Cathay interview debrief part II

[Altyre]

Well fellows, I meant to do this last week after I got back from HK but I was too stressed out! Waiting for the outcome was extremely nerve wracking, but since I got some really good news at 3 am, I feel much lighter and I'm ready to write this long post about the final interview.

So the 1st day, we didn't have much to do, it was mostly briefings from the company but we did have the group exercice. You have to find the best astronaut to lead a mission to destroy a meteor, the only relevant thing I can say is that you have a briefing sheet and profiles of different astronauts. I assumed we all had the same briefing sheet but we did not, they have different requirements on them so exchange the info!

The sim:
I had rented a couple of hours in Frankfurt, it didn't hurt so if you can afford it, I think it's a pretty good idea to practice. If only to make you feel more comfortable and thus more confident. Anyway if you succeed, I guarantee you won't think about that 1000€ in 10 years when you're relaxing on a sunny Philippino beach, I know I won't!
My ride wasn't great, it started really well, nice TO and climb out, nice first turn but I lost 200' on one of the steep turns, I got them back though.
1st approach, didn't configure early enough and so I was too fast on the intercept and overshot the loc, not to full deflection though. Now the stupid mistake which has made me really nervous this whole week: I was busy trying to set the EPR and lost my focus and saw the altitude going through the bug that indicates minimum on the altimeter so I called out "go-around", well we were still 1000' above the mnm! The instructor just said "no,no" and I realized and continued. That's basically the only mistake I did, with a little trouble keeping altitude. So my point is, if you do something stupid, keep flying, and keep flying well, we all make errors!

The final interview:

A few questions about Cathay: how many AC, which types, destinations in Africa, India, North America. Duties of SO, who would you fly with? But mostly personnal questions. I mentionned things that I knew about HK like the location of the French school and asked if the retirement age would come up, they were impressed that I was already looking so far ahead with their company.

Finally the technical questions:
once again I had a 747 and 340 model in front of me, they asked if I had prepared any of them and which one I'd like to answer questions on, I said I had prepared a little but not in depths systems or anything. So they asked me the type of engines, power and difference between them.
What happens to profile and induced drag with speed?
What is max range with respect to drag curve?
Critical engine on 4 engine?
33000', when do you start descending?What if you're heavy, what if you have to keep a lower speed in descent?
When does holdover time starts?
Doing the turnaround, nosegear door missing, what would you do?
What is the tropopause, its temperature, altitude?
Windshear procedure on the Embraer?
What happens when you pull the fire handle?
The last flap setting on the 747 creates a lot of drag, why?
Larger flap setting, how does it affect TO roll, screen height?
Climbing at constant MN, what happens to IAS, TAS?

That's all I can remember, hope it helps. They are very much what you see in every preparation book, so no big surprise there!
As my good friend Wakehead said after his interview, it's a strange feeling but if you really want it that bad, you'll get in.
Actually, you will if you really want it but prepare for it! It is pretty intense, you do have to know your stuff. My questions were pretty basic airline pilot knowledge but do not come unprepared!

One last word for my North American fellows, at the cocktail party, I was having a drink with the Airbus chief pilot who said he could read right through the guys who have taken a CX interview preparation class and give answers they think should be heard. They just want to see who you really are and if they can take a 17hr journey back from JFK with you.
If you are motivated, keep working, update and believe in yourself. It hasn't really sunk in yet , but it's a very good feeling to know your professionnal future is pretty much secure.

Once again if you guys have questions, post them here so everyone can benefit from them.