British Airways DEP Selection - THE lowdown Part 1
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I only had a single flying related one in my application form, and only used one flying related one in the interview. BA want the examples to highlight and match the qualities they ask for on the website, so just select the ones which are closest to those.
Also, if you have a range of really good examples, keep your powder dry for the interview (i.e. keep the really juicy ones for day1), as you can't talk about the ones on your application form when you are at braincrank. You've got to have some different ones!
Also, if you have a range of really good examples, keep your powder dry for the interview (i.e. keep the really juicy ones for day1), as you can't talk about the ones on your application form when you are at braincrank. You've got to have some different ones!
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Massive blunder!
Has anybody advice on this please,
I submitted my application form earlier but realised it does not have my schooling results saved on the submitted application.
Is there any way to correct this?
Anyone who can shed some light please?
Your help is really appreciated .
Pumps.
I submitted my application form earlier but realised it does not have my schooling results saved on the submitted application.
Is there any way to correct this?
Anyone who can shed some light please?
Your help is really appreciated .
Pumps.
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Hi folks,
if any candidates who've been through the sim in the past few months could enlighten us as to whether the format is the same as it was in the previous recruitment round (2008 prior to freeze). Is one to expect a "normal" CRM exercise with raw data flying and some mental maths thrown in, or could one expect more complications? E.g. medical emergencies, weather below minima + diversion, etc.
Many thanks.
Any DEP candidates going through sim in August who are following the thread?
BHVY
if any candidates who've been through the sim in the past few months could enlighten us as to whether the format is the same as it was in the previous recruitment round (2008 prior to freeze). Is one to expect a "normal" CRM exercise with raw data flying and some mental maths thrown in, or could one expect more complications? E.g. medical emergencies, weather below minima + diversion, etc.
Many thanks.
Any DEP candidates going through sim in August who are following the thread?
BHVY
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They throw a fair amount at you in the sim. We had a medical emergency going into NCL but with ATC only offering procedural approaches and the ILS on test we had to hold over the NDB to sort ourselves out prior to the approach. On the next sector we got smoke in the cabin which became a cargo fire so we had to divert. Given a few opportunities to hang ourselves with innapropriate short cuts from ATC to try and rush us onto an unstable/high energy approach and panicky interruptions from the 'cabin crew". Also given airways re-routing half way through the SID. No major technical problems or engine out stuff. Few maths questions thrown at us during periods of low(ish) workload asking for ETAs etc.
If you have only flown an Airbus I would highly recommend getting some sim practice in. The 747 is a beast and the extra energy and requirement to trim will increase your workload substantially! If you are a previous holdpooler I think you will find the sim was pretty much as before. Auto-pilot available in a basic mode above transition level. Usual emphasis placed on teamwork and communication. BA love their No-Techs! Good luck
If you have only flown an Airbus I would highly recommend getting some sim practice in. The 747 is a beast and the extra energy and requirement to trim will increase your workload substantially! If you are a previous holdpooler I think you will find the sim was pretty much as before. Auto-pilot available in a basic mode above transition level. Usual emphasis placed on teamwork and communication. BA love their No-Techs! Good luck
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The 744 sim is chosen for assessments for a very good reason much as the BAC1-11 sim before it. It is a type that not many applicants are familiar with therefore effectively removing any 'previous type' advantage. Obviously anyone coming from another LH carrier or Cargo might have experience but in that case the capacity required to fly would be expected to be lower and the capacity for dealing with problems higher. It all balances out in the end!
What the assessor is looking for is 'rudimentary' skill on an unfamiliar type. You all have relevant licences so an ability to 'fly' is assumed.
What is of more interest to the assessor is your ability to 'deal' effectively with problems and how you demonstrate that ability.
Do you take positive charge on your sector? Do you assess, comprehend and delegate? Are you an autocrat, demanding obedience without asking for opinion or a shrinking violet who lets his/her sim buddy 'take over' when it all gets too tough? Can you set up an effective time frame, do you think of what ATC need to know and what the Cabin crew will need to know? Do you focus in only on your task and forget the big wide world around you? Etc. etc. etc.
All this will be noted and written down and then assessed against your peer group. Success will be deemed if your abilities are up to the point where BA think their standard training package will be adequate.
Always remember ANY decision based upon the correct facts even if it is wrong will be better than NO decision.
Previous 744 experience or an hour or two in the sim is, IMHO, worthless, they don't look deeply at how you fly. Hold a heading and rudimentary instrument techniques are taken as given.
Good luck.
