Delta T, I think what he is saying is that if someone is a bit nervous or whatever, they try to help him/her out. The interview panel truly are trying to get the best out of the candidates. It's not about preferential treatment, just about putting people at ease.
Your question about sterile cockpit is precisely the point. They ask you questions to see how long you will let them distract you before politely asking them to be quiet as you are rather busy just now. You can bang on about the process all you like but it works pretty well. Sometimes quality people have a bad day and don't get through. But that's what an interview is about. You can fly the line safely for six months but if you fail a sim ride, guess what? It's all about turning it on and performing when called to. The simple fact is, the pass rate is high. They interview to a standard, not to a number. They could pass all on a round, or none. You are not in competition with one another. On our group we all spent a lot of time together prepping and reviewing and generally helping each other out. And we all got through.
Astina pilot,
In the GA and questions forum is a thread that answers most of your questions. If you search posts by me you should find it.
Last edited by Offcut; 2nd Sep 2013 at 20:16.