Interview Questions from Hell
Join Date: Feb 2009
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Here is a clue with your U/S nav light. First of all work out who can help you with this problem then make them all part of your team.
The answer-I wouldnt go because the MEL says I can't is correct but needs little thought, using some lateral thinking may provide a better solution.
The answer-I wouldnt go because the MEL says I can't is correct but needs little thought, using some lateral thinking may provide a better solution.
Join Date: Nov 2011
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thanks to all for your comments,
these questions are tricky as i know what i would do in real life but don't want to put my foot in it in an interview and look like i have little regard for the rules.
much easier when its more clear cut on safety issues like capt flying through minima's
these questions are tricky as i know what i would do in real life but don't want to put my foot in it in an interview and look like i have little regard for the rules.
much easier when its more clear cut on safety issues like capt flying through minima's
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Our Captain's initial interview was conducted for us by a Flight Safety instructor. He asked the guy, "Okay, you're on about a one mile final to 30L at Minneapolis, runway in sight, airplane's properly configured, everything looks good and your FO says emphatically "Go around!". What do you do.
His response was:
TO/GA
Set maximum continuous thrust
Call for flaps 20
Maintain Vref Flaps 39 + 5 knots
Positive rate, gear up
Call the miss
Checklist please.
And then he remarked, "I have a strong preference for figuring out what's going on while moving away from the ground rather than toward it.
I liked that answer
His response was:
TO/GA
Set maximum continuous thrust
Call for flaps 20
Maintain Vref Flaps 39 + 5 knots
Positive rate, gear up
Call the miss
Checklist please.
And then he remarked, "I have a strong preference for figuring out what's going on while moving away from the ground rather than toward it.
I liked that answer
Join Date: Apr 2011
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On my EJ MPL interview:
Interviewer (referring to the team assessment earlier in the day): So, earlier in the day your team failed to build the bridge as required. Do you feel your teamwork failed?
Me: "I believe that we still used great teamwork despite not achieving the final objective"
*interviewer smirks*
Interviewer: "What about if you were FO, and through a series of errors together your team reached the wrong destination airport. Has your teamwork still failed then?"
We both laughed it off as I had clearly dug myself in a hole - really enjoyable interview overall despite going very red after the above
Interviewer (referring to the team assessment earlier in the day): So, earlier in the day your team failed to build the bridge as required. Do you feel your teamwork failed?
Me: "I believe that we still used great teamwork despite not achieving the final objective"
*interviewer smirks*
Interviewer: "What about if you were FO, and through a series of errors together your team reached the wrong destination airport. Has your teamwork still failed then?"
We both laughed it off as I had clearly dug myself in a hole - really enjoyable interview overall despite going very red after the above
Join Date: Nov 2011
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RE: your captain wants to fly through minima, what do you do?
Am i right in saying that only the pilot flying needs visual reference, it is not a requirement necessarily that both do?
If that's the case, it gets much harder to say i'd call for a go around at minima if the captain wants to fly through. He may (or say) he has visual.
Any thoughts?!?
Am i right in saying that only the pilot flying needs visual reference, it is not a requirement necessarily that both do?
If that's the case, it gets much harder to say i'd call for a go around at minima if the captain wants to fly through. He may (or say) he has visual.
Any thoughts?!?
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Our Captain's initial interview was conducted for us by a Flight Safety instructor. He asked the guy, "Okay, you're on about a one mile final to 30L at Minneapolis, runway in sight, airplane's properly configured, everything looks good and your FO says emphatically "Go around!". What do you do.
His response was:
TO/GA
Set maximum continuous thrust
Call for flaps 20
Maintain Vref Flaps 39 + 5 knots
Positive rate, gear up
Call the miss
Checklist please.
And then he remarked, "I have a strong preference for figuring out what's going on while moving away from the ground rather than toward it.
I liked that answer
His response was:
TO/GA
Set maximum continuous thrust
Call for flaps 20
Maintain Vref Flaps 39 + 5 knots
Positive rate, gear up
Call the miss
Checklist please.
And then he remarked, "I have a strong preference for figuring out what's going on while moving away from the ground rather than toward it.
I liked that answer
And how does the above sit with the many operators who prohibit reject calls from the FO? The pax have paid for two professional pilots, they know that one is more experienced than the other, but on takeoff only one gets to make a crucial decision... That's not fulfilling the public expectation, regardless if any other ponderings...
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Whilst I appreciate your point being made, it is very very wrong. A landing is never assured and you should always be anticipating the go-around. What if the Fo has just noticed the gear isn't downlocked? What if he's just spotted an aircraft entering the runway with his better eyesight than yours? Granted, he should probably say what he/she has seen first then call the G/A.
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Quote:
Anybody got any thoughts on the flying with a nav light/landing light out question?
If your MEL etc. doesn't prohibit operation, then the question is probably aimed at seeing if you know that in the UK at least, ATC can give you permission to operate minus a Nav. Light.
Anybody got any thoughts on the flying with a nav light/landing light out question?
If your MEL etc. doesn't prohibit operation, then the question is probably aimed at seeing if you know that in the UK at least, ATC can give you permission to operate minus a Nav. Light.
The MEL is applicable up to the point at which the aircraft begins to move under its own
power.So if you already know it during the walk around, it's not legal to go. (I don't know about the derogations from ATC).
But if you discover it at the holding point, you can go.
Join Date: Feb 2009
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The navigation light problem isnt about the regulations, thats what you are all missing.These questions are to see whether you can make decisons and work as a team member
The MEL is applicable up to the point at which the aircraft begins to move under its own
power.
power.
