Selection process · tests · interview · simulator check

Envoy Air pilot assessment

Updated October 2026 · SET STANDARD

Envoy Air Assessment GuideLeave your email and we send you one message the day it is released.

Envoy Air is actively hiring FAA-certificated First Officers, cadets and Part 121 direct-entry captains in 2026, with a 50% pay premium to year-end, a growing E175 fleet and a contractual no-interview flow to American, but only for pilots with US work authorisation.

Actively hiring FOs (R-ATP/ATP), cadets and direct-entry captains (Oct 2026)

Get an email when the Envoy Air guide is released

One email when it is out. No newsletter unless you ask for it.

While you wait

These guides are available now and cover the same preparation.

Southwest Airlines Assessment Guide
A complete U.S. major-airline selection guide: hiring process, interview, technical and the Southwest culture.
FAA ATP Conversion
For EASA/ICAO pilots: the route to an FAA ATP and a U.S. airline job.
Cleared for Selection
The universal pilot-assessment handbook: tests, interview, group exercise and simulator check, for any airline.

See every guide on sale in the Pilot Shop →

Envoy Air is the largest wholly owned regional airline of American Airlines Group, flying as American Eagle with an all-Embraer E170/E175 fleet from its headquarters in Irving, Texas. It runs about a third of American Eagle flying, with more than 1,000 daily departures feeding American's hubs at Dallas/Fort Worth, Chicago O'Hare, Miami and Phoenix. Its story starts with the first American Eagle flight in 1984 and the 1998 consolidation of several Eagle carriers into American Eagle Airlines, renamed Envoy in 2014.

Key facts

Fleet	All-Embraer: 43 E170 and about 150 E175 in Oct 2026 (estimate from 181 at end-2025 plus 19 E175 deliveries scheduled in 2026). No CRJ-900 or ERJ-145 (retired May 2023)
Orders	Committed fleet 214 by end-2027 (171 E175, 43 E170); 33 new 76-seat E175s delivering 2026-27
Bases	Crew bases DFW, ORD, MIA, PHX; DCA announced May 2026 as fifth base (start date pending). HQ Irving, Texas
Pilots	About 2,400 pilots, represented by ALPA since 1995; contract amendable 2029
Hiring 2026	Active; class sizes not published. American expected nearly 300 Envoy flow pilots in the year
Entry routes	Envoy Cadet Program (from PPL), FO with R-ATP/ATP minimums, Direct Entry Captain (Part 121), military; AA Cadet Academy graduates placed at Envoy

Entry routes and requirements

Envoy Cadet Program (Cadet and Cadet Instructor)

Student pilots at an Envoy partner school or university who want a committed path to Envoy and then American

Cadet level: FAA Private Pilot certificate and enrolment at an Envoy partner school; HR interview
Cadet Instructor level: FAA CFI with instrument (CFII) privileges; Internal Review Board and signed Letter of Commitment
Before joining as FO: FAA Commercial ME/IR, ATP knowledge test, ATP/R-ATP hours (1,500 / 1,250 / 1,000 / 750 h)
FAA First Class Medical (no limitations except corrective lenses), IFR current, FCC licence

First Officer (Commercial and ATP-rated / experienced FO)

Pilots who hold or are about to reach ATP/R-ATP minimums (CFIs, charter, corporate, military)

FAA Commercial Pilot certificate with multi-engine and instrument ratings; ATP knowledge test passed
1,500 h total (1,250 or 1,000 h with qualifying aviation degree; 750 h military) per R-ATP rules
50 h multi-engine (may be reduced to 25), 200 h cross-country, 250 h PIC, 100 h night, 75 h instrument
Minimum age 21

Direct Entry Captain

Pilots with Part 121 experience (e.g. furloughed or displaced airline captains/FOs meeting 121.436)

Unrestricted FAA ATP and Part 121 experience meeting 14 CFR 121.436 (1,000 h air carrier time)
FAA First Class Medical, FCC licence, U.S. work authorisation

Flow-through to American Airlines

Envoy pilots on the seniority list

Seniority at Envoy; Envoy says pilots are projected to upgrade once FAA captain minimums are met and then move to American

The selection process, step by step

Online applicationonline (envoypilots.com / Envoy careers portal; cadets via envoyair.com/cadet)
Profile, flight times, certificates and employment history. Recruiters invite qualified candidates to an interview at headquarters.
Pre-interview packetsdocuments by email
Candidates receive packets: a before-interview checklist and a Pilot Employment Packet for each flying job in the past five years. Signed pages, licences, passport and logbook pages are scanned and emailed before the interview.
Check-in and company briefingin person, Envoy HQ, Irving, Texas
Sign-in, recruiter collects documents and logbooks, then a company briefing with time for questions. Late arrivals must reschedule.
HR evaluationin person, one-to-one or small panel
Paperwork verification and a get-to-know-you conversation with behavioural questions (reported examples include personal-development questions).
Technical evaluationin person, oral
Official topics: Jeppesen charts, IFR regulations, definitions and weather. Candidates report it as more demanding than some mainline interviews.
Simulator evaluation (if required)simulator
Envoy may require a simulator evaluation at its discretion; candidates are told before it is scheduled.
Result, background check and conditional offeradministrative
Candidates are told at the end of the day whether they were successful. A background check follows; conditional offers are valid for one year.

