Cathay interview debrief part II
 

Well fellows, I meant to do this last week after I got back from HK but I was too stressed out! Waiting for the outcome was extremely nerve wracking, but since I got some really good news at 3 am, I feel much lighter and I'm ready to write this long post about the final interview.

So the 1st day, we didn't have much to do, it was mostly briefings from the company but we did have the group exercice. You have to find the best astronaut to lead a mission to destroy a meteor, the only relevant thing I can say is that you have a briefing sheet and profiles of different astronauts. I assumed we all had the same briefing sheet but we did not, they have different requirements on them so exchange the info!

The sim:
I had rented a couple of hours in Frankfurt, it didn't hurt so if you can afford it, I think it's a pretty good idea to practice. If only to make you feel more comfortable and thus more confident. Anyway if you succeed, I guarantee you won't think about that 1000€ in 10 years when you're relaxing on a sunny Philippino beach, I know I won't!
My ride wasn't great, it started really well, nice TO and climb out, nice first turn but I lost 200' on one of the steep turns, I got them back though.
1st approach, didn't configure early enough and so I was too fast on the intercept and overshot the loc, not to full deflection though. Now the stupid mistake which has made me really nervous this whole week: I was busy trying to set the EPR and lost my focus and saw the altitude going through the bug that indicates minimum on the altimeter so I called out "go-around", well we were still 1000' above the mnm! The instructor just said "no,no" and I realized and continued. That's basically the only mistake I did, with a little trouble keeping altitude. So my point is, if you do something stupid, keep flying, and keep flying well, we all make errors!

The final interview:

A few questions about Cathay: how many AC, which types, destinations in Africa, India, North America. Duties of SO, who would you fly with? But mostly personnal questions. I mentionned things that I knew about HK like the location of the French school and asked if the retirement age would come up, they were impressed that I was already looking so far ahead with their company.

Finally the technical questions:
once again I had a 747 and 340 model in front of me, they asked if I had prepared any of them and which one I'd like to answer questions on, I said I had prepared a little but not in depths systems or anything. So they asked me the type of engines, power and difference between them.
What happens to profile and induced drag with speed?
What is max range with respect to drag curve?
Critical engine on 4 engine?
33000', when do you start descending?What if you're heavy, what if you have to keep a lower speed in descent?
When does holdover time starts?
Doing the turnaround, nosegear door missing, what would you do?
What is the tropopause, its temperature, altitude?
Windshear procedure on the Embraer?
What happens when you pull the fire handle?
The last flap setting on the 747 creates a lot of drag, why?
Larger flap setting, how does it affect TO roll, screen height?
Climbing at constant MN, what happens to IAS, TAS?

That's all I can remember, hope it helps. They are very much what you see in every preparation book, so no big surprise there!
As my good friend Wakehead said after his interview, it's a strange feeling but if you really want it that bad, you'll get in.
Actually, you will if you really want it but prepare for it! It is pretty intense, you do have to know your stuff. My questions were pretty basic airline pilot knowledge but do not come unprepared!

One last word for my North American fellows, at the cocktail party, I was having a drink with the Airbus chief pilot who said he could read right through the guys who have taken a CX interview preparation class and give answers they think should be heard. They just want to see who you really are and if they can take a 17hr journey back from JFK with you.
If you are motivated, keep working, update and believe in yourself. It hasn't really sunk in yet , but it's a very good feeling to know your professionnal future is pretty much secure.

Once again if you guys have questions, post them here so everyone can benefit from them.

Congratulations Altrye,


Thanks for the info on the two interviews and the on going process. Enjoy the next (and final) step in your career.

Cheers PJ Slick

Congratulations, and it's Filipino beach not Philippino. :ok:

Good on ya Altyre! Thanks for sharing. :ok:
Is there a right or wrong answer for one like 'Doing the turnaround, nosegear door missing, what would you do?'
Did they in turn discuss with you what would be required actions?

QNH1013

Correct Answer = Refer to the MEL/CDL

Great work, Altyre. Any word on a course date yet?
ps your PM inbox appears to be full! ;)

For anything on the outside of the aircraft, you would check the Configuration Deviation List as Titan said. That's the only thing you can say, I don't think they expect you to know if you can go or not with this kind of problems, just to know where to look it up.

Monica told us during the interview that we would probably start in October, but it can always change...
Finally, my box has some space now!!!

salut altyre,

Just for information what`s your age, experience and type of licence? and once again congratulations..........

I'm 30, 4800hrs, 1800PIC including 1500 on light jet (Embraer 145) for European airlines. I have a JAR ATPL.

A few more that came back to me:

Difference between wet and damp runway?
Is the wind reported as true or magnetic in a TAF, on ATIS?
What does it mean if you see alternating white and red lights on the RWY? How do you know you are out of the critical area after a LVP landing?

What's LVP landing?

Low visibility procedures, you don't actually say LVP landing, it was just a fast way for me to say "after landing after a low visibility approach"

Altyre,

Thanks so much for your detailed posts. I'd say that they definitely helped me get through the first interview late last year.

Just a quick question about your post above: "Duties of SO, who would you fly with?"

What did they mean by "who would you fly with?"? Is there any more to that than: qualified Captains and FOs?

Hi Betaboy
Glad I could help others, just as others have helped me, that was the idea!
As a SO you fly the ultra long haul flights, so it's a crew of 4: CDR, SFO who can be the relief CDR, a junior FO and you. So usually you wouldn't fly with the least senior pilot, you would usually be with the Captain or the Senior FO. But having not started yet, I stand to be corrected by CX pilots...

Congrats and see you in HKG

Pointer :E

Hello
wich in your experience is the best book?
I should by to prepare for the interview
and if you have more than 1
pls let me know
thanks

Questions questions questions
 

I have been preaparing for an S/O interview in HK in a couple of weeks, just noticed this question in Altyre's post and was hoping someone might be able to enlighten me. Is it to do with light signals from the tower?

What does it mean if you see alternating white and red lights on the RWY?

Thanks

Cronus,

If its british calvert ligthing design you have 3000 ft. of runway left, and if its US ASLF design its the last 2000 ft. I always go on the safe side and assume its 2000 ft.

good luck with the interview

Many thanks Medwin!

Hi Antiicing
the books you should read and KNOW are of course Handling the big jets by D.P. Davies (is there an "e" there?), 2 goods one, that are a bit similar are "Preparing you CX interview" by Captain X,Y & Z and "Airline technical interview questions explained plus CX training syllabus" by Captain A, B & C it's an aussie book, use google to find it. "Ace the technical pilot interview" by Gary Bristow is also good but as has been said many times, it does have errors in it, so you have to be careful with it.

If you study all these books well, it's a pretty good start!

Altyre,

Howdy? What was your answer to the question about the effect of larger flap setting on T.O. run and screen height.

Thanks,
Medwin