PPruNe/Astraeus Selection Day

[EricTheRed]

Well done to PPruNe and Astraeus for giving me the best four day white-knuckle ride I've had for ages! I was on the edge of my seat with excitement, until earlier today.

Unfortunately, I didn't make it through to the simulator assessment phase, after yesterday's interview and selection process, but had an interesting day meeting some of the faces behind PPruNe.

Best of luck to those of you who got a sim ride - even better luck to the four who start their 757 courses on the 21st!! Lucky (but deserving, of course) sods!!!

Maybe we could start a thread about how to answer those tricky and personal interview questions!

Big thanks to PPruNe and Astraeus!

ETR

PS - Nick, Declan et al: How did you get on !?

[UAU242]

Well done to those who got through.

So what were those tricky interview questions?

[PPRuNe Radar]

Guess the first batch of sim checks will be well underway now.

Good luck to everyone taking part !!!

[Nearly Man]

Well, I was last bloke out of the sim this morning at 12.50am
I won't dwell on how well I did :ouch:

However, I would like to say what a great bunch of guys I met today at the sim. Lots of friendly advice and everyone trying to help each other out .. thats the way it should be.
Which ever way you look at it, hats off to Pprune, Astraeus and to the four that get the sponsorship .. congrats :}

[salapilot]

Hey Nearly Man

I must admit it was jolly nice of you old chap to volunteer to go last( even though you were harrassing everyone coming out of the sim !)

No seriously though NM is right, it was so nice to see everyone helping each other out. Thanks also to Alan(sicksquid), for keeping us entertained with his ........during the old days..... ..stories !!

Big credit has to go to Pprune and Astraeus for putting this together at such short notice !

Had a fantastic experience over the last few days and wish all the best of luck !!

sp

[Snigs]

You've got to feel sorry for the Sim instructor though.... Not only can Nearly Man talk the legs off a donkey, but he can then persuade it to go for a quick stroll afterwards.

Good luck one and all.

[Nearly Man]

Cheeky buggers, you must all be eliminated now :ooh:

[airtaxi]

Hi everyone. I too was lucky enough to attend the selection day although unfortunately I didn't make it to the sim ride. I would, however like to take this opportunity to thank Capt pprune, Hamrah, Infinretirement and the other two interviewers for their time and help. It is much appreciated.

I suspect I let myself down during the interview and it will be interesting to receive feedback from Danny et al.

I have decided to write down the questions asked of me during the interview (or at least the ones I can remember) in the hope of (a) sparking a discussion or two and (b) helping anyone who has an interview in the near future. Comments are welcomed from all ppruners but please would you give a brief description of your background as I think it would be interesting to compare how people of differing experience would answer the same question.

OK, enough waffle - here goes in no particular order...

1. Why do you want to fly in the airlines?

2. Give an example of when you were last kind to someone.

3. What are your weakest areas?

4. What are your strongest areas?

5. What kind of people make you angry?

6. Give an example of when you last made someone feel special.

7. What is your greatest achievement to date?

8. Describe your most embarressing moment.

9. After a night stop both you and the Captain are feeling the worse for wear. You especially feel that the Captain is over the alcohol limit and not fit to fly. What do you do/say to him?

10. You are flying an ILS approach where you know the cloudbase is below minimums. The Captain says to you that he knows the local weather very well and if he just goes a few feet below the decision height then he is sure he will get in to land. What do you say to him about that?


Of all these questions I expect numbers nine and ten to be of the most interest - I know I had trouble answering them.

Well guys, what would you say???

[R T Jones]

The last two questions I have seen posted as questions they ask. My answers to the following would be:

9. I would make the captain aware that I thought he was over the limit and talk to him about it. However I would bring it up not as a big issue to start with. If on talking to him I belived the saftey of out aeroplane and others using the airport were at risk it would be my responsibilty to bring it to a senoir managers attetion at the airport. If I personally was not happy to fly with the captain I would inisit that a 3rd party asses the fitness of the captain. The key here is to maintain respect for the captain and uphold your role of assuring the saftey of everyone on board the aircraft.