Different strokes for different folks!
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Maybe to get a point back you could add:
If great teamwork ensured the safety of the flight, than perhaps it's better to have reached the wrong destination, than a serious compromise of safety through poor teamwork/communication.
If great teamwork ensured the safety of the flight, than perhaps it's better to have reached the wrong destination, than a serious compromise of safety through poor teamwork/communication.
When conducting interviews for technical (not flying) positions, I liked to think that most of my questions had no wrong answers - they were designed to allow the candidates to show their reasoning processes. However, I was floored by one answer to such a question, from an Indian PhD engineer. "I'm sorry, that is something I have not been taught."
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The pax have paid for two professional pilots, they know that one is more experienced than the other, but on takeoff only one gets to make a crucial decision...
This is not always true in all airlines/charter companies your thinking and comment, sometimes I have sat left seat when the right seater is a person who was flying while I was still learning how to crap in a crapper! But you are correct they are paying for 2 professional pilots, they are trusting their lives with both of you as a team doing your jobs. Also most places I worked either of us can call the abort on takeoff (I know this does differ in some companies and aircraft for differing reasons)
I agree 100% with the comment ""I have a strong preference for figuring out what's going on while moving away from the ground rather than toward it." This very situation happened the other day on short final when got a inboard brake fail cas, went around fixed it , landed normal.
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Why do you want to work with us?
Here's a nice question that every interviewer asks to us, low houred, first job hunters...
And the first answer that always comes to my mind is:
BECAUSE I NEED TO FLY!!! I DON'T CARE WHO YOU ARE, JUST GIVE ME A JOB!!!!
But that's not quite professional, isn't it?
Obviously they know exactly what is the answer (and it's not far away from your thoughts)... But they do it on purpose, to see how good you can lie and tell them that between the hundreds of companies around who could hire you, you've chosen THEM just because they're the best...
Now... How would you answer to the above question, without sounding too ridiculous?
Any suggestion is much appreciated
And the first answer that always comes to my mind is:
BECAUSE I NEED TO FLY!!! I DON'T CARE WHO YOU ARE, JUST GIVE ME A JOB!!!!
But that's not quite professional, isn't it?
Obviously they know exactly what is the answer (and it's not far away from your thoughts)... But they do it on purpose, to see how good you can lie and tell them that between the hundreds of companies around who could hire you, you've chosen THEM just because they're the best...
Now... How would you answer to the above question, without sounding too ridiculous?
Any suggestion is much appreciated
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You have put the emphasis on the sixth word, when you should be putting it on the third. They want to know why you want to work for that company. If you are simply looking for any job, it is not indicative that you have any real interest in that company, or that you would be committed to them.
They are interested in what your answer is. There may be any number of interesting responses all of which would be quite satisfactory and likely to help build up a picture of the individual.
I am not sure how somebody else is supposed to answer this for you. My answers would likely be different from somebody elses. The response would show something about myself and something about my research and understanding of the company I was applying to. The response may well be different from one company to the next.
You have made the mistake of locking your mental model into there being an "obvious" answer, or that it is a trick question.
They are interested in what your answer is. There may be any number of interesting responses all of which would be quite satisfactory and likely to help build up a picture of the individual.
I am not sure how somebody else is supposed to answer this for you. My answers would likely be different from somebody elses. The response would show something about myself and something about my research and understanding of the company I was applying to. The response may well be different from one company to the next.
You have made the mistake of locking your mental model into there being an "obvious" answer, or that it is a trick question.
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As with all interview questions, what is the real question? Here they are saying they don't want someone who is going to spend a year with them, building hours before leaving for somewhere else. You simply need to convince them that they are your dream employer.
If the interview was at BA, this would be easy. If you pitched up at Ryanair it might initially seem more of a difficult job but there's still loads you could say, like, how you always wanted to fly the B737, how it would be great to fly a young, modern, well maintained fleet, how the stable roster patern would fit well with your lifestyle, how you and your other half have long talked about moving down to the Mediterranean and RYR would be well placed to offer you this (once you've joined you can always "change your mind").
And thats just off the top of my head, you can think up something for any airline. The interviewer isn't an idiot and will know you're most likely bullsh@tting, but that's the game HR wants us to play.
If the interview was at BA, this would be easy. If you pitched up at Ryanair it might initially seem more of a difficult job but there's still loads you could say, like, how you always wanted to fly the B737, how it would be great to fly a young, modern, well maintained fleet, how the stable roster patern would fit well with your lifestyle, how you and your other half have long talked about moving down to the Mediterranean and RYR would be well placed to offer you this (once you've joined you can always "change your mind").
And thats just off the top of my head, you can think up something for any airline. The interviewer isn't an idiot and will know you're most likely bullsh@tting, but that's the game HR wants us to play.
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There's no magic ingredient to this question. The truth is a good place to start because it tells them what motivates you, it's possible that you actually don't want the job you just don't know it .
Either way your response must sound convincing so being honest with a garnish of "I like these aspects of your company and reckon I'd fit in" is probably a reasonably successful response.
.Either way your response must sound convincing so being honest with a garnish of "I like these aspects of your company and reckon I'd fit in" is probably a reasonably successful response.
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Just place yourself from an employer's point of view, what would you like to hear?
Just basically put yourself in their shoes and the answer will flow. That's what I did
Just basically put yourself in their shoes and the answer will flow. That's what I did