What the assessor is looking for is 'rudimentary' skill on an unfamiliar type. You all have relevant licences so an ability to 'fly' is assumed.
What is of more interest to the assessor is your ability to 'deal' effectively with problems and how you demonstrate that ability.
Do you take positive charge on your sector? Do you assess, comprehend and delegate? Are you an autocrat, demanding obedience without asking for opinion or a shrinking violet who lets his/her sim buddy 'take over' when it all gets too tough? Can you set up an effective time frame, do you think of what ATC need to know and what the Cabin crew will need to know? Do you focus in only on your task and forget the big wide world around you? Etc. etc. etc.
All this will be noted and written down and then assessed against your peer group. Success will be deemed if your abilities are up to the point where BA think their standard training package will be adequate.
Always remember ANY decision based upon the correct facts even if it is wrong will be better than NO decision.
Previous 744 experience or an hour or two in the sim is, IMHO, worthless, they don't look deeply at how you fly. Hold a heading and rudimentary instrument techniques are taken as given.
Good luck.
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Can anyone recommend a good maths book they found helpful in preparing for the day 1 written maths test? I'm already use the mensa brain trainer to speed up general arithmetic under time pressure, etc. Thanks!
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744 sim practice
Whilst I agree with previous posters that say that demonstrating good CRM (or 'No-Techs' if you prefer) is the most important factor during the sim assessment, I do not agree that a practice sim is a waste.
The important point is that it is so much easier to demonstrate your good CRM if you are not struggling with basic handling. If you're so focused on trying to 'control the beast', to target an altitude or speed, or sort out the trim on the ILS, it'll be that much harder to have the time and focus to make sure you are doing all the other CRM bits.
Inevitably if it is a new type to you, it takes time to get the feel of the thing and the learning curve is steep - a couple of hours and you feel so much more comfortable handling the thing that suddenly you have the ability to think ahead, consider what is coming up next and plan accordingly.
The important point is that it is so much easier to demonstrate your good CRM if you are not struggling with basic handling. If you're so focused on trying to 'control the beast', to target an altitude or speed, or sort out the trim on the ILS, it'll be that much harder to have the time and focus to make sure you are doing all the other CRM bits.
Inevitably if it is a new type to you, it takes time to get the feel of the thing and the learning curve is steep - a couple of hours and you feel so much more comfortable handling the thing that suddenly you have the ability to think ahead, consider what is coming up next and plan accordingly.
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The important point is that it is so much easier to demonstrate your good CRM if you are not struggling with basic handling.
However, if it floats your boat, blow a few hundred quid on something that won't, honestly, be of any benefit.
Obviously everyone will have to follow their own opinion on it.
Have fun.
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How do I know if I have been assessed at ICAO Level 6 Language Proficiency in English? I know I can speak English because I am English but I don't remember being assessed at any time in my current airline!
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Thank You!
Thanks for the input folks! I am sure many other candidates will appreciate it.
Wirbelsturm, thanks for your view from "inside BA", I am sure it will help a lot, even more so those of us who may be worried about the manual flying part.
Thanks and all the best to all other candidates as well.
Wirbelsturm, thanks for your view from "inside BA", I am sure it will help a lot, even more so those of us who may be worried about the manual flying part.
Thanks and all the best to all other candidates as well.
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Wirbelsturm,
You say that a candidate's performance is assessed and then compared to his peer group. Would it be true to say that if one's sim week was crammed with some particularly talented guys, the bar would be set higher?? Mild paranoia setting in
You say that a candidate's performance is assessed and then compared to his peer group. Would it be true to say that if one's sim week was crammed with some particularly talented guys, the bar would be set higher?? Mild paranoia setting in
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Cattivo,
Its a very basic sim session with no extreme failures. The problem that you will be given will be straight forward and all you have to do is take the steps necessary for that situation (it doesn't matter if you make the right or wrong descision). Above transition which will be near 6000' you immediately use the autopilot to show full usage of automation making your life easier, that will give you plenty of time to brief the arrival and approach. If you have a situation arise its easy to handle with autopilot on! Do not disengage until passing Transition FL. If you are thrown a problem after autopilot disconnect then give your FO a set of steps to follow and you concentrate on flying the plane. Eventhough BA do not use the FORDEC model use it, its simple and will show your ability to think and brief a problem covering every aspect. You should feel no different to what you do at your current airline. To summarize it all there is only a very small part of the sim that you have to be focused on flying the SID up to 6000' which is approx 6min and the Arrival + App for 10min, not very demanding unless you make it demanding. The only advice I can give is stay ahead of the plane, use automation, use your partner (deligate tasks), never think "what are they thinking".
