New Emirates Assessment

[Cabair351]

Dear All,


I know this subject has been covered to death but there is a surprising lack of information regarding the recent changes to the assessment process at Emirates. Can somebody please provide some information regarding the new assessment stages and how best to prepare?


Thank you in advance.


Cabair351

[Tight Seat]

A sanity and reading test.

[Cabair351]

Apart from that...

[CaptainChipotle]

Best way to prepare?

See how well you are at sleeping during the day, come to terms with no command in sight and prepare to sign a 5yr bond.

[Cabair351]

Apart from that as well...

[RunSick]

Be ready for a lot of nonsensical responses in this forum.

[Tight Seat]

How new is new. Yesterday, last week or last year?

RunSick, true, but always some truth in all the posts.

[Cabair351]

Hello TightSeat,


I was under the impression that the assessment had changed in the last few months so anything from around Jan/Feb onwards..

[Tight Seat]

Sorry bud, don't know then.

[palm]

Stay away from this Cie, that's the best advice I can give you.

[TransitCheck]

run forrest run.....run as fast as you can from this $h!+ hole. Need reasons...just open up your eyes and read the other forums.

[ExpatBrat]

It's been over 13 years since I interviewed but I can't imagine the basics have changed very much.

There will be an ATPL type exam with questions about density altitude, the ITCZ, handling big airplanes, that type of thing. There will be probably be the usual "games" and group tasks. Just follow when it's time to follow and lead if the opportunity presents itself. Be sure to have a diplomatic and soft approach with your potential co-workers, especially if they're from cultures other than yours. For the interview itself rehearse your answers to the typical questions of tell us about a time when....etc. Learn something about the airline and its principals, islamic culture, dubai life. Have one or two thoughtful questions for them at the end.

And then there's the sim. Yeah you ultimately have to be able to fly so practice by taking the automatics off every chance you get. And when you're in there make good decisions. I'd say that's almost as important. For example if you're way out of position to land then throw it away, go around. They'd way rather see that then somebody go way unstable and land under marginal control halfway down the runway. Probably best not to crash. :)

I'm sure the recruiters will dangle the carrot of an upgrade in X number of years, and maybe they even believe it, but it will probably take longer. Know that going in. But look, if you're one of the guys with the bare minimum hours (what is it now anyway, 2500 with 2000 jet) then you're probably around 30 years old or younger so even if your upgrade takes 5 to 7 years what will you really have to complain about? I hear a lot of that on the line from 3000 hour pilots in their late twenties and I have zero time for it. Their worst case scenario is to become a wide-body captain on something by the time they're 40, probably even younger. From where I sit that's a damn good deal.

Talk to everyone you know here and discount their optimism and their pessimism by some factor - the truth is in the middle. Dubai and Emirates is what you make of it. It's true that it's not what it once was but it's still a good job and if you actually are a 2500 hour pilot it's a damn good job. Just keep a sense of haha, accept that the airline will always do whatever it wants and if it doesn't violate your bottom line you're good. Otherwise vote with your feet.

Good luck!

[glofish]

Dubai and Emirates is what you make of it. It's true that it's not what it once was but it's still a good job

This sums it up quite nicely. But …..

To make a move to this region you need to consider the next step right from the beginning!! You will get fed up very rapidly around here and will wish to move on.

Consider: Will this be easy? Do I want to uproot my family again? Will there be options that are at least equal to the pit? Will it be as DEC, or am I ready to start as FO again?

Consider also: If you decide not to move on, you need to be aware that by getting older the risk of no longer being able to fly increases considerably around here because the way they exploit us just does not allow sufficient recuperation in the long run.

Now here’s the catch.

EK will sack you if you did not fly for one year. They might magnanimously offer you a ground job, but that simply avoids them to pay LoL! Read the fine print and you will see that LoL only sets in after more than a year of absence of flying!!! Nice trick, works most of the time.
Anyway, LoL does no longer apply after 60, same with any of the additional insurances on offer (which imho is a scam inherent in all of these!!!).

With the ever eroding T&Cs no longer allowing to put enough funds aside to cover the gap between 60 and the retirement age in most countries, this is a trap not covered since EK increased retirement age to 65 (which allowed them to lower total lifetime T&Cs with the argument that you can work longer, until 65).

