equinox_code

hi

i was wondering if anyone knows how the interview is conducted at stage 3. do they ask a question and then wait for you to finish your answer, or do they often interrupt and question you on specific points you make?

also, is the questionairre i'm sending off particularly important? i'm not sure whether i should use a lot of my best interview 'answers' in the questions it specifies. i wouldn't want to repeat myself in front of them

any advice appreciated. please pm me if you have any additional help

cheers

bjkeates

They want to get to know you as a person, because they want to know you're right for the job. Like any interview they might ask you to clarify a point or elaborate on something a little further, but it's not some game where they're waiting for you to make a mistake and catch you out - what benefit would that bring? Just try and relax - easier said than done, but if you're relaxed the real "you" will come through better and that's what they want to see.

equinox_code

cheers. i've been trying to practise my interview technique, but i get nervous even when i'm talkingot myself! i know i really want this, and i know the reasons why, but i have trouble explaining myself thoroughly when called to. i've put in a lot of work too in making sure i'm familiar with the information i need to be. having trouble remembering the fleets though sometimes. would anyone know whether it's more important to know how many craft and what makes are in their fleet, or which particular models they own? i'm having a little trouble remembering all these things

also, safety and trust issues aside, is there any reason an airline would choose airbus over boieing, and vice-versa? i know about the interface differences. but does any particular model excel in practical application or for certain journeys or destinations?

flightless_bird

equinox_code - the more you know about the partner airlines' fleets the better. I know I was asked about them and while maybe knowing specific quantities of types of aircraft would be overkill, knowing who has what type of aircraft would show them that you have indeed done some preparation. At the very least I would recommend knowing roughly what the total fleet size of each airline is, which airlines have mixed Airbus/Boeing fleets and which airlines are going to be among the first to get the Dreamliner.

PAJ

I think how much they will expect you to know about fleet details will be commensurate with your flight experience/ exposure. Knowing the number of aircraft in each fleet is not too big a deal - thought the mergers are going to complicate things in that department considreably for a while!

In terms of why an airline might select Boeing over Airbus or vice-versa, a great deal is about politics - ie. American airlines supporting American companies like Boeing, and European airlines supporting Airbus. They will not expect you to know interface differences between aircraft - Basics such as Airbus being Fly-by-wire is one thing you might want to mention. Also you see all airbus aircraft have winglets and now the 737NGs are doing this - why? (aerodynamic efficiencies from wake vorticies). I would concern yourself more with knowing about what you are actually going to be doing as a pilot on a day to day basis. Also, get together loads of examples showing how you have demonstrated different core qualities.

equinox_code

does anyone know how the mergers are going to affect the way some of the partner airlines are run? i haven't got much of a business brain and have had trouble understanding how this side of the industry works

PAJ

Tough to know at this stage as very little has been published. I suspect the first thing we will see will be management restructuring - integrating two (or in TUI's case more!) companies is always a struggle and may take some time. In regards to the charter market, and how it will respond, we are now going to see two key players competing for market share. Perhaps this has all come at the right time with further pending climate change policies likely so how the companies decide their long-term strategies will be interesting. Growth is obviously key so we may see cheaper package deals emerge to allow more consumers to get in on the action, digging at niche markets that have been left to specialist tour operators until now but generally attemts to out price each other.

In regards to the airlines continuing to operate individually or to merge, we still don't know. My personal opinion is that MyTravel will become Thomas Cook Airlines more to do with brand awareness than anything, plus it is not as visible a company as the others (all of whom have high street stores of the same name, ie Thomson Holidays, First Choice Travel etc.). I have no idea about the TUI/ First Choice merger. TUI is rebranding all of its subsidies over the next 18 months or so to all be TUI Airlines, so that means we will no longer be seeing Thomsonfly airlines. With this in mind, perhaps they might choose to get maximum brand exposure and take on First Choice, but First Choice in themselves are a very strong company so they would be benefits in keeping both airlines seperate. We'll see though.

With fleet expansion, recruitment etc, there will be a significant slow down for a while as the new combined assets (both aircraft and people) are assessed and compared with what they require to meet what is set out in their respective stratefies. All of this is just conjecture on my part but I hope it can be of some help.

equinox_code

thankyou very much. really helpful*

EZYramper

hey all glad to say that I passed stage 2 today. Anyone else there today pass as well?

I would just like to highly recommend the GAPAN tests at this time. They are very similar to CTC's PILAPT tests and prepared me well for them.

Not sure when I'm going to be back for stage 3. I'm going to be completing OAT/NetJets stage 2 assessment before I do CTC's. On paper they look very similar, anyone have any experience with both?

For anyone going to the CTC assessments, I stayed in the Fishermans Haunt and found it to be quite nice. The room smelled a bit like old people and was a little dated but it was fine just to brush up on my maths the night before and get a good nights sleep in prep for the PILAPTs and maths test.

