To put a professional pilot flying one of the heaviest and more sophisticaded aircraft around in long haul operation on the simulator of a of a 1960s light turboprop he never saw even in a post card, in very un familiar area, with high terrain, without a proper briefing, with no automation available, in a mountain area is seems like an attempt to umiliate more then evaluate.
Actually you could easily think that you are right (sorry your friend)and I can see why.
But in reality when you get two guys of similar experience, perhaps both flying an Airbus and with no experience (not in the past 10-15 years anyway) on anything remotely similar to a say, B1900; and one of them manages to do well or very well but not the other one, you can only wonder why it is that way.
My personal view on that is that one is good, the other one is not.
One is what NJE (or any employer for that matter) wants, the other is not.
With regards to the high ground location, it is only to see how aware one can be. Most guys flying regularly between the North of Europe and the South are perfectly aware of MSAs, MFAs and corrections to make. Guys operating in the Iranian area would be even more up to speed with that (specially if the y fly heavies). For these guys, it is daily routine so perhaps what NJE is looking for is not a 400 T guy but someone who will transfer as smoothly, as safely as possible on another jet in his new company. Not less, not more.
As for the accomodation, I have never seen it (only from the outside) but I can only say that not all company pay for a night's accomodation when people attend interviews. Companies doing that as common practice tend to be expats ones such as EK, CX etc...
BA doesn't, Tfly doesn't, don't think AF does nor it is the case for EZ, FR, etc...
I am not saying it is right to put people in a crap hole because, sure it will look bad if you try to promote your company from Day -1 but applicants also need to look around once in a while. And if they are even better than that, they will even realise that Le Bourget for example, has very little in terms of hotels of acceptable standards, close to FSI therefore minimising all risks to turn up late for D Day.
It is a long day and having everybody ready to start on time is important (not least for the candidate himself).
Not sorry for your friend and even happier for his ex future colleagues at NJE...
