On my way to HK for the 2nd interview

[Beech19]

Hi Guys

Just got off the phone with Cathay, looks like i did okay as i am off to Hong Kong for the 2nd interview.

Just wanted to say thanks for the tech help i got over the last few weeks.

Cheers:ok:

[captwawa]

Any chance you could provide a debrief of your initial interview?

PM me or post here would be appreciated - I have my initial coming up in October and would like to hear some feedback

Cheers and good luck for stage 2!

wawa :ok:

[Mink]

Nice job! Please pass on the stage 1 interview info when you get the chance so the rest ofus can learn from your experience...

[Beech19]

Okay guys, here's how mine went...

The first half of it was a 30 question multiple choice. It really was quite simple, i was given 30 mins, but it only took 15, including the time to double check my answers.
Question i can remember:
Cloud types in a cold front;
total drag curve;
Above 14000 ft holding pattern - 1& a half mins right hand hold;
angle of attack question, how it affects my centre of pressure;
Microburst;
If an aircraft is in a turn at a constant bank angle, what happens to it's rate and radius of turn; Typhoons
V1, VMCG, V2

I can't remember many more, but as you can see, alot of it is quite basic knowledge. Obviously they have different papers, so these particicular questions may not come up.

Once this was done, i was taken to another room for the actual interview; this was done by a lady, from H.R. , and a gentleman who was a training captain. Both were very nice and polite, they really did their best to help me relax. The personal questions were probally the toughest, you need to practice these with a friend. I thought that this would be quite simple, but it's not. They ask things like what are you bad points, describe yourself in 3 words, why do you want to join Cathay, can you live in HK, what are your interest's, can you do then in HK. i did quite a bit of research on the net for this info. I think that their biggest concern is if you will be happy and have similar interest's to others. I checked up running clubs, and sports facilities for squash etc. I think that they appreciated the research i did for this.

She them quized me about the company, she asked the op's directors name, i couldn't answer. She asked for fleet details, fortunatly i had done the research. How many aircraft in the fleet, what was the last one bought, and the one before. She asked about their north american routes, Austaralian routes and european routets. Just the destinations, i couldn't remember exact aircraft types for this.

She also asked alot of career questions, what i've done, where i want to be etc. Why i had made the desitions i had in my career.

We then moved onto the tech side. His first question was on windshear, and procedure if caught in it. He than asked about icing ( this was also in the tech paper, icing in cirrostratus cloud). He asked about cyclones, wich way they turn, and formation conditions. He saked about swept wing, why we use it. Stall speeds in prop and jet aircraft, balanced field lengths, what is it. EPR & IEPR, wet runways and aquaplanning, what flap setting would you use for this, i think it should be higher for a lower V1 and therefore closer to your aquaplanning speed in the event of stopping before v1. Alot of the qustions led into the next, so if he askes about carbon brakes, expect him to move onto braking abillities at high speed, etc. Know your aircraft type, when he saked about aquaplanning, i had to refer to my aircrafts aquaplanning speeds as an example.
He asked about asumed temperature take-off's. Why we do them. This question led us to EPR.

Be careful, as he also throws in 1 or 2 personal questions in the middle of things.

Stuff i didn't know, i just said " i don't know" he then spoon fed me a bit until i got to the answer. I don't think the sin is not answering, i think the sin is not working out the answer when he trying to help you get to it.

There was an A340 - 300 on the table. He asked one or 2 swept wing theory questions with regard to the model, that led into Dutch roll and super stalls.

I used Captains XYZ's, read through Handling the big jets ( Apparently this is their bible), and Ace the technical pilot interview ( Watch out for this book though, there are a few mistakes, his dutch roll, and lightning temperature are wrong for example). And the internet became my best friend. Prune was also very helpful, especially the tech page.

My biggest problem is getting tongue tied, you know the answer, you'll remember the answer while driving home, but can't think of it when he asks you. You need to relax.
Just be yourself, and sound very keen on joining the company.


Good luck and study hard. Hopefully we can meet up for a beer in HK.

Hope this helps

Beech19:ok:

[Mink]

Great debrief - thanks for the info!:ok:

[captwawa]

Thanks for spending the time to write a debrief.

All info is great

Thanks again

wawa :ok:

[Renaissance]

Congratulations Beeech19

We may have met at the interview if you did it on Thursday the 14th. Have you been told when you will be invited for the second interview?

Renaissance