Should also add for the maths test, make sure you know all your squared numbers up to about 20 as well as a lot of long division and multiplication.

And relax and enjoy it, the people there are very nice and friendly and the other candidates were also very nice and talkative.

equinox_code

feeling pretty well prepared for the interview now. just having a bit of trouble with the maths as i've got to resit. how would i solve an example problem like this- a plane bruns 42 litres of fuel over 120 miles. tavelling at 500mps, how far will it have travelled when by the time it burns 350 litres?
having a little trouble getting my head around situation problems like this. not sure whether i should be figuring it out accurately or getting a faster approximation.
if anyone else can remember any particular maths questions they were asked, pm them to me and i'll shower you with praise. only got 3 days of revision left so trying to focus my attention more specifically

@ yaw. thanks for the reply. tried to send you a message explaining how appreciative i was, but your inbox was full

PAJ

Thats not too tough - basic performance calcs. Doubt the figures you will get at selection will be quite so oblique - generally they tend to be more rounded numbers. Anyways, for that example I would do the following.

42 is close to 50, and you know 350 is divisible exactly by 50:
350/50 = 7
I would then multiply this by the number of miles each 42 litres will take you:
7 x 120 = 840 miles

With this, check against the choices you are given. If there is a clear cut answer, then there you have it. If there are a couple close by, you need to go a little further....

Via long division:
350/42 = 8.3
Then through long multiplication:
8.3 x 120 = 996 miles

The crude estimation works out to be nearly 20% different so I guess it's all down to the factors you choose. Take each question as it comes and decide how precise you need to be - you dont necessarily have enough time to labour over precise calculations for all the questions (much like on the flightdeck).

johnston_fraser

Hi everyone, just wondering if you can give me an idea of how long the phase 2 assessment takes? I am booked into the 9am session and was wondering if it would be safe to catch the 13:55 flight back to Glasgow.

Any ideas?

Thanks

RS999

Hi there. I assume you are flying back to Prestwick with Ryanair?? If so, their return flight leaves BOH at 1535hrs.

I've used this flight before when I sat Stage 2 and then when I went back down to resit Stage 2. I had plenty of time to make my flight back to PIK.

Will be using the same flights when I sit stages 3 & 4 in a couple of weeks.

Theres enough time for you to chill out and have a couple of beers in the (excuse for) a departure lounge at BOH after your Stage 2 prior to your flight too which is a bonus

General Zod

That's good to know as I'll be using the same service next Tuesday after my stage 2

EZYramper

Does anyone know what kind of sim they use at Stage 4?

Is it a 737NG or a classic 737?

I might be jumping the gun here but was just curious!!

A post from Nov 2004 said it was a 737-300 so just wanted to make sure this was the sim still in use.

Cheers

equinox_code

hi all, hopefully my last questions as my interview is tomorrow

during my trial flight, we were guided back to the runway by atc. i seem to recal there being a specific name for this approach. can someone tell me what it's called?

also, do british airways do charter or schedule? (sorry, really can't find anywhere that gives me a specific answer to that question)

Bambe

Phase 2 mathematics are more than easy. The only thing you have to be able to do is being able to divise and multiplicate with a pen and a paper (I know it's a long, long time ago but it comes back pretty quick).
15 minutes is really enough, I bought Speed mathematics and must avoid that the book is fantastic and really interesting as you learn some incredible way to calculate in less than 10 seconds 95X102.......But this is totally useless for the phase 2. This is my point of view.

Please do not worry about the maths, even if you read :"give the cube root of 125....." Just have a look at the results it's obvious.(5X5X5=125)

The pilapt is really much more stressful as it starts by the deviation indicator. For those who downloaded the pilapt test, be advised that both of the Deviation indicator are wrong. On D-day you will have to push it right to bring the cross on the right and left to bring it back left....seems obvious I agree but I was quite surprised.

I'm on phase 3 in 8 days, but if successfull.....No course before November!!!!

Enjoy, try to relax, those people from CTC are really nice.

equinox_code

"hi all, hopefully my last questions as my interview is tomorrow

during my trial flight, we were guided back to the runway by atc. i seem to recal there being a specific name for this approach. can someone tell me what it's called?

also, do british airways do charter or schedule? (sorry, really can't find anywhere that gives me a specific answer to that question)"

one more question to add to these- is terminal 5 funded solely by british airways?

MajorYaw

For those who need to know about the Visa process turnaround, I sent mine special delivery on Thursday night. I received it back on Tuesday. Now that's good service. I didn't even have to write a letter asking them to treat it urgently.

Circumstance meant I was cutting it fine, but it all came good in the end. My advice is to do it sooner rather than later, but if it has to go to the wire send it special delivery and they'll sort it out quickly.

reggy_uk

Hey Ezyramper.

If I remember rightly from my phase 4 it was the 737-300 at nursling. Certainly wasnt the NG! Great fun though. Enjoy and good luck.