something in my pocket at the grocery store. My mom made me go back and return it and apologize. She also gave me a good spank. Lesson learned.
What have you heard from your recommendations about the culture at spirit?
Yes, every person that I talked to loves working here. They love the environment in the airline and thanks to the working conditions, people is happy.
Have you flown on Spirit? If yes, give us one recommendation about how we can improve.
Yes, in many occasions. As a tall person i would appreciate a little more leg room
Did you travel here with Spirit Airlines?
Yes, it was a really good experience.
Have you ever struggled in training? What did you do to overcome that?
Yes, study harder, ask for help, and prepare better.
Have you had any training failures?
Yes. Explain PSA
Have you ever called in tired or fatigued?
Yes. Fatigued.
Have you ever lied?
Yes. Not at work. Last time I remember, was when I had Covid, I didn't want to worry my family. My mom called me and I declined the call and texted her saying I was really busy at work and that I didn't have time to talk at the moment. I was in bed sick but I didn't want to worry anyone in my family, specially my mom. They all live in other cities, and I know they could stress about it. After I recovered I told my family, I apologized for not telling them, and made sure to let them know that there was nothing to worry about.
Is Spirit your dream job?
Yes. Story about migrating to the US.
This will be a difficult type and hard training will you be able to keep up?
Yes. When I have a goal I focus on it and I work as hard as I can and accomplish it. Preparation is everything.
What is your style of Leadership?
democratic. What do you think? Communication, teamwork, collaboration, open views.
