DHL UK info requested
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Germany
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Hi Alfonso,
to my knowledge selection process does consist of two stages. First being in EMA where you will meet one from HR and normally one member of the flight staff. (trainer, captain.). But whoever will sit there, that shouldn't make a difference to you ;-)
You can expect to fill in a 100+ questionnaire where you have always only two either/or answers. Some questions are quite difficult to answer, as both answers absolutely don't fit to you. It is a while ago a sat the test, so I forgot all questions already, sorry can't give you an example. But it was a standard HR questionnaire as they are commonly used in the industry. Try to google to find some examples...
The interview is straight forward. They want to know what you have done before flying/application with DHK, what you experiences in several different situation were, what colleagues and/or friends would think about you and – most important – how do you qualify for DHL (what are the assets you can bring in, will the working pattern suits you, where do you see yourself after some years with the company). They will probably ask you whether or not you would like to live and work in LEJ. So having a good reason for being happy there, might influence the outcome of the interview. Quite regularly, they will ask you several questions about performance, principles of flight, airframe and design...
Examples: “On departure out of GVA, you get a FMC message “unable next altitude”. What can you do in your 757 to solve the problem”
ATIS: -20/-27 Q 993 O007 w/c; flying a Precision approach, what altitude will you see indicated on the altimeters when passing the OM.
Similar to that, you get a clearance on a flight level to proceed direct to a point. Taking into account this nasty mountain ridge in between, can you accept the clearance?
What does aspect ratio mean.
And so on....
It is not uncommon that they ask questions referring to the last A/C type flown . (What is the engine rating, advantages of 6 vs. 4 blade propellers, landing weights. You see those sort of questions tend to be quite easy. (Don't know how they are if you are 57 rated ;-)
There were rumours that cadets (those guys being fresh from school) had to do a technical presentation (topic given by the company) and a group exercise as well. Sorry, can't confirm nor deny it.
They will call you two or three days later advising you if you have passed or not. Positively, you will be invited to a SIM screening on the 757 which is usually in Cranebank at BA SIM Centre. They will provide you in advance will all the profiles and SOP that must be used during that screening. You can expect to get all the instrument charts together with the weather that will be used during screening. Normally 3 or 4 candidates are invited to a screening. Once you have finished, you can go home. So you might wait a while before you are in the Sim, subject to sequence. In the Sim box will be a training captain (used to be/is a retired Britannia chap. Nice guy, lot of experience) and a assisting pilot on the left seat (usually a DHL F/O). You will do everything there. So your radio while on ground. Once airborne it is usually done by the guy LHS. How to fly the bird will be explained in the preparation material you have got in advance and during the pre-briefing. Screening itself should not last longer than a hour. But, it can be much shorter if they like what they see. Again, what you need to show depends on experience and rating. I have prepared myself with some 6-10 hours using FS2002 and a 757 freeware cockpit just to enjoy memorizing the procedures and SOP. You might as well doing chair flying only. Do you need to book a SIM session for preparation?! Well, that depends mostly on your experience. But DHK don't expect you to do. I would say, as long as you show good knowledge of the profiles they have sent to you, apply the SOPs as expected and can fly the plane using the pitch and thrust values they have provided you with, you should be fine. Oh wait, be a nice guy is quite important. I am sure they will mark your behaviour throughout the entire selection/screening process.
If you have the time. On the BA premises in Cranebank you can find a canteen. Food is OK and not very expensive, me think.
After some days company will call you and give you thumbs up (or down). They will than send a contract to you.
From now on it all depends on your recent experience. Guys with an unfrozen ATPL tend to get some >40T Pounds plus flight pay per year. As well those with a proper rating. Guys w/o a unfrozen ATPL will start on as less as 28T Pounds plus flight pay. Expect to be based in LEJ straight away after you have finished line training. LEJ can be quite an issue as far as commuting is concern. You will get free tix on any DHL freighter on the network having a BCS callsign (no LH Cargo, World Cargo, Atlas...) But, especially on the route from/to EMA and BRU the jumpseats will be crowded with guys that are based there and are sent by need of the company. So don't rely on sufficient jump seat capacity.
Commuting from UK (or anywhere else in Europe) to LEJ using commercial flights can be really a problem. Don't know exactly, but there are not many flights a day that does not come from another German airport. Low Cost carriers are still rare there... But LEJ itself seems to be a nice city to live in.
Flying hours wise expect approx. 300h a year. So I wouldn't recommend to join with much less than 2500 hours on real aircraft, otherwise it might take ages before you have accumulated the required 3000 hours (minimum acc. OM-A) to be considered for command. Well at the end, I like it here, can be better, but can be much, much worse. Anything else or anything more specific you want to know?
to my knowledge selection process does consist of two stages. First being in EMA where you will meet one from HR and normally one member of the flight staff. (trainer, captain.). But whoever will sit there, that shouldn't make a difference to you ;-)
You can expect to fill in a 100+ questionnaire where you have always only two either/or answers. Some questions are quite difficult to answer, as both answers absolutely don't fit to you. It is a while ago a sat the test, so I forgot all questions already, sorry can't give you an example. But it was a standard HR questionnaire as they are commonly used in the industry. Try to google to find some examples...
