Flightdeck Consulting - Airline Pilot Workbook 12th June PDF
Flightdeck Consulting - Airline Pilot Workbook 12th June PDF
Flightdeck Consulting - Airline Pilot Workbook 12th June PDF
www.flightdeckconsulting.com
Contents
1. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2. THE PHONE INTERVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3. THE PANEL INTERVIEW. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
FIRST IMPRESSIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
THE FORMAT OF A TYPICAL PANEL INTERVIEW. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
4. HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
QUESTION 1. “Tell us about yourself”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
QUESTION 2. “What do you have to offer our company?”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
QUESTION 3. “Why do you want to work for our airline?”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Overcoming Negatives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
5. BEHAVIOURAL QUESTIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
6. TECHNICAL QUESTIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
7. SCENARIO BASED QUESTIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
8. TOP 50 INTERVIEW QUESTIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
9. GROUP EXERCISES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
10. HELP DESK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
The modern airline interview is now centered around the Pilots are very good at what they do but tend to perform
behavioral based concept developed by human resource poorly when faced with this type of job interview. This work
teams around the world and can seemingly have very little booklet will give you guidance and examples on how to
to do with aviation. Behavioral based interviews work on the approach and prepare for your interview.
premise that how you have conducted yourself in the past is
an indication of how you will perform in the future. This booklet has been designed to be used in conjunction
with the Virtual Interview Program. Whilst not designed
There are three general categories of behavioral questions: to provide you with the answers, they must be your own
words and experiences, it will help you structure and deliver
your responses in a clear and concise manner.
1. Example Based Questions We are here to help, so please do not hesitate to get in
contact with us should you feel you have a question that we
2. Negative or Difficult Questions have not been able to answer for you.
Notes
Tips: Notes
■■ D
ress should be neat, tidy and appropriate. There is no
such thing as over dressing in a job interview, however it
is best to be conservative.
■■ A
confident handshake, but not too firm, making eye
contact with your opposite.
■■ Have a pleasant and warm smile.
■■ M
ake positive small talk, this will help to settle your
nerves.
■■ Be courteous and attentive.
■■ Have a positive, confident outlook on the day.
■■ Y
ou have worked hard for this day, don’t blow it by
making a joke that’s taken the wrong way. I have seen
too many jokes back fire on the candidate, it’s not
professional and has no place in today’s professional job
interview.
These are three questions that must and will be asked in any panel interview. They are also the three answers that you
must perform well with in order to be a successful candidate.
Q “Nice to meet you Mark, why don’t you start by telling us a little bit about
yourself?”
A “My name is Jason Steven’s, I am 28 years old, married and the father of two young
girls. I am a keen fisherman and enjoy keeping fit by cycling and chasing my girls
around the house.
I am currently employed as a Dash 8 First Officer with Central Plains Airlines. I
completed my commercial license in 2002 at Proflite Flying School in California and
was immediately employed as a flight instructor.
In 2004 I relocated to Phoenix to take up a First Officer position on a Brasilia with
Phoenix Air Charter. Unfortunately shortly after my initial line check the company went
into liquidation.
To support my family I undertook casual waiting jobs at night whilst job hunting by
day. In December 2006 I was offered and accepted a position with Central Plains
Airlines in Arizona on the Metroliner and worked my way up to the position of First
Officer on the Dash 8-400”
Notes
10SE0LL%
■■ How would your current manager describe you?
■■ What are your strengths?
■■ W
e are interviewing 20 people for one position, why
should you get the job?
YOURSELF!
■■ T
he candidate before you has an impressive resume,
why should we hire you over him?
■■ W
hat do you have to offer over and above the other
candidates we are interviewing today?
There is a simple method to follow that helps anyone to answer this question. The best way to start is to write down 5
descriptive words that best describe you. Expanding the words into examples.
A “I am dedicated to my career, I worked part time in the hospitality industry for over
three years in order to support my passion for flying and to allow myself to pursue
my career in aviation. On completion of my commercial pilots licence I packed my
bags and headed North to Darwin in hope of finding work. After 3 months of cleaning
hangars I was offered my first charter flight with the company. I was told it was in
reward for my hard work and dedication. I stayed with that company for over 3
years, during which time I moved up through the ranks until I was flying RPT multi-
crew operations on Dash-8’s.
