I'm compiling a small dossier on some of the nastiest, trickiest interview questions kicking around wannabe land. I'll start the ball rolling with this little doozy:
"I don't like Scottish people - I reckon you're a bunch of sponging soapdodgers. Whadya think about that then?"

(bonus points if you can guess the company, triple bonus points if you can name the interviewer)

British Airways

I guess my response would be my Wife is Scottish, outside now, queensbury rules you cad!

The toughest of all interview questions is usually presented out of the blue and it is:

"Say something funny."

I suppose that would the que for one o f those "An Englishman, Irishmand and Scottsman..." type of jokes.

Asked of a female pilot:
"What do you do about sexual harrassment?"
Answer:
"I'd ask him not to complain."

If you can make them laugh at interview, you will probably get the job!

I have great reply for the "tell me something funny" line and I'll not post it for obvious reasons.

It is however good enough for a Peter Kay video and will have the Interviewer booking my sim slot from the interview room there and then.

it involves sitting on hands and spiral staircases that is all I shall say.....

I know of someone who had a line of questioning that went something like this (the interview was at Heathrow)

"How did you get here today then"?
"By car"
"Did you break the speed limit"?
"No"
"Oh come, everyone does it, how can you justify it?"
"Have you ever tried to do 70 mph on the M25 in rush hour"

Another one I know someone got asked (this was for a US Airline)
Situation : You are about to undertake the first sector of your line check with the Chief Training Captain. You walk back up the airstairs having done the walkaround and a passenger informs you he saw the Captain drinking an alchoholic drink in a bar earlier in the afternoon. What do you do?

You know, the last interview I ever had, a few weeks before Sep 11th as it happened, with a UK turboprop operator, ... there were 8 wannabes sitting round this table with the chief pilot and ops manager doing the group-interview thing, they went round the table one by one asking us the old "where do you see yourself in 10 years" ... it was funny watching one young wannabe after the other, singing the same old song "turboprop captain with this airline of course", knowing full well they were bullsh!tting and the CP knew it too, he just sat there nodding with this increasingly wry smirk on his face. I came last in line and I thought this guy is getting sick of listening to it, so I just said "to be honest sir I expect to work bloody hard for this company for three or four years, and then look to move on to a jet operator". Straight away the boss gave me a big cheesy grin and at the time I thought 'yep, right thing to say'. However, I didn't get the job

What would you guys say ... I mean they MUST know that 90% of you who apply to battered-old-turboprop operators are going to use it as a stepping stone, if it was me conducting the interview I'd rather that people just came out and admitted it ... maybe not ... ah well c'est la vie.

For a cadetship;

"Your a student you've never done a decent days work in your life, why should we employ you over all these hard working people we are interviewing."

still got the job though.

Hwel

What was your reply????

If they are asking nasty questions it is for you to decide what these people are going to be like as employers and if they are worthy of your hard won skills !.

The worst question I ever had at an interview was "would you lie for the company/department"
What would you answer???
I answered not if it involved safety in any way, but if it was to pacify lot's of angry people with a "the next will be in an hour" type lie then not a problem.. No didn't get it, but got much better one two weeks later

I think you have to base your replies on book answers for these kinds of questions. By that I mean never admit to be happy to lie, never agree that some people are less desirable than others, always be prepared to deal with safety issues head on, etc. You might feel like brown noser but come the moment for real most would not want to get into a character bashing excercise, lie for a company potentially maginifying its problems or fly with someone in charge who is sloshed.

Best one I heard of was:

"You're in the hotel restaurant on a stop over and in walks the Captain with a skirt on....what do you say?"

I caught a mate out with this one and he's an F/O for a major!

VFE.

Hi VFE (should'nt you be revising)???

The answer to your above question depends on weather you think the interview panel are looking for a sense of humour or not!!!!

How about this one from BA:-

Q. Why did you want to be a pilot?

A. The View! (correct answer apparently)

*Remember, Keep it simple Guys n Gals*

W-S.

I'd say "Of course I would" But then I'd point out that they really didn't know if I was being truthful when I said that.

Easy, I'd say it depends on whether the colour of the skirt clashed with her accesories.

Jeezus, I don't stand a chance! I would have actually said "blah blah blah blah blah blah..."

Answer(s) for the red dress answer:

1) If SHE wants to wear a dress on her time off, I don't see a problem with that.

or

2) Tell her to wait for me to get my dress

Psychometric test question:

"Put these in order of preference: Small boys, Guns or Flowers"



What does that say about a person!!!!!

Another similar psycho question was;

"Do you prefer a well crafted gun or a well written piece of prose"

At first you think 'what the h#ll?' but on reflection it's pretty obvious which category each answer will put you in. Remember there are no wrong answers in a psych test.

PP

ps. I went for the gun (not literally!) and they gave me a job!

One from British Midland for direct entry:

'You've just completed your pre-flight checks programming the FMS (2 sectors, so you'll be returning later in the day), the captain has just returned from doing his walkaround, and walks back into the cockpit, departure is in about 40 mins, and you suddenly remember you've left your licence and passport at home on the kitchen table.' (No other relief duty is available either) and you live 20 miles from the airport.

What do you do?

No Sponsor,

.......and your answer was?????