How do you make the journey from the daily grind to your dream of flying for the airlines? Network engineer Sarah Rovner did just that, moving from an IT job to the right seat of a SkyWest jet—and she did it without going into debt.
Rovner had a stable, six-figure job, but her dream was to fly. Her grandparents remind her of how she would collect kiddie pilot wings from flight attendants as a child. As a 20-something in 2011, she took an introductory flight in a Cessna Skyhawk at a Houston flight school. Over the next four years, she flew only as much as she could afford, paying cash for everything. At the end of those four years, she had earned commercial single-engine land, multiengine land, single-engine sea; CFI, instrument instructor, and multiengine instructor certificates and ratings.
Rovner flew 94 types of airplanes on $100 hamburger flights, instructing students, and delivering airplanes. She launched her own ferry service, Full Throttle Aviation LLC, in 2013. She has taken all sorts of small airplanes coast to coast, and to clients as far away as Belize and Alaska. A lot of the time she built was the result of good, old-fashioned begging of airplane owners for some “stick time.”
In April 2015, Rovner made the rounds to regional airlines’ booths while she was at the Women in Aviation International conference to deliver a presentation on aeronautical decision making. She was drawn to the SkyWest table. After asking around and getting great reports on the company, she decided that the airline should be at the top of her list. Her experience with the personnel at the booth—who were welcoming, patient, and friendly—confirmed her assessment.
Within days of the conference, she applied for a job online. It took her about two hours. Within 24 hours of hitting “submit,” the airline called her to schedule an interview. She closed the door to her office and let out a scream, startling some of her co-workers next door.
The interview was set for May 21. Rovner devoured the readings recommended by SkyWest: Everything Explained for the Professional Pilot, by Richie Lengel; The Illustrated Guide to Aerodynamics, by Hubert Smith; and Advanced Aircraft Systems by David Lombardo. For extra measure, she reviewed The Turbine Pilot’s Flight Manual, by Greg Brown and Mark Holt; submerged herself in Part 121 regulations; and learned the basics of turbine engines, pneumatics, and hydraulics.
The day arrived and SkyWest bought Rovner a ticket from Houston to Denver. She went to the Holiday Inn across from United’s training center, near the now-defunct Stapleton Airport. After checking in, she received her training badge and made her way to a conference table occupied by three other interviewees, all male. Two were from aviation colleges with mostly CFI experience, while one was a corporate pilot who appeared to be in his late 30s or early 40s.
An interviewing line captain and human resources representative orchestrated the multiple-phase process that took the better part of the day. Although SkyWest doesn’t necessarily call the many segments of the qualification process “phases,” I’ll use that term for simplicity.
Phase one: The applicants were presented with a series of visuals for which they would select an answer using an electronic device. Wide-ranging subjects included chart symbols, weather reports and interpretation, aerodynamics, and myriad airline transport pilot materials. This exercise of 25 to 30 questions consumed about an hour. The sentiment is that this task is not “make or break,” but will give the SkyWest staff some sense of depth of knowledge and preparation.
Phase two: Rovner was asked to draw a schematic of a turbine engine and a system diagram of an aircraft that she had flown. She drew the CFM56 engine innards, which she had studied, and the details of the Piper PA–44 Seminole electrical system—complete with bus names, relays, and annunciator lights.
Phase three: The line captain queried Rovner about her drawings and questioned her about IFR procedures and Jeppesen charts. Rovner admitted that her knowledge of Jeppesen IFR charts was a little deficient since she has been accustomed to FAA charts. The hint for anyone preparing for airline interviews is to become familiar with Jeppesen formats and symbols.
Phase four: Rovner worked with one of her interview colleagues in a crew resource management scenario, in which one serves as pilot flying and the other acts as pilot monitoring. A typical situation is encountering hazardous weather en route to a destination. Wind shear. Storms. What happens next? The choice is a diversion to an alternate airport along a safer route. Then one of the passengers gets critically ill. Now what? The key is not to act impulsively, but to consider safe options as a crew. Rovner recommended that the flight attendant get involved to address the ill passenger and to seek out any medical personnel on board. The event lasted about seven minutes.
Phase five: For this one-on-one with the HR representative, it’s a good idea for applicants to cite a number of instances where conflict was resolved, emergencies were handled, challenges were met, or failures were managed. Rovner recounted an engine failure in flight at night in a Civil Air Patrol airplane in which the aircraft was totaled.
Phase six: In the wrap-up, the captain debriefed Rovner and asked how she thought she did. She confessed that those Jeppesen charts were not her strong suit, but said she thought it went well. The captain asked, “If selected, what airplane would you like: ERJ or CRJ?” Since she ultimately could get Houston as a base, she requested the Canadair Regional Jet, which means she could fly trips out of her home airport. Most important, she thanked the captain and asked for the job.
During the day, some applicants were selected for a simulator evaluation in a Frasca. Rovner was not. The captain and HR also joined the applicants for lunch. It probably was at this time more than ever that SkyWest people got to know the “real Rovner,” deciding whether they like her and if they could see themselves working with her.
Rovner was told that the company would follow up ASAP and let her know if she had the job. She was riding back to the airport when her cellphone rang. “Sarah, this is SkyWest. Congratulations! We would like you to become a part of our team.”
Read about Sarah Rovner’s airline training experience in the June 2016 Flight Training. —Ed.
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