Aptitude and psychometric tests

oral technical (charts, IFR regulations, definitions, weather)
behavioural HR interview
simulator evaluation at Envoy's discretion

The interview

Single in-person day at Irving HQ: HR evaluation plus technical evaluation, optional simulator; result given at the end of the day

Why Envoy and American
Safety and professionalism
CRM and teamwork
Honesty about training record

Typical questions to prepare

Why Envoy?
Why not another regional with a flow, such as PSA or Piedmont?
Tell us about yourself.
What do you know about Envoy?
How does the flow to American work?
Tell me about a time you disagreed with another pilot or instructor.

The simulator assessment

Device	Not published; selection sim only at Envoy's discretion (reported fixed-base or full-flight device). Type training on E170/175 FFS
Where	Envoy headquarters area, Dallas/Fort Worth (selection); Dallas or St.
Typical profile	Not published; candidates report basic instrument handling and approaches. Type training later uses E170/175 full flight simulators in Dallas or St. Louis.

Language and after selection

English proficiency required for FAA certificates (ICAO English); all training and operations in English.

9-10 week paid new-hire training: indoctrination in Irving (week 1, base/equipment bid, iPad/EFB), home CBT (weeks 2-3), systems and procedures in Dallas (weeks 4-5), simulator in Dallas or St. Louis (weeks 6-7, manoeuvres validation and LOE), then IOE with a training captain.

Common reasons candidates fail

Logbook totals or employment history that do not match the application and packets
Weak Jeppesen chart briefing or misreading minima in the technical evaluation
Not knowing core FAA numbers (Part 91/121/117, alternates, holding speeds, lost comms)
Vague or defensive answers about checkride failures or gaps
A 'Why Envoy?' that is only about reaching American quickly

Get the complete Envoy Air Assessment Guide

158 pages: company history and culture, every stage of the selection, model interview answers, technical refresher, Embraer E175 · E170 systems and simulator assessment preparation. Updated for 2026.

Look inside the guide

Status: Preview · current to October 2026 · not on sale yet · join the waiting list

About this guide

Format: PDF (bookmarked, iPad-optimised)
Language: English
Edition: Ed 2026 · Revision 1.0
Current to: October 2026
Pages: 158
Status: Preview · not on sale yet
Licence: Personal, single user · see licence terms
Updates: Update policy to be announced before sales open
Simulator stage: Covered as reported by candidates and public sources

Independent publication. Facts in this overview are labelled “reported” when they come from candidate reports rather than official sources — see the editorial standards. Notify me about this guide · See it in the catalogue

Practice questions: company knowledge

Interview practice drawn from public sources; the answers are not an FAQ about the guide.

Who owns Envoy Air?

American Airlines Group (wholly owned subsidiary)

Under which brand does Envoy fly?

American Eagle

Where is Envoy headquartered?

Irving, Texas (DFW area), 4301 Regent Blvd

Who is Envoy's President and CEO?

Pedro Fábregas

What was Envoy called before April 2014?

American Eagle Airlines, Inc.

Which carriers merged in 1998 to form American Eagle Airlines?

Simmons, Flagship and Wings West

Preparation guides

Pilot Aptitude Tests: What They Measure and How to Practise Pilot Assessment Guide: How Airline Selection Works and How to Prepare Pilot Group Exercise: How to Show Real Crew Behaviour Pilot Interview Questions: How to Prepare Competency and Technical Answers Pilot Personality Questionnaire: Honesty, Consistency and Crew Fit Pilot Simulator Assessment: What to Expect and How to Prepare Pilot Technical Interview: Key Topics and How to Explain Them

Other airline assessments

Main sources

https://www.envoyair.com/pilots/
https://www.envoyair.com/pilot-minimum-qualifications/
https://www.envoyair.com/pilot-interview-tips/
https://www.envoyair.com/cadet-program/
https://www.envoyair.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Cadet-Portfolio-12.22.2025.pdf

SET STANDARD is an independent training publisher, not affiliated with Envoy Air. Information compiled from public sources and candidate reports; always confirm with the airline’s official careers page.