EK has become a carreer step only. You need not only have a plan B, but actively pursue it and jump ship early enough. This region does not cater for age and retirement, apart for locals. This might be the biggest omission in calculations when you compare a crap outfit in the civilised world.

Think twice!

Today I would only consider a ME outfit if being out of a job, no other not even non flying option back home or when fleeing a money devoring, divorcing bitch. The boring and admittedly expensive social security in the civilised world looks ever more attractive the older you get.
And you will get older!

[Cabair351]

Expatbrat, Glofish thank you. All noted.

[Old King Coal]

glofish: :D

[bob777]

Very well said Glofish...experienced on my skin.

[Mr Good Cat]

Unfortunately, Glofish has pretty much summed it up with regards to experienced pilots applying to work out here.

However, if you're in you're early 20's with minimum experience of 2500 hours and no previous command - it's probably a viable option as you can see the world for 5 years then disappear. You would still have enough years left to settle into a longer-term airline back home where you can then enjoy a settled family lifestyle etc having already seen the world.

For those considering leaving stable airlines or commands and following the dream of a flying a shiny widebody across the globe it's a huge call... the time to command here will be looooong as most skippers here are both too young to retire and too financially/family-committed to leave (despite the talk on this board).

Good luck in whatever decision you make, just spend a lot of time mulling it all over and consider the consequences in the far future. It IS a one-way ticket for most.

:ok:

PS: Really don't worry too much about the interview it just looks like a big deal. All they are looking for is the ability to fly on one engine safely and have a decent enough personality to not provoke violence from the guy next to you on an 18-hour shift to LA or San ran... Everything else has very little weight in the process ( Compass tests etc )...

[Al Murdoch]

decent enough personality to not provoke violence from the guy next to you on an 18-hour shift to LA or San ran

When did that come in?

[Mr Good Cat]

When did that come in?

Well, it used to be a requirement. Admittedly, myself and a few others sneaked through the system in spite of it.

Nothing a little lobotomy at the medical assessment couldn't fix though.

[puff m'call]

I would strongly recommend you don't come to this place!!

[Fearless Leader]

[QUOTE]Nothing a little lobotomy at the medical assessment couldn't fix though./QUOTE]

I'd rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy:ok:

[QCM]

PPC will be a 3hrs ride only to give more availability to the sims...

[Curiouslibra]

I interviewed in June and was unemployed at that time.
Yes there are some subtle changes.
The isometric test had none of the folding cube problems
Like what was on latestpilotjobs so don't know if that was just my test
Or all the test were that way. Hr rep actually said its a copy of what skytest has
So take that for what it's worth.
I only made it through 27 of the 40 questions and felt bad until I found out most everyone only made it that far so don't worry about that guessing on this is also bad. But the psychologist said on day 3 that they look at strategy. Ie does that applicant jump around start at the back finish first etc. as I noted the problems seemed to be getting easier past the middle mark, the psychologist said the last 10 questions are the hardest.
The sim has changed from 2 approaches to 3.
The first is the visual circuit same as before. Make sure you tell the pnf the heading downwind ie 300 degrees if you say 180 degrees opposit your present heading he will ask for the actual degree number before selecting it.
They ask for you to brief 4 things
1Which way are you going to turn after take off left or right. (I requested left as taking a right and you have to worry about that 3000 ft building as an obstacle downwind)
2 altitude you wish to fly at. I chose 2000 but the only limit atc gives you is up to 3000ft
3 airspeed you want for the pattern. I chose 240 but atc limit is 250. One guy chose to stay at flaps 5 and flaps 5 speed and passed so not a big issue. Just state what you want.
4 timing when past end of runway for your turn on base. Most popular are 45 & 60 seconds. I chose 60 seconds.
The instructor says that passing over the beach from water to land is 3 miles from touchdown to help with checking your progress on the approach but the papi are visible from the moment you turn final.

after landing they reset the sim for the v1 cut. I expected more going through the ep checklist but once I called for ep checklist I was told it was done. Simple flameout. They did simple heading vectors back to shoot an ils to 12L not even a vor exercise. They really are just wanting to see if you can handle energy management of the airplane and navigate down the ils to a go around.
Which brings me to the new third approach.