This one is a little more tricky
10. I would inform the captain of cloud level to make sure he had not overlooked it. I would then make my postiton clear to the captain and suggest he uses the auto land. I feel it would only make things worse by announcing it to Air Traffic Control but of course this would depend on how serious the situation was. I would try to resolve the situation with meaningful dialog and remembering in the back of my mind that he was the captain and i was not. It would be his responsibilty if anything were to happen, as long as I had made my views clear to him.

I would definatly like some feedback on what all of you think to those answers and what ones you gave.

[Bealzebub]

What I find interesting in that set of questions is that they all contain either the word "you" or "your". They seem to be designed to get an idea of your personality or character. There is nothing technical or particularly factual so it would be difficult to see how you could give a wrong answer. I suppose if someone were to portray a picture of themselves of having what might be regarded as traits towards the extreme end of the spectrum, that might be regarded as the wrong answer. The questions you have listed seem to be compiled in such a way that a person would be required to give an analysis of something they ought to be familiar with. Themselves !

So I cannot see that there is any right or wrong answer since aviation comprises so many different characters and personalities. What is important is that an individual can recognize their own strengths and weaknesses and various character traits, so that these can be adapted and integrated. From a CRM viewpoint this self awareness is very important. If someone didn't feel they had any particular strengths or weaknesses it is probably because they are either very unaware or very guarded or modest. More than one question in a similar vein might suggest which ?

These questions would also tend to preclude very short answers, which help an interviewer assess the personality and communication skills of a person. Does the individual give honest replies or replies that are scripted to a formula ? Does the individual seem irritated by unexpected questions ? Does the individual have a sense of humour ? The answers that are given to such questions are likely to be varied as indeed are the individuals. Anybody in this situation is naturally going to be nervous and pressured to some degree, but the answers ought to project whatever the interviewer is looking for in relation to the job. For a pilot that would probably be a perception of tidyness, maturity, sincerity, sense of humour, awareness, commitment, integrity. If the interviewer is another pilot they might also want to be reasonably assured that the interviewee would be somebody they would be happy to sit with for 12 hours or more (or less) in a confined environment. They might also want to be assured that the individual is also lilkely to be a potential commander and as such would be able to quickly adapt to the imminent role of second in command with the abilty to assume the temporary role of commander as directed or indeed by initiative should the need arise.

The last two questions seem to go a little further in that they are presumably looking for an ability to rapidly come to a decision in a difficult situation. Again it would seem that there may be a number of ways of achieving it, but how does the individual do it, and indeed how committed or flexible are they to that decision ?

In summary, these questions don't seem to have a right or wrong answer although some might, depending on the perception of the interviewer. They seem designed to get a idea of the interviewees personality. That perception might be right or wrong or probably somewhere in between, but no system is perfect. All interviews are to some extent a combination of all of the parties experience and personality, with a degree of luck thrown in on the day.

[Nearly Man]

Well, I've got a sense of humour, otherwise I wouldn't have started this aviation lark :}

[haughtney1]

Question 9.

I think with this one...a little diplomacy would be the order of the day, mayby suggest the Capts looking a little under the weather....perhaps suggest a delay to see if he improves a little..a quick bite to eat, basically give the Capt time to reassess (is that how you spell that?) and digest the fact that you KNOW hes not 100%...give him/her a way out...this approach tends to work with reasonable intelligent people..(some even make captains for airlines!)


Question 10.

To me its a no-brainer...sure there is the CRM aspect to this question...but at the end of the day minimums are there for the safety of the crew and the paying travelling public..who rely on you to get there in one piece. I would be pragmatic.....agree the weather sounds a bit iffy.....and of course to the Capts superior local knowledge, voice your concern,,,but also add (for the sake of CRM) "lets get down to minimums and see what the weather actually is"...remind the Capt of minimums...and prompt that a go-around would be the best option both from the stand-point of SOP's....and for the guys and gals wanting to arrive intact...if indeed the weather is pants, cos Ive heard the ATIS...got to minimums...and hey presto!..its improved...