Hope that helps...I found it less stressful going in there knowing I only needed to concentrate on flying for approx 16min.
Good Luck to all!
Its a very basic sim session with no extreme failures. The problem that you will be given will be straight forward and all you have to do is take the steps necessary for that situation (it doesn't matter if you make the right or wrong descision). Above transition which will be near 6000' you immediately use the autopilot to show full usage of automation making your life easier, that will give you plenty of time to brief the arrival and approach. If you have a situation arise its easy to handle with autopilot on! Do not disengage until passing Transition FL. If you are thrown a problem after autopilot disconnect then give your FO a set of steps to follow and you concentrate on flying the plane. Eventhough BA do not use the FORDEC model use it, its simple and will show your ability to think and brief a problem covering every aspect. You should feel no different to what you do at your current airline. To summarize it all there is only a very small part of the sim that you have to be focused on flying the SID up to 6000' which is approx 6min and the Arrival + App for 10min, not very demanding unless you make it demanding. The only advice I can give is stay ahead of the plane, use automation, use your partner (deligate tasks), never think "what are they thinking".
Hope that helps...I found it less stressful going in there knowing I only needed to concentrate on flying for approx 16min.
Good Luck to all!
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YYZ
Thanks for the info, all very helpful. I was actually enquiring about Wirbelsturm's comment "compared to your peer group" and wondering if the pass level (as it were) could vary. I know it'll come down to my performance and it's therefore probably irrelevant but just curious.
Thanks for the info, all very helpful. I was actually enquiring about Wirbelsturm's comment "compared to your peer group" and wondering if the pass level (as it were) could vary. I know it'll come down to my performance and it's therefore probably irrelevant but just curious.
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Cattivo,
The system is extremely fair and the performace in the simulator is directly compared to your relative experience as passed to BA with your application and then assessed. You will not get a pass/fail at the end of the simulator. Someone with a large amount of experience will therefore be assessed in a similar manner to someone who has relatively little.
As I said above the check is to determine your approach to problem solving and your ability to pass successfully the BA type rating course. Just apply a logical approach to problem solving, try and involve your sim partner in the decision making and, if a definitive answer needs to be made, don't provaricate and make a decision. If what you get back from your sim partner doesn't fit your mental model then explain why and explain what your decision is. The ability to include ATC, Cabin Crew, Commercial expediency and the passengers in your process is a big bonus that generally tend to show capacity, just don't crash the jumbo whilst doing it!
The assessment is relative to each individual so don't feel under pressure from some sky god in the other seat just give YOUR best!
Edited to add: Your assessment, comparitive to your experience, will be judged against your peer group. To be honest I dont think there is any other way for a fair system.
The system is extremely fair and the performace in the simulator is directly compared to your relative experience as passed to BA with your application and then assessed. You will not get a pass/fail at the end of the simulator. Someone with a large amount of experience will therefore be assessed in a similar manner to someone who has relatively little.
As I said above the check is to determine your approach to problem solving and your ability to pass successfully the BA type rating course. Just apply a logical approach to problem solving, try and involve your sim partner in the decision making and, if a definitive answer needs to be made, don't provaricate and make a decision. If what you get back from your sim partner doesn't fit your mental model then explain why and explain what your decision is. The ability to include ATC, Cabin Crew, Commercial expediency and the passengers in your process is a big bonus that generally tend to show capacity, just don't crash the jumbo whilst doing it!
The assessment is relative to each individual so don't feel under pressure from some sky god in the other seat just give YOUR best!
Edited to add: Your assessment, comparitive to your experience, will be judged against your peer group. To be honest I dont think there is any other way for a fair system.
Last edited by Wirbelsturm; 1st Aug 2011 at 11:50.
Does anyone know if they plan to open it up again after this Aug closing date? Having been one of the first through the door last October when it reopened - and been unsuccessful, I'd like to give it another crack, especially as I've the hours for long haul now.
Not sure it's a good idea to apply now 10 months after being unsuccessful and ticking the box on the application to say you've not been in 12 months
Not sure it's a good idea to apply now 10 months after being unsuccessful and ticking the box on the application to say you've not been in 12 months
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VJW 29/12/10
Getting desperate now VJW?
My long term plans aren't in Europe or UK and/or BA, my wife is American, so hoping to eventually go there. Going BA and waiting 10 years for an upgrade doesn't sound appealing if I'm honest.