I am also very reliable. I am more than happy to help out in anyway that I can and
my company know that they can always rely on me. Recently the company found
themselves short staffed at the last minute so they called me on a day off, I was in the
pre-flight briefing within the hour. In the past I have also helped out with extensions of
duty when requested.
I am very passionate about my flying career, from a very young age I have loved
aviation. I still to this day collect model aircraft and am always excited to go to
work and never think of it as a chore. I wear my uniform with pride and I am always
striving to do the best job possible on every flight.
*I am also very honest and approachable. I am not afraid to admit fault, own up
to a problem or speak up if I feel I need to. I believe my honesty and positive
outlook on life also makes me more approachable. In the past I have often found
myself being approached by the “new guy” who has numerous questions about our
operation and I am more than happy to sit down and go over things to help out in my
spare time. These are qualities I will bring with me to Virtual Airlines.”
2.
4.
5.
Brief History
Alliances
A “ Virgin Blue has an innovative approach to business with a very dynamic and
forward way of thinking. I really like how they think outside of the square with their
advertising campaigns. The company has a secure financial position with recent
expansions internationally into the Asia Pacific region providing plenty of opportunity
for advancement. They have a modern fleet of aircraft that are highly efficient, flying
to interesting destinations around Australia and the Pacific. Everyone within the
company seems to have an energy about them that is contagious, they are open,
upbeat and friendly. On a personal note working for Virgin Blue would offer me a long-
term stable career with boundless opportunities in an environment that is enjoyable,
ever changing and one that I would be very proud to be a part of.
A
■■ You respect their company.
“I hope to gain a long-term stable
■■ You are enthusiastic about working for the company. career with a company that offers
■■ Y
ou can see yourself fitting into the culture of the a variety of flying, both domestic
company. and international with a variety of
modern jet aircraft. I hope to gain
my Captaincy on the B737 and
OTHER POWERFUL QUESTIONS;
with my instructing background
possibly move into a position of
“What do you hope to gain out of employment
with us?”
check and training. I would also
look forward to going to work
“Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” each day knowing that I would
be operating with crew that are
“What is your ultimate goal with our airline?”
genuinely happy, friendly and
“What are your expectations of working for professional.”
us?”
Be honest with your answer without sounding too selfish.
At any opportunity bring in the positive aspects of the
company. This answer is really a combination of your answer
to “why you want to work for us”. Be honest with how you
see your future unfolding with them. Q “If you had a job offer from both
us and XYZ Airlines, which one
would you choose?”
If you were let go by your last employer state what you learnt
from the experience.
SAS
SUMMERISE AND STOP
1. When have you been involved with a task that had a deadline?
(Hint; ATPL’s or aircraft conversions are good for this example.)
Now that you have your examples, when structuring your The Action Taken
answers follow this three-part process using the acronym:
The Situation
Your Actions
The Outcome
The Situation
Your Actions
The Outcome
The Situation
Your Actions
The Outcome
The Situation
Your Actions
The Outcome
The Situation
Your Actions
The Outcome
■■ D
escribe a situation in which you were able to use ■■ G
ive me an example of when you showed initiative and
persuasion to successfully convince someone to see took the lead.
things your way.
■■ T
ell me about a recent situation in which you had to deal
■■ Describe
a time when you were faced with a stressful with a very upset customer or co-worker.
situation that demonstrated your coping skills.
■■ G
ive me an example of a time when you motivated
■■ G
ive me a specific example of a time when you used others.
good judgment and logic in solving a problem.
■■ T
ell me about a time when you delegated a project
■■ G
ive me an example of a time when you set a goal and effectively.
were able to meet or achieve it.
■■ G
ive me an example of a time when you used your fact-
■■ T
ell me about a time when you had to use your finding skills to solve a problem.
presentation skills to influence someone’s opinion.
■■ T
ell me about a time when you missed an obvious
■■ G
ive me a specific example of a time when you had to solution to a problem.
conform to a policy with which you did not agree with.
■■ D
escribe a time when you anticipated potential problems
■■ P
lease discuss an important written document you were and developed preventive measures.
required to complete.
■■ T
ell me about a time when you were forced to make an
■■ T
ell me about a time you had to do a monotonous task, unpopular decision.
how did you keep motivated.
