Sonny Crockett

I applied 2/25 and got my NOR yesterday....95

byebyeairlines

That's good,

They are definately coming out faster than before!

dustoffdax

Hey all,

I just had my interview yesterday. I'm a helo guy 1400+hours, 99 score, prior military. I was told that they are slowing down the interview process because they have so many folks in the pipeline right now who have been accepted and waiting on their background to get completed and class dates.

The 50 question oral was very straight forward part 91 stuff. I only got stumped on one question, what is the minimum NAVIGATION equipment required for IFR flight. Not aircraft equip, or comm equip. I said the equip needed for the approaches to be flown. So if you only intended to do an NDB, then you only need an ADF. They can't tell you how you did, but I think that was about one of the only questions I missed.

Check ride went well, did the VFR portion first. Winds 170 18G25. Normal approaches to a hover and to the ground. Slopes, confined area, pentical, auto with turn. The check pilot then had me put the foggles on and let me do about 15 minutes of BI just to get the feel and scan down. Radar vectors to the ILS, missed app, to VOR. Had to break off both approaches early because of heavy traffic. I think all he wanted to see was that I wasn't going to kill us inverted.

Panel interview went well, no suprises there. They seemed more interested in my questions about CBP. Make sure you have questions for them.

Here is the kicker, I applied for both the Predator position and the cockpit position. I was selected for the interview from the predator list, but given a helo AIA checkride. They said that it was a kill two birds with one stone idea because the current round of cockpit AIA interview offers haven't gone out yet.

So it might be a good idea for ya'll to put in a predator app as well. I have zero experience with UAVs (except for not trying to get hit by them) and for some reason I got the call and you might too.

Hope this helps.....cheers...
-DD

USMCFLYR

DD -

Congrats on the good interview and check ride! I think this might be the first time that we have heard about a helo checkride so that ought to be helpful to many here on the forum. What is your military background?

USMCFLYR

dustoffdax

Thanks USMC,

I spent just over 9 years in the Army, first two as a ground officer and the rest as a MEDEVAC Pilot. Flew UH-60s except for the Jet Ranger and Huey in Flight School.

Got out of the Army in 2005 and went to Law School. Started flying again this past year and logged approx 250 in Jet Rangers and Long Rangers doing pipeline and powerline patrol.

Now the hard part is behind me and the wait begins......
-DD

TankerBob

I would say that the wait is the hard part!!!! haha

USMCFLYR

Your background in the military gives you great experience for the CBP I would imagine. You sound like a perfect fit. Your score of 99 is good too - but I'm curious which question you could not answer yes too on the survey. Can you share? I noticed from your earlier post that you seemed very comfortable with the interview question concerning Part 91 flying - I asume that is from your recent pipeline/powerline patroling experience? So....did you finish law School and just decide that being a lawyer wasn't for you? You and Vagabond should share law school horror stories

USMCFLYR

dustoffdax

Yep, just finished law school in December and planned all along to use it as a back up if I ever lose my medical. Never really intended on doing much, if any legal work.

You asked about a question I couldn't say yes to on the survey. I don't follow. I meant that the only question I didn't have an answer for was "what is the minimum navigation requirements to fly IFR?"

I'm sure there are a lot of lawyers like Vagabond and I who would rather be in the cockpit, who wouldn't?

USMCFLYR

I have never filled in the paperwork so forgive me if I get thi wrong - but I thought that during the application process there were a number of questions asked which when scored eventually gave you the "scroe" (yours being a 99). I thought those questions were of a type that highlighted different flying experience (e.g. - Do you have NVG experience? Do you have low level experience? Do you have hisk risk flight time expereince?, etc...) I know some guys who were able to basically answer yes to all questions except the question dealing with rappelling operations from Helos - which I thought you might have from your Army time.

USMCFLYR

dustoffdax

No Worries USMC,

I have a lot of low level flying time, just about all of my time has been between 50'-200' AGL. In the army we spent the majority of our training time on NOE routes and tried to do as much NVG training as possible. I only have about 150 hours of NVG time, but it is better than nothing.

As a MEDEVAC guy I did a lot of external hoist training and a bit of sling-load operations too. I haven't done much rappelling training, but essentially all you do is hold a high OGE hover much the same way you do external rescue hoist work.

As far as combat time goes, I only did one tour in Iraq. I was over there at the beginning of the war and saw quite a bit of combat flight time below 100' AGL going in and picking up wounded.

As far as getting a 99 score, I think what hurt me was I only had 1400 hours and required a waiver for the total time. That probably knocked a few points off of my score. Also I don't have any Law Enforcement exp.

Cheers,
-DD