H

:ok:

[wobblyprop]

Re question 10.

This was answered somewhere else, sometime ago. And went along the lines of

I'm new and need to stay squeaky clean, so i don't get the boot. I'd like to operate to the SOPs and if the runway is not insight at mimimums we should go around.

[haughtney1]

Hi all the lucky ones that got a sim ride.......just a question.....any idea when the 4 will be selected and notified?


:ok:

Cheers H

[Cavallier]

Am shattered! Was last out of the sim last night (approx midnight) and am halfway through a full day of instructing.
Good luck to everyone who was on the sim last night. I know I was grinning like a cheshire cat on the way home !
Many thanks to Alan and John who made the evening both enjoyable and educational.

[Dan Winterland]

Q10. Perhaps there's a double edge to this question or perhaps the interviewer doesn't understand JAR minima. There is no cloudbase minima for a precision approach. There is a minimum RVR and a DA published, but no minimum cloudbase. So if the published RVR is 550m and the reported RVR is 500m but the cloudbase 200', there is no question - an approach ban is in force, unless you have already passed the FAF. But if the cloudbase is reported at 150' and the RVR 550m you can still make an approach. Why?

The RVR is unequivical. An observer cannot see any further based on the assumption he is using the same equipment as the pilot - the Mk1 eyeball! However, the cloudbase is measured mechanically by an optical instrument which records the first contact with visible moisture. But cloud is like fog, and we can see through fog to a greater or lesser degree. So the Mk1 eyeball at 200' in cloud may see enough of the bright runway lights penetrating the cloud to make a decision to land.

[Hamrah]

Dan,

Trust me. I know what question I am asking.

:D :D

H

[Honest Fr@nk]

Q9. Speak to the capt and suggest he/she calls in sick. If he insists on flying say that you will call in sick yourself.
Q10. Mention the words "I DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE with that". If he still insists then repeat your feelings. If he still insists and tells you it will be OK I've done it before then you have no choice but to tell him he has put you in an awkward situation and if he continues you will take control. Stick to the SOP's, report him if you have to as he may well do it again.

[MVE]

Anyone had any news yet?

[flyinghome]

I havent heard anything.

[MVE]

I must have mis-heard, I thought the calls were going out this morning (Weds). However given the finish time last night and the fact they have day jobs, a little more patience may be in order.

[Hamrah]

Yes, sorry Gius, but I have a day job as well. Will be in touch shortly.....as in, within the next hour.

H

[flyinghome]

well, there it is lads, 1 hour.
say your prayers.
good luck to everone!!!!!!!!!!!

[Hamrah]

Ok Guys, all notifications sent....

Congratulations to the successful ones, comiserations to the unsuccessful ones.

I am sure you will all have a view on your individual performances. For the most part they were to a high standard.

What we were looking for on the sim assessment was a good instrument scan, smooth flying, and and improving performance as the session progressed.

Individual feedback will be on its way over the next few weeks, just as soon as work eases off a bit.

H

[MVE]

Well, I was unsuccessfull. Congrats to the 4 and all the best with the course.
Thanks to Pprune and Astraeus for the chance!

[boeingbus2002]

Well done to the lucky four!!
IM sure we all have a lot of questions as to what these guys did to stand out from the rest. Naturally, once the dust settles maybe there will be more time to respond to our enquiries.
Until then, many thanks Danny, Hamrah et.al for giving us a chance...!
:ok:

[orangesky]

phewwwww ..... what a crazy last few days its been ..... a HUGE thank you to Astraeus and PPRuNe (hamrah, danny and infinretirement) for putting together this fantastic opportunity at such short notice.

it is difficult, sacrifices have to be made and i am sure there are times we have all thought ..... are things ever going to improve... do i ever stand a chance ... is it worth trying to live the dream .... shall i resign myself to the fact that every monday to friday when i wake up i am going to dread going to work ..... thanks to Astraeus and PPRuNe it is these rare opportunities when one realises that with persistence and determination it is possible to live the dream.