■■ P
lease tell me about a time you had to fire someone you
■■ T
ell me about a time when you had to go above and were fond of.
beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done.
■■ D
escribe a time when you set your sights too high (or too
■■ T
ell me about a time when you had too many things to low).
do and you were required to prioritize your tasks.
■■ A
time you had to complete a task that was well below
■■ G
ive me an example of a time when you had to make a your skill level, how did you keep motivated?
split second decision.
■■ A
problem on the aircraft for which there were no
■■ W
hat is your typical way of dealing with conflict? Give me Standard Operating Procedures to follow.
an example.
■■ A
time you had to deal with a change in your work
■■ T
ell me about a time you were able to successfully deal environment
with another person even when that individual may not
have personally liked you (or vice versa). ■■ W
hat is the longest duty you have had and how did you
prepare for it.
■■ T
ell me about a difficult decision you’ve made in the last
year.
■■ G
ive me an example of a time when something you tried
to accomplish had failed.
The best information available on these questions will be When structuring your answers be sure to keep your
found in your own notes and manuals as well as forums or response short and to the point. Don’t allow yourself
pilot chat websites. As the range of technical questions is the opportunity to get confused and tangled up. If the
vast it is not the intention of this work booklet to provide interviewer requires more detail let them ask for it.
answers to all the questions but to provide you with
guidance on how to structure your answers.
You will be asked questions on your current aircraft type,
routes and destinations you serve. Be sure you study up on
these items.
Another example.
A “Winglets reduce drag by preventing the mixing of the upper and lower airflow”
A “Induced Drag”
A “Some aircraft have winglets to reduce drag by preventing the mixing of the upper
and lower airflow therefore reducing wingtip vortices therefore reducing induced drag
resulting in decreased fuel burn and therefore increase range. Induced drag is at its
highest during take off and landing BLAH, BLAH, BLAH”
Q “What is GPWS?
A “GPWS stands for Ground Proximity Warning System. It is a system built into the
aircraft in order to aid the pilots to avoid Controlled Flight into Terrain”.
A “It consists of seven modes all of which have a voice announcement to bring the
pilots attention to the immediate threat. Such as ‘Terrain, Pull Up’.”
A “Enhanced GPWS uses a built in terrain database which combined with GPS
allows the system to look forward rather than just vertically as is the case with
traditional GPWS, ultimately giving the pilot’s more time to react.”
A “I would bring it to his attention, maybe Always give someone the opportunity to own up to an
incident before you go and report it to the chief pilot, always
he didn’t realize he made the error.” inform the person you are going to report him or her.
■■ H
ow would you change the company you work for ■■ In our companies history what do you consider is the
now? lowest point? The highest point?
■■ W
hat do you admire most about your immediate ■■ What is the role of a First Officer?
superiors and why?
■■ D
o you know how long you can expect be in our
■■ Who do you admire most in your family, why? company before you can upgrade to Captain?
■■ W
ho has been your biggest support? What sort of ■■ W
e have a lot of young Captains in this company,
reference would they give you? how will you handle that?
■■ W
hat was your toughest subject at school/university/ ■■ Do you think you will be happy living in this country?
aviation? Why?
■■ What will you do during your time off?
■■ What was your favourite subject, why?
■■ Why don’t you want to live in your own country?
■■ W
hat attributes do you possess that you believe will
help our organisation. ■■ W
hat do you see is the biggest personal challenge
about joining our company?
■■ Any accidents or incidents, tell us about them?
■■ W
hat do your family think of you working for our
■■ T
ell me about a difficult decision you had to make in company and moving to this country?
the last year?
■■ What will you do if you don’t get this position?
You will be observed from a distance by the facilitators. They The facilitators on the day are looking for an overall behavior
will observe how you behave in a team environment. that will suit their airlines own aircrew profile. Always be
upbeat and positive. Don’t be afraid to speak up if required,
The facilitators are looking for a variety of characteristics. however remember to follow instructions and respect others
These can be summarized below. in the group. Balance is the key.
■■ Team interaction and participation. An example of a typical group exercise can be found in the
■■ A
bility to speak up and voice your own opinion in front of online program.
the group.
■■ Leadership skills without being overbearing.
■■ Ability to follow orders.
■■ Friendliness and respect towards your work colleagues.
■■ Your overall personality.