Georgian Interview

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CellPh2
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Georgian Interview

Post by CellPh2 »

Can anyone shed some light on the Georgian Interview process, please and thank you? What bases are they hiring for? I have searched through old threads and have only found old hits...and I hear they are doing a Cog test now? PM's welcome too! Thank you!
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flying4dollars
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Re: Georgian Interview

Post by flying4dollars »

Interview process is quite relaxed and the experience has been different for everyone. Typically you'll show up at their head office at the Aerocenter in Toronto. You'll be wearing a shirt and tie (or suit if you have one). They walk you inside the building, offer you a coffee and walk you into the interview room. You'll sit there with HR and either a pilot representative and/or Troy Stephens (CP). They'll ask you how your day is going and you'll be given a chance to talk about your career in short summary so that they know your background. Questions will be asked by all interviewers, so be prepared for 'tell me about a time' to personality/flying based questions. Questions I was asked included why I'd be a good fit for Georgian, what I know about the company, what I believe are the top 3 qualities that make an employee, and a few tell me about some challenges at your previous/current job. I was also asked what my future career goals are and how I felt about living in cities like Toronto, Halifax or Calgary and what my preference is. I was also asked what I did and didn't like about my job etc. Many questions that can be found in the Air Canada interview bank. After HR has asked her questions, she will proceed to make copies of your licenses, medical, and reference letters if you remembered to bring any. (Bring a briefcase and come prepared). Troy, if present may or may not have his own questions for you. Depending on the outcome of your interview, you will either be asked to stay in town for a sim eval at flight safety at Downsview, or you will receive a call about it in the near future. As for bases, I think depending on the position you're being interviewed for, it varies. Calgary lost a lot of pilots as did Toronto and possibly Halifax. Positions have been filled but it's a revolving door. Many pilots receiving interviews from Jazz, Porter, AC and a few WJ and Transat.

The sim eval is done from the respective seat you're interviewing for, and a Georgian safety pilot will sit in the other seat (naturally). You will be given a briefing prior to the sim as to what to expect and basic speeds/numbers if you aren't familiar with the 1900. They tell you to use your own SOP's and the safety pilot will adjust as necessary. Departure off Toronto runway 05, then you'll receive vectors and then do a steep turn then direct a beacon for a hold (brief correct entry and why you're holding etc). If you brief correctly, you won't have to do the hold, you'll be given vectors for ILS 05. Somewhere along the line you'll get an engine failure or fire or some sort of emergency. Deal with it as best as you can and again use your SOP's and judgement. After you land, you'll be thanked and escorted out the building and you'll either get a phone call back from Troy at some point regarding a groundschool date or you receive a you know what.

It's not an Air Canada or Jazz interview, but my advice is to treat it as such. They are very business oriented and professional. Ie, wearing jeans in the corporate office is not allowed. Come prepared with documents and supporting documents (references letters, logbook, IATRA/ATPL exam results, and anything else you might feel is important).

Again, everyone has had differenct interview experiences. This is how mine went. Others were much more casual and some were just like mine. So take this with a grain of salt. I interviewed late last year and have been employed ever since. So far, nothing but good things to say, despite some of the complaining and other things you may have already heard. In the end, we will all have different opinions.

I hope this helps,

Good Luck!
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peice
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Re: Georgian Interview

Post by peice »

My interview went almost exactly as it did for Flying4dollars. All I can really add is do a little bit of research on the company because it shows your interest and come in with a smile! I did my interview with the Troy Stephens (CP), Dan Bockner (VP), and a HR representative. Although I was interviewed by three people it was very casual. Dan will ask you a CRM question such as: "What would you do if your Captain(or first officer) decides to go against SOPs and safety is jeopardized?" Whatever answer you decided to give always lean on the side of safety. Goodluck and have fun!
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CellPh2
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Re: Georgian Interview

Post by CellPh2 »

Thank you for the replies :D do most new hires these days seem to be based out of YYZ? I know it was brought up in one of the replies...and it's hard to predict...but would it be harder to get a YYZ spot?
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CS01
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Re: Georgian Interview

Post by CS01 »

Most junior pilots are sent wherever they're needed. You can bid back to YYZ, looks like a 5 month wait at the moment.
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Tiny Tyke
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Re: Georgian Interview

Post by Tiny Tyke »

Georgian is a good place to get your time and leave. Be sure to follow the following procedure:

Get hired by Air Georgian.
Go Captain at Air Georgian ASAP.
Gain significant PIC time on the B1900.
Get Air Canada Interview. (All the Capts there have had their shot.)
If PFO,
Leave immediately to another 705 operator. (Westjet, Sunwing, Jazz, Transat, Canjet etc..)
Plan the rest of your career. (The recent trend is to only give pilots one shot at AC.)