i have been fortunate enough to meet some fantastic people along the way who provided advice, inspiration and much help but above all they were selfless. i hope one day to be in a position where i too can help wannabes because i know from first hand experience, dont we just need as much as we can get ! thank you, you know who you are ....

hamrah, danny, infinretirement - a very very big thank you :ok:

[Nearly Man]

So, did you get in OrangeSky? :}

[Snigs]

Well I've just heard some news that clearly suggests that that those nice people at Astraeus have taken leave of their senses, isn't that right Nearly Man???? ;) :cool:

[jidder]

Well gays there is always something positive to take away from something like this.

You got further than most and you have had a sneak look into the Abyss.

Surely that is a chance that many are still to have:ok:

I'd just like to say a very BIG good luck to the guys that got through and well done PRUNE for giving them the chance.

Some light at the end of the tunnel for all of us i think!

:cool: Peace out Dudes:ok:

[Nearly Man]

They may well have Snigs :} But then again, I'd like to think not :)

[haughtney1]

Id just like to pass on my thanks to all who contributed to the great experience Ive had in the last week or so.........Hamrah...Gordon (sim guy), everyone who attended the interviews..(and had to do the standup routine......who would have guessed mother in-laws and marraige breakups would have been so funny:p )..I havent laughed that hard for a while! And last but by no means least, Danny..without your efforts combined with Hamrah...none of this would have been possible.

Its a shame that anyone had to miss out...but it is fantastic experience moving forward.

To the guys that made it through...all I can say is well done!...and see you monday.

Oh and if I've missed anyone out...blame my wife...shes had me awake half the night drinkin beer.. :)


Thanks


H
:ok:

[Flypuppy]

Congratulations Nearly Man. :)

You will still be ugly, but at least you will be ugly in a 757 :D

[lucky jim]

Hi all....

Unfortunately....did not get in .....bugger !
To coin a phrase from a colleague of mine ..who was also unsuccessful i flew like a sheep with its head up its a-- !

I can only say a big congrats' to the lucky 4 and wish you all the best.

For interest i would say, two things contributed to my average sim ride;
1. While my scan is good, i failed to compensate for the fact that the instrument fit (position of instrument) was very different to that which i normally fly not to mention part- efis. I went in with the attitude all i need to do is watch HEADING / HEIGHT / ATTITUDE / SPEED ....all very well if your used to where they are and the type of display you are using.
2. I found that the a/c reacted very differently to what i was used to (not a suprise being so diff' in size and performance) , i felt as time went on i was getting the "FEEL " for it but as all instrument pilots know its important to stay ahead of the a/c or you spend all your time chasing rather than being in front thus making a big increase in workload and eventually a break down in scan.

I would like to thank Danny and John.M for the massive opportunity and for meeting some great people. I can honestly say i really enjoyed the whole exp' . . (except the last e-mail) if the recruitment experience is anything to go by Astraeus are a great company to work for and for that reason i feel very disapointed to have not made the cut.

For all those who feel dispondent that they didnt make it
1. You did well to get that far.
2. As someone in the business said to me "Pilots have very high expectations of themselves, even in new and unfamiliar situations..this can only be a good thing as Safety and professionalism in our line of work must always be paramount.

Good luck all and hope you keep us informed
(third in the sim Tuesday) .N.
;)

[Danny]

Thanks to everyone. It was a monumental effort to get this selection process up and running in less than two weeks. Unfortunately I couldn't help out in the sim assessments as I was supposed to be away on holiday but the 'flu that I have probably passed on to all the candidates wouldn't let go and I ended up just waiting to hear how everyone got on in the sim.

It is always going to be a disappointment for the majority when so few places are available but we hope those of you who at least got through to the sim assessment managed to gain from that experience. I know that we'd love to be able to offer more positions but as you all know, aviation is a harsh world, especially for those of you trying to break into it.

