I didn't apply through the front door so I can't comment on how that works.
I got the phone # of a hiring manager, called and emailed him a cover letter and resume, and HR set-up an in-person interview with the whole team of 8-10 engineers.
I met them all in a conference room and gave a 20 minute presentation covering a past design project that demonstrated my expertise. They grilled me with tough questions to assess my critical thinking and design analysis. Then they gave me a tour, let me ask questions and called me a day later with an offer letter.
Very professional and tight, but also laid back - most people there are young professionals in Southern Calfornia and show up in shorts and flip flops.
Make sure you know your stuff cold - they are all top performers and will drill down into the tough details to get a sense for how you will fit their culture, where you will have meetings like this on a weekly basis and have your designs and analysis ripped apart by aerospace experts who will come down hard on you for mistakes (tough love).