Working at Georgian.

Right now morale is in the dumps. The days are long. Some single day flights are 14 hours with a repo taxi taking 30 min to 1.5 hours after. You will be told by management that taxiing aircraft after you are finished is not part of your "duty day" as defined by 704 ops. If you are not liking the sound of this already, Air Georgian is going to be a tough place for you to work.

Georgian does have a union, but it would almost be better if they didn't have one. You need to work there to appreciate the level of disfunction with respect to the Union.

If you are the type of pilot that has a high tolerance for BS. And if you can get on the good side of management. (IE. Dont complain about the BS Taxi offs after 14 hours, and other annoyances.) You have a great shot at all the 705 airlines.

Experience seems to show that the "good soldiers" at Georgian get the boost at AC. (Personal analysis.)

The pilots there are amazing guys to work with. The initial training is very hard. It is not uncommon for 1 pilot in 10 to fail the initial ground school and not get a second shot.

Bunch of random thoughts. Hope this helps you make your decision.
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Changes in Latitudes
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Re: Georgian Interview

Post by Changes in Latitudes »

Tiny Tyke wrote: Get Air Canada Interview. (All the Capts there have had their shot.)
You had me right until this point. Why not add "put face in functioning waffle iron"? If your life's ambition is building a kraft dinner lined road to lead you the golden chalice of Air Canada, you may want to rethink things.
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Tiny Tyke
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Re: Georgian Interview

Post by Tiny Tyke »

Not the Golden chalice, but the only real reason to consider working at Air Georgian. If an AC interview is your goal. Air Georgian is a preferred route.
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Changes in Latitudes
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Re: Georgian Interview

Post by Changes in Latitudes »

Tiny Tyke wrote:Not the Golden chalice, but the only real reason to consider working at Air Georgian. If an AC interview is your goal. Air Georgian is a preferred route.
That's a fair statement, I think misinterpreted your post a bit. It's a means to an end. Perhaps not the best end, but an end at least.
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flying4dollars
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Re: Georgian Interview

Post by flying4dollars »

Tiny Tyke wrote:Georgian is a good place to get your time and leave. Be sure to follow the following procedure:

Get hired by Air Georgian.
Go Captain at Air Georgian ASAP.
Gain significant PIC time on the B1900.
Get Air Canada Interview. (All the Capts there have had their shot.)
If PFO,
Leave immediately to another 705 operator. (Westjet, Sunwing, Jazz, Transat, Canjet etc..)
Plan the rest of your career. (The recent trend is to only give pilots one shot at AC.)

Working at Georgian.

Right now morale is in the dumps. The days are long. Some single day flights are 14 hours with a repo taxi taking 30 min to 1.5 hours after. You will be told by management that taxiing aircraft after you are finished is not part of your "duty day" as defined by 704 ops. If you are not liking the sound of this already, Air Georgian is going to be a tough place for you to work.

Georgian does have a union, but it would almost be better if they didn't have one. You need to work there to appreciate the level of disfunction with respect to the Union.

If you are the type of pilot that has a high tolerance for BS. And if you can get on the good side of management. (IE. Dont complain about the BS Taxi offs after 14 hours, and other annoyances.) You have a great shot at all the 705 airlines.

Experience seems to show that the "good soldiers" at Georgian get the boost at AC. (Personal analysis.)

The pilots there are amazing guys to work with. The initial training is very hard. It is not uncommon for 1 pilot in 10 to fail the initial ground school and not get a second shot.

Bunch of random thoughts. Hope this helps you make your decision.

Now, in all fairness, life in each of the 3 bases is VERY different. The company has a good fatigue policy and management does encourage us to use it. Now, I am Calgary based. The pairings here are built well and my longest day might be 8 hours with a series of 50 min breaks in between one or two turns. We get ample rest in between flights and I have not been overworked since joining. In fact, I enjoy a lifestyle filled with modest flying, lots of hockey, and time plenty of time to use my extensive flight benefits to go places on my days off. From what I've heard from others, the Halifax base is much the same. The bonus for me is that I'm from Western Canada, so I'm pretty much where I want to be. My biggest complaint, is the walk from the employee lot to the gate. Now, if that's my biggest concern, I don't think you have too much to worry about.

