Hey everyone,
I just did my interview with EK last week and here is some updated info for you all:
Firstly, you will be met at the airport and taken to the majestic Hotel. once there, hand over your passport so they can scan it and photocopy it, its a legal requirement in dubai. They will then give you a package and the key to your room. Once in your room have a look through the package as there are a few things that you will need to fill out. They give you also some dinner vouchers at the hotel restaurant, so make sure that you use them!!!
Depending on what time you arrive, you want to get to bed early as the first day you need to be downstairs and ready to go by 6am. Normally there is a bus there, just make sure with the desk, you will have to pay $10dirham for the ride and its a first come first serve basis, but be careful as sometimes the bus goes earlier, so be there at 6am. otherwise taking a cab will cost around 30dirham, so you can split that with your mates.
On arrival, you need to find the pilot recruitment lounge, and there you wait. You will be taken in at around 0645 for a welcome brief, where you will be told that you will be split into two groups. One group will be doing the sim ride first up and the other group will start the tests. Alot has been said already on the tests, which include the compass test. First you will do the sim game test, not too bad, keep the speed at the required number, keep the rudder ball in the center and fly the flight directors. Practise with some flight sims for this. next is the compass tests, cant really do alot for this, brush up on basic maths, including long division, percentages, fractions, and basic algebra. I think there were 24 questions, you also have 30 aero questions, i read Ace the technical book and it helped. There were also a few other tests that revolved around memory so no study required there.
For the sim, you either got the 777 sim or if your unlucky enough, the A310 sim, i cant believe they used this, but i was lucky to get the 310!!! They brief you and then to the sim, tell the guy what you want him to do, then fly a visual circuit flying manually. then the second part, is low vis take off, V1 cut, clean up, turn towards Sharjah VOR then get told to intercept a radial, radar vectors for single engine hand flown ILS, go-around at minima, clean up, sim ends..for more details PM me for this. If you do the sim, thats it for day one..to get back to the hotel, we had to take a cab..cost around 30dirham total...
Day two, either the sim if you didnt do it on day one and for the rest its the tests...then a tour around the place, have lunch at the Le Meridian and then back to the hotel to wait for the phone call..
If your lucky enough to get a positive outcome from the call, day three is phsychometric testing, lots and lots of questions here about you and how you feel etc..be yourself..takes a few hours to get through it, then back to thee lounge, then wait for your turn to be interviewed by the panel. Its a very easy and relaxed interview, no trick questions here, they just want to know what sort of operator you are..usual "why you want to join" crap, then i was asked, "tell us about a time where you had to override the captains decision" and so forth..they want every detail about these sorts of CRm incidents and whilst your talking they are busy writing, off putting, but thats the way it is.I got asked 3 of these styles of questions, then you can ask them what you want, and thats it, i was out in 20minutes!!
Then its lunch and you wait for the phsycho interview...this takes around 20minutes and is more indepth, they sit you down and ask you to tell them about yourself, why you want to join Ek, why dubai, your weaknesses and strengths..then they tell you what they see from your results..its really very close to what you tell them!! scary!!!...Then if there is time, off for a medical, very relaxed and low stress..usual stuff, xrays, blood pressure, reflexes, eye test(thorough), hearing, ECG and Dr checkup where he checks down there and makes you cough!!! He also checks your bumper too!!
After that, its all over. Make sure you have some money converted into dirham when you arrive as you will need it for transport etc. They were all really nice but you have to see through all this, they need alot of pilots and they know it. You wil be told that company accomodation is a real problem and to expect at least 6months in temp accomodation.
Anyway, i hope this helps, please PM me for more details, dont do alot of study, i didnt get asked any questions on Ek or dubai, and i just read the one book for the technical side of things, apart from that, be yourself and make sure you enjoy it!!!