Unlike pre covid if you did the process then, now they match you up with another candidate. Mine was on the Dash-300 at YYZ CAE. All the candidates show up as a group in the morning and throughout the day will have a physc evaluation as well as your sim eval. On arrival, you’ll be given a set of basic SOPs to review, the plates you will be using, as well as a Dash 8 cockpit poster. You and your partner will have about 90 minutes to review.
They're not judging you on your abilities to fly a Dash 8, as obviously very few candidates actually have Dash 8 experience. To make it a level playing field, no FMS, no autopilot and no flight director. The “Dash 8” is now effectively like any other multi engine aircraft, just slightly more complex in terms of performance.
The evaluation itself will take place in either pretend YYZ or pretend YVR, so it’s not a bad idea to familiarize yourself with some of the approaches and SIDS at these airports, also familiarization with Jep plates will help.
It’s basically just a MIFR flight test. SID departure, steep turns, hold clearance, engine failure + memory checks, then they’ll give you the engine back. You’re no longer required to fly the approach on one engine. You may or may not have runway contact at minimums, so be prepared to call a go around using the SOPs they gave you on arrival. Then you’ll do a visual approach to a landing.
Overall they’re judging your basic IFR skills and knowledge, your CRM, and they want to get to know you as a person. If your partner is unstable on the approach, call a go around. They love to see this stuff as it shows great CRM and that you’re not in a rush to finish. It can be very overwhelming to go into a sim for the first time, of an aircraft you’ve never flown, with someone you’ve never met, with a job on the line. They understand this, and you’ll probably do better than you expect.