The experience at Georgian is going to be different for everyone. A lot of this has to do with expectations. I'm quite comfortable being here and while I do have long term goals, but if the music ever stopped before I make it there, I'd be quite content to stick around here a while. I hope that paints a more positive picture.

Good luck!
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WalkerHook
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Re: Georgian Interview

Post by WalkerHook »

Does anyone know if they started making the calls for their next Groundschool? I believe for May/June?
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CS01
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Re: Georgian Interview

Post by CS01 »

WalkerHook wrote:Does anyone know if they started making the calls for their next Groundschool? I believe for May/June?
Interviews/sims were yesterday and today, and then they phone references. Seems to be a 1-2 week wait (although with a May gs planned, they'll have to speed that process up a bit).

And I gotta agree with what flying4dollars said. It's a pretty easy job, esp if you're yhz or yyc based. But even yyz isn't that bad if that's where you want to be.
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Oxi
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Re: Georgian Interview

Post by Oxi »

Air Georgian Signs Innovative Partnership Agreement with Ottawa Aviation Services to Build a Supply of Qualified Pilots
Aptitude testing and customized pilot training are key to Air Georgian’s selection of qualified applicants
Air Georgian, a leading Canadian private jet charter provider with bases of operation in Toronto, Calgary, Halifax and Montreal, is pleased to announce the recent signing of a partnership agreement with Ottawa Aviation Services (OAS) to assist with pilot recruiting and selection needs.
Air Georgian has chosen the technical platform services of OAS to help ensure the selection of the best flight crew for employment, while at the same time assembling a pool of qualified candidates for potential future hire.
OAS uses the advanced COMPASS battery of pilot selection tests to assess Air Georgian applicants for flight crew employment. These assessments test for (1) advanced aptitude skills, (2) English language proficiency and (3) personality profiles. The COMPASS tests were developed by the European Pilot Selection & Testing Company and extensively used by airlines in Europe and Asia.
Air Georgian recently completed its first round of assessments using OAS’s COMPASS test services. Based on the test results and performance in training, Air Georgian is confident that this testing process will have long term benefit within its flight training department as well as flight crew retention.
“The savings in staff time and training costs were immediately apparent”, said Dan Bockner, Air Georgian Vice President of Flight Operations.
Air Georgian and OAS are also partnering in a Pilot Provisioning Service, whereby OAS will train flight crew candidates to Air Georgian’s exacting requirements in its integrated ATPL program. Candidates will then be interviewed and carefully selected using the basic and the advanced COMPASS battery of tests. Successful graduates will be offered an opportunity to interview with Air Georgian for potential employment as First Officers.
“Air Georgian is a forward-looking and innovative airline that is taking steps to ensure that it has a supply of quality candidates not just today, but two years from today. It is protecting itself against the effects of a pilot shortage that is already being felt in countries around the globe” said Joan Williams, Chair of the Board of Ottawa Aviation Services.
About Air Georgian
Air Georgian Limited, a subsidiary of Georgian International, was formed in 1984 and operates under the brand Air Canada Express, focusing on trans-border and domestic aircraft airline and charter operations with its fleet of 16 Beechcraft 1900D twin-engine turboprop airplanes that carry over 400,000 passengers a year from Toronto's Pearson International Airport, Montreal's Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, Calgary International Airport and Halifax's Robert L. Stanfield International Airport to 26 Canadian and U.S. destinations. Air Georgian's head office and maintenance facilities are located at Toronto's Pearson International Airport where it is ranked as the fourth largest user by traffic frequency. In addition to its scheduled passenger service Air Georgian offers aircraft charter, aircraft maintenance, aircraft management and technical training services to major airlines, corporations and individuals. For more information about Air Georgian visit http://www.airgeorgian.ca
About OAS
OAS has been offering flight training, maintenance and other aviation services for more than 15 years. OAS Flight Training division provides professional pilot trainees with efficient, one-stop, seamless training from zero to type rating ready. It prepares graduates for all stages of their careers from exemplary First Officers to excellent Captains in commercial air operations. Its Pilot Provisioning Service helps graduates to smoothly transition into those airline jobs. OAS marries old fashioned stick and rudder skills with training in new aircraft technologies and constant adaptation of best practices. It aims to graduate pilots who know how to and pride themselves in delivering safe and efficient airplane trips for the traveling public. OAS continues to invest in leading-edge technologies and form partnerships with such leading academic institutions as Carleton University & Algonquin College. For more information on Ottawa Aviation Services please visit: http://www.ottawaaviationservices.com
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thegrimm
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Re: Georgian Interview

