sparx007
26th Apr 2008, 21:57
Hi all,
Can somebody give some pointers on the type of technical questions likely to be asked at the airline interviews??? having just completed my ATPL's i am aware that perhaps 80% can be erased from my memory however there is sure to be some useful stuff to retain for assistance with interviews etc. Any suggestions where to read over for airline interviews?? Is the info in the ATPL books likely to be suitable or can you recommend any specific publications to stay fresh with???
Cheers in advance,
Sparx
matt_hooks
27th Apr 2008, 10:34
The tech questions at interview will vary with the type that you are applying for a job on and the company. You can foresee, for example, that a TP operator is likely to ask you questions about TP's, whereas a jet operator is likely to be interested in things like swept wings.
Met is always a favourite area for questions, every interview I've heard of has some met type questions, for example decoding a METAR/TAF (and if you manage to get to interview without knowing how to do THAT then there's something wrong) but also reading the area charts, decoding pressure charts, identifying warm/cold fronts and giving an assessment of the possible wx at certain positions.
V speeds again are a great favourite. I went through my ATPL notes and made a list of each V speed I found, along with any defining factors for each. Print this list out and have a quick glance over it just before you go in to the interview, it saved my bacon on a couple of questions.
Also, have a good look at the lift/drag curves etc. and the equations of lift and drag. Know the equations and what each variable represents.
So I guess what I'm saying is that they are extremely unlikely to ever ask you anything technical wise that's outside the ATPL syllabus, although some like to go into specifics of the aircraft you've been flying. So when you've passed everything and are looking for that first job, spend a couple of hours each week just generally refreshing your memory of the ATPL stuff.
Also to be remembered, if you don't know the answer to a question don't be afraid to say so. This is sometimes a better answer than an incomplete or wrong answer. Don't try and bluff it, they WILL know. If you can work it out from first principles this is good as it shows the ability to think on your feet, but don't be afraid to say "I'm sorry, I don't know the answer to that"