The interview is straight forward. They want to know what you have done before flying/application with DHK, what you experiences in several different situation were, what colleagues and/or friends would think about you and – most important – how do you qualify for DHL (what are the assets you can bring in, will the working pattern suits you, where do you see yourself after some years with the company). They will probably ask you whether or not you would like to live and work in LEJ. So having a good reason for being happy there, might influence the outcome of the interview. Quite regularly, they will ask you several questions about performance, principles of flight, airframe and design...
Examples: “On departure out of GVA, you get a FMC message “unable next altitude”. What can you do in your 757 to solve the problem”
ATIS: -20/-27 Q 993 O007 w/c; flying a Precision approach, what altitude will you see indicated on the altimeters when passing the OM.
Similar to that, you get a clearance on a flight level to proceed direct to a point. Taking into account this nasty mountain ridge in between, can you accept the clearance?
What does aspect ratio mean.
And so on....
It is not uncommon that they ask questions referring to the last A/C type flown . (What is the engine rating, advantages of 6 vs. 4 blade propellers, landing weights. You see those sort of questions tend to be quite easy. (Don't know how they are if you are 57 rated ;-)
There were rumours that cadets (those guys being fresh from school) had to do a technical presentation (topic given by the company) and a group exercise as well. Sorry, can't confirm nor deny it.
They will call you two or three days later advising you if you have passed or not. Positively, you will be invited to a SIM screening on the 757 which is usually in Cranebank at BA SIM Centre. They will provide you in advance will all the profiles and SOP that must be used during that screening. You can expect to get all the instrument charts together with the weather that will be used during screening. Normally 3 or 4 candidates are invited to a screening. Once you have finished, you can go home. So you might wait a while before you are in the Sim, subject to sequence. In the Sim box will be a training captain (used to be/is a retired Britannia chap. Nice guy, lot of experience) and a assisting pilot on the left seat (usually a DHL F/O). You will do everything there. So your radio while on ground. Once airborne it is usually done by the guy LHS. How to fly the bird will be explained in the preparation material you have got in advance and during the pre-briefing. Screening itself should not last longer than a hour. But, it can be much shorter if they like what they see. Again, what you need to show depends on experience and rating. I have prepared myself with some 6-10 hours using FS2002 and a 757 freeware cockpit just to enjoy memorizing the procedures and SOP. You might as well doing chair flying only. Do you need to book a SIM session for preparation?! Well, that depends mostly on your experience. But DHK don't expect you to do. I would say, as long as you show good knowledge of the profiles they have sent to you, apply the SOPs as expected and can fly the plane using the pitch and thrust values they have provided you with, you should be fine. Oh wait, be a nice guy is quite important. I am sure they will mark your behaviour throughout the entire selection/screening process.
If you have the time. On the BA premises in Cranebank you can find a canteen. Food is OK and not very expensive, me think.
After some days company will call you and give you thumbs up (or down). They will than send a contract to you.
From now on it all depends on your recent experience. Guys with an unfrozen ATPL tend to get some >40T Pounds plus flight pay per year. As well those with a proper rating. Guys w/o a unfrozen ATPL will start on as less as 28T Pounds plus flight pay. Expect to be based in LEJ straight away after you have finished line training. LEJ can be quite an issue as far as commuting is concern. You will get free tix on any DHL freighter on the network having a BCS callsign (no LH Cargo, World Cargo, Atlas...) But, especially on the route from/to EMA and BRU the jumpseats will be crowded with guys that are based there and are sent by need of the company. So don't rely on sufficient jump seat capacity.
Commuting from UK (or anywhere else in Europe) to LEJ using commercial flights can be really a problem. Don't know exactly, but there are not many flights a day that does not come from another German airport. Low Cost carriers are still rare there... But LEJ itself seems to be a nice city to live in.
Flying hours wise expect approx. 300h a year. So I wouldn't recommend to join with much less than 2500 hours on real aircraft, otherwise it might take ages before you have accumulated the required 3000 hours (minimum acc. OM-A) to be considered for command. Well at the end, I like it here, can be better, but can be much, much worse. Anything else or anything more specific you want to know?
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Tierra del Fuego
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Hi Icebear,
Thanks for the info. Couldn't reply earlier, didn't have internet for the past few days. Will hear from them in a few days time.
Was very useful
!
Cheers Don
Thanks for the info. Couldn't reply earlier, didn't have internet for the past few days. Will hear from them in a few days time.
Was very useful
!Cheers Don