Post by thegrimm »

I'm also a YYC based Georgian pilot and am quite happy with it. I will agree that the walk can be quite long from the parking lot. In all seriousness though Georgian is a great place to work.
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Re: Georgian Interview

Post by skybaron »

thegrimm wrote:I'm also a YYC based Georgian pilot and am quite happy with it. I will agree that the walk can be quite long from the parking lot. In all seriousness though Georgian is a great place to work.
:shock:

$28K/year... Living in the most expensive cities in Canada (less Halifax)... Doesn't get better than this fellas!
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Re: Georgian Interview

Post by flying4dollars »

skybaron wrote:
thegrimm wrote:I'm also a YYC based Georgian pilot and am quite happy with it. I will agree that the walk can be quite long from the parking lot. In all seriousness though Georgian is a great place to work.
:shock:

$28K/year... Living in the most expensive cities in Canada (less Halifax)... Doesn't get better than this fellas!

While I agree that pay is well below what it should be, especially for f/o's, lifestyle and opportunity is still there. The Calgary base averages maybe 60 hours a month. There is a reason turnover is high. All of the guys leaving here end up at an airline. Nobody moves sideways here, and the few, if at all that do, are f/o's with no PIC time to upgrade. I do not condone the pay, but I'd rather make less and retain job satisfaction, than make more and hate where I live/work. Again, I speak only of life in the Calgary base. I have never been based in Toronto outside of LID nore Halifax.

Listen, like every other operator in this world, Georgian isn't perfect and it sure isn't for everyone. But those that want things like good training, good airline oriented experience, good schedules and a relaxed working environment (at least here in YYC), this place has it. Before coming here, I heard enough negativity about this company to prevent me from ever applying. Time passed, and so did my priorities. I eventually applied, and now I'm here and I wish I'd come sooner. Let me put it this way, if the music stopped tomorrow and the big players removed hiring ads, I would rather not be anywhere else, as far as 704 operators go.

Don't discount all the things you hear about Georgian, good or bad, or any other company for that matter, but take what we all tell you with a grain of salt and make your own decision.
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thegrimm
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Re: Georgian Interview

Post by thegrimm »

While I agree that pay is well below what it should be, especially for f/o's, lifestyle and opportunity is still there. The Calgary base averages maybe 60 hours a month. There is a reason turnover is high. All of the guys leaving here end up at an airline. Nobody moves sideways here, and the few, if at all that do, are f/o's with no PIC time to upgrade. I do not condone the pay, but I'd rather make less and retain job satisfaction, than make more and hate where I live/work. Again, I speak only of life in the Calgary base. I have never been based in Toronto outside of LID nore Halifax.

Listen, like every other operator in this world, Georgian isn't perfect and it sure isn't for everyone. But those that want things like good training, good airline oriented experience, good schedules and a relaxed working environment (at least here in YYC), this place has it. Before coming here, I heard enough negativity about this company to prevent me from ever applying. Time passed, and so did my priorities. I eventually applied, and now I'm here and I wish I'd come sooner. Let me put it this way, if the music stopped tomorrow and the big players removed hiring ads, I would rather not be anywhere else, as far as 704 operators go.

Don't discount all the things you hear about Georgian, good or bad, or any other company for that matter, but take what we all tell you with a grain of salt and make your own decision.
+1
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Re: Georgian Interview

Post by CRJ-705 »

what kind of hours (TT, MPIC, Turbine, etc) is GGN hiring guys with?
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flying4dollars
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Re: Georgian Interview

Post by flying4dollars »

I would say right now minimums of 1500TT with some PIC time (at least enough to get an ATPL). Right now they are hiring captains and f/o's. Captains need 2700TT with 500 on type or similar type (king air 200, 99 etc). F/O's need to be upgradeable, so coming with PIC time and some operational experience is always desired.
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