The third approach is about how quickly can you react to being put behind the jet by setting you up on a short dogleg to final at flap 5.
Because you are so close in (excess energy) I chose to immediately go to idle and gear down flaps 20. Watch the ballooning that flaps 20 will cause because your speed is so high and try requesting your heading bug at 115 as that will offset the x-wind on final and keep you from S ing down final as much on raw data. One guy was so far behind trying to get down he forgot to drop his gear down and went around but still passed day one!


The sim was their T777 on royal Royce engines and they are laggy! Anticipate this. I was used to b767 ge engines and the T777 are 4 secs slower to spool back up. I was worried about my performance that evening until I heard from the guy mentioned above that forgot his gear! So they are really looking at your decision making and briefing skills more than flying skills these days. We had 8 people in our group and by day two we had 6 so we beat the 50% average failure rate but the class behind us lost half FWIW. We had the sim at the end of the day and they said after the assessment to get a cab back to the hotel! So hopefully you get the sim in the morning so you are not out money as they provided transportation back to headquarters for them.

Day two only threat is the psychology test but
I warn you I'm an optimistic and adventurous person. I knew this already before taking the test. On day 3 was the group sessions psychology review and personal interviews. As standard practice you don't get feed back when you don't pass at the phone call at the end of the day, I did not make it. I felt good about the group session and personal interview so the only thing I can think of is the psychology test as my psychologist told me I'm a very optimistic person that is free spirited and that I tend to view rules as more as guidelines. She showed me their chart and I was in the middle on most things but to the extreme edge on those two items and I got the feeling that was not a good thing. She went on to say with my such happy positive attitude that some pilot crew members would have a hard time relating to me. I took the test with statement just be yourself.
I think the rules as guidelines put a red flag for them. What I failed to show is that my personal life is different than my professional life. For example I generally drive with the flow of traffic which is about 5 mph over the speed limit but I never fly faster than 250 knots below 10,000. I have heard from friends I have there already at emirates that they are looking for a certain type of pilot. And while they can't put their finger on it, I personally think they don't want someone that will be unhappy after being there for a couple of years. Maybe they saved me from becoming one of the many depressing commentators you see here on this forum. But it still unfortunate I didn't get the opportunity to make that decision myself it was taken away from me. On the way back home I talked to a flight attendant that said he failed his first time to interview with emirates too and on his second interview answered what they wanted to hear and passed. So take this information for what it's worth to you.

Best of luck cabair351 I hope this helps.

[Cabair351]

Really sorry to hear you didn't make it through mate. All the best for where you go next.


Thank you very much for your help.

[fliion]

Curious libra,

Not many guys take the time and effort that you have to give feedback particularly if the outcome was a disappointment.

Commendable.

f.

[Curiouslibra]

^^^^ Thanks. ^^^^
I had read through every single comment on the interview ek thread and although it took days to get through and you have to filter it. I did get some very valuable tips about the interview process from people that took time out of thier lives to help a fellow aviator for free. I am just returning the favor and "paying it forward". I also believe that failures are chances to learn and hopefully if my failure helps even one person avoid the mistake I made it was worth it.

[Peter Chube]

Good info, thanks.

Couple of questions, as I have some friends interviewing soon.

Are they still doing the computer tests on day 1? If I remember correctly they were: ATPL/Maths/Hand-eye coordination/capacity/logic tests?

Also there were 3 group exercises on day 3. 2 generic ones and an aviation specific one. They still there?

Much appreciated.

Also, does anyone know if Elite Assessment is still in existence?

[Curiouslibra]

Good info, thanks.

Couple of questions, as I have some friends interviewing soon.

Are they still doing the computer tests on day 1? If I remember correctly they were: ATPL/Maths/Hand-eye coordination/capacity/logic tests?
Yes - not as much weight put on these it seems. Better to study up on sim and tell me about a time when questions and group exercises as it seemed more emphasis are placed on these IMO of course.

Also there were 3 group exercises on day 3. 2 generic ones and an aviation specific one. They still there?
Yes - focus more on interacting with ur fellow interviews and formulating a plan together than on getting the right answer.

Much appreciated.

Also, does anyone know if Elite Assessment is still in existence?
Don't know.

[Peter Chube]

Thanks v much!