Hopefully, the lucky four will come back on here from time to time and keep us updated on how they are getting on and keeping the rest of you excited about getting your first tyrpe rating and job. Well done to everyone and hopefully we'll be back here again with another exciting chance for a few more to join the ranks of the eternal whingers! :ooh: Did I really say that? Just kidding! :O

[Cavallier]

Hello all,
I also got the email this morning telling me I had not been successful. Would just like to say again thanks very much to all the guys who took part on the Saturday selection day, and then a few days later in the sim ( especially Alan........what a legend! )
Good luck to the four who got in and keep us posted on how your training goes.

Cav ( last in sim Tues )

PS Did anyone on the Tuesday get in ?

[salapilot]

Now that i've said congrats and all that Nearly Man, thinking about it , you are rather ugly.........Astraeus I demand a recount !!

sp

[God save the Queen]

Hi All

I was 4th in the sim on tues and have been accepted, I cant wait.
good luck to all the others for the future and thanks for the company.
I'll let you know how things are going when I get a mo.
Big thanks to Pprune and Astraeus for this great opportunity.

[featherman]

Hiya!

Just seen this thread and read about the interesting events of the last few days. I Would like to congratulate those of you who got through the assessment and made it into Astraeus. Well done!!!

Having been fortunate enough to have made it on the original Astraeus/PPRuNe sponsorship scheme I can tell you that you have a great time awaiting you. It hardly goes without saying that life won't quite be the same from now on. Will be great to meet up for a beer and chat sometime when my current duty in Asia is up.

In the meantime have fun and enjoy!!!!

[Nearly Man]

salapilot .. I didn't think I was that ugly! :}

NOW the hard work begins :)

[jidder]

:} Well done Nearly man!

Just remember you have to fly this thing even in non isa conditions! Couds an'all.......

Good luck mate, i'm sure you wont need it with the Type but you will with the ladies! Whatever you fly!!:E

The Great Unwashed!!!:ok:

[EGPFlyer]

The world has gone mad!! ;) Well done Nearly Man, you deserve it!

[Snigs]

There was a time that I thought that the "Nearly Man" name came from the progress of an aviation career, but alas, I was mistaken, it's all about the conquest of women isn't it mate? :E

[Nearly Man]

Snigs, yes you're right, of course .. However, I couldn't pull a cracker at the moment :confused:

Anyway, how I shall smile at the thought of you in the muck, getting the stuffing knocked out of you at FL200 :}

[haughtney1]

Sniggs..you know nearly man a bit better than most of us.......can you kindly inform him..to leave the spotty "Mr Blobby" shirt at home?......plus I think hes getting dressed in the dark.......:rolleyes: :p

[orangesky]

..... nearly man has been so concerned about doing the wet drill and having all the hosties seeing him in the pool ... after his spotted Mr Blobby shirt on Fri, i am waiting to see what glamorous pattern his speedo will have :E :E

[Snigs]

Nooooooooo, it couldn't have been worse than the one he was wearing (and thankfully ripped) on Monday could it? :oh:

Haughtney1, I think it's a lost cause, even if he got dressed with the light on, things wouldn't change! :8

[jaarrgh]

Now all the dust has settled.... I wanted to say thanks to all the team that put this together and well done to the lucky ones who got through. It was clearly lots of hard work from you all and a great success from PPRuNe. onwards and upwards and good luck on the course.

[haughtney1]

Sniggs..the news couldnt be worse......he turned up the next day with a "new" shirt..identical to the offending ripped article....oh dear:hmm:

[Nearly Man]

You punks .. bit of quality shirt style flew straight past you .. ill trained baboons

[Snigs]

haughtney1, did Nearly Man get out the needle and thread and sew it up, or was it really another identical incarnation??

If so it must have been on sale, 2 for 1, at the local Eastend Market!!

(And D, don't give me a "whiteout" for that.....:p.......)

[haughtney1]

As per usual nearlyman..playing the man..not the ball, the style kept flying....past me..past everyone else..out the window..down the street..................oh by the way..hows your mouse working?