Airline Pilot Technical Interviews

A Study Guide

Ronald D. McElroy

• Publisher: Aviation Supplies & Academics, Inc.
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN: 9781644250730
• eBook ISBN: 9781644250747
• Edition: 4
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Aviation
• Index: Technology & Engineering

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A study guide for a successful airline checkride

All kinds of technical questions can be asked in an airline interview, yet there is a specific approach pilot applicants should take to successfully prepare for this part of the hiring process. In this expanded fourth edition of the book, author Ron McElroy gives readers an abundance of preparatory exercises in the areas of mental math, approach plates, regulations and procedures, weather, systems and aerodynamics, and cockpit situations to analyze and resolve. You will also be acquainted with 14 CFR Part 111 Pilot Records Database so that you are aware of the information sharing that occurs between employers.

Using McElroy's tips and methods, aspiring professional pilots will be prepared to display their flying skills during the simulator ride as well as their aeronautical knowledge during the face-to-face oral questioning. This study and practice will not only ensure better performance during a technical interview or test but will help pilots fly the line a little better.

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Chapter 1

Rising to the
Challenge

Hey—you made it! You’ve been accumulating hours and have made the decision to charge ahead toward the airline career you’ve sacrificed for. No matter what your professional level, you feel ready to break into the ranks of the regionals or the major airlines. Whatever your immediate goals, you are ready to start preparing for the airline interviewing process. Congratulations!

But wait! Are you really ready? No matter what your background, your education, or your aviation experience, there’s always room for a little extra wisdom and knowledge to help you ultimately land that mega-million dollar, major airline career.

Not to worry! Getting that extra wisdom and knowledge is part of my job and my promise to you: if you make a commitment to focus on the right stuff—which I’ll feature here in this study guide—you will be as ready as you can possibly be for the technical part of any airline interview process.

Please understand that as we go through Airline Pilot Technical Interviews, I am making the assumption that you are current and actively flying airplanes and that you have a grasp of basic math and science concepts and formulas including aerodynamics. As such, this guide will make reference to the materials that all of us studied in the past while preparing for our commercial, flight instructor, multi-engine, instrument, ATP, flight engineer, and type ratings.

Here’s what I recommend for your personal library to prepare you for the airline technical interview:

• Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM). Make sure it contains the latest revisions. Available through aviation bookstores, the Government Printing Office (GPO), and online at www.faa.gov.
• Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) to include Parts 1, 61, and 91 as a minimum. Pilots current in Part 121/135 air carrier operations, or who possess an Airline Transport Pilot certificate, will be expected to be knowledgeable in the appropriate sections. Available through aviation bookstores, the GPO, and online at www.ecfr.gov.
• Aviation Weather, Advisory Circular 00-6, published jointly by the FAA and the National Weather Service. Available at aviation bookstores, the GPO, and online at www.faa.gov.
• Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) Test Prep. A study guide for the FAA knowledge test. Available through aviation bookstores.
• Flight Engineer (FEX) test prep software. A study guide for the FAA knowledge test. Available through aviation bookstores.
• Checklist for Success: A Pilot’s Guide to the Successful Airline Interview by Cheryl A. Cage. A guide to understanding and preparing for the competitive professional pilot interviews. Available on the ASA website at www.asa2fly.com.

A special note: You must ensure that all test preps, regulations, and AIM are up-to-date. These references are quickly outdated. You must have the latest revisions—it will save you an embarrassing moment at the interviews! All the publications mentioned above are available from ASA (www.asa2fly.com).

Q: How much time should you dedicate to this technical interview preparation?

A: Your study habits determine that answer, but let me suggest the following:

AIM	10 hours
FARs	10 hours
Approach plates	2 hours
Enroute charts	1 hour
Aviation weather	2 hours
Current aircraft systems, limits, and procedures	2 hours
Basic aerodynamics	2 hours
Company OPSPECs or military flight regulations	1 hour
Airline Pilot Technical Interviews	30 hours
ATP Test prep	5 hours
FEX Test prep	5 hours
TOTAL	70 hours

AIM: 10 hours

FARs: 10 hours

Approach plates: 2 hours

Enroute charts: 1 hour

Aviation weather: 2 hours

Current aircraft systems, limits, and procedures: 2 hours

Basic aerodynamics: 2 hours

Company OPSPECs or military flight regulations: 1 hour

Airline Pilot Technical Interviews: 30 hours

ATP Test prep: 5 hours

FEX Test prep: 5 hours

---

TOTAL: 70 hours

This study plan assumes that you are current and flying and only need to brush up on these subject areas. If you’ve been away from active flying for even a short time, if you consider yourself a “study-challenged” pilot, or if you are new to many of these subject areas (as a new pilot), plan on spending lots more time and definitely consider getting a tutor or mentor. But, as I said earlier, this study guide will help you focus on the right stuff and steer you in the right direction for your studies.

Just to be clear, this study guide contains all of the study areas that, based on Cage Consulting’s work with pilot applicants, are being used for the technical interviews or testing. As such, this study guide may not be as comprehensive as those you used to study for the commercial, instrument, or ATP certificates. So, don’t be alarmed at the brevity of the explanations. My primary goal is to review and teach you what you will need to shine in the technical portion of the interview. Additional material is offered solely as a basis for background information to help support your understanding of the answer. If your airline interviewer uses a variation of the question, you’ll be able to more easily adapt to the new content of the question and thereby figure out the answer.

Be aware that in your studies you may discover differences between your company operation specifications (OPSPECs) and the FARs, AIM, or my explanations in this study guide. Source documents from the FAA such as the FARs, AIM, and TERPs (United States Standard for Terminal Instrument Procedures) always supersede my explanations. And, of course, your company OPSPECs can be more restrictive (and sometimes out of date) for specific types of operations. My answers and explanations refer to the most current revisions available from government source documents.

The purpose of the additional personal study with your own library references that I mentioned is to ensure that you have a broad enough understanding to avoid even the appearance of being spoon-fed the answers and the resulting lack of confidence when presented with a question that has been slightly varied from the questions you’ll see here.

There are three additional areas of preparation that I strongly encourage, yet I will not be able to adequately cover them in this guide. They include a thorough study and understanding of the flight manual of your current airplane, independent study and review of approach plates and enroute charts with an emphasis on understanding the legend and symbols, and a commitment to schedule a mock interview with qualified and competent airline consultants.

This last step will giv...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Copyright
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Rising to the Challenge
• Chapter 2: Mental Math Methods
• Chapter 3: Just Another Approach Plate
• Chapter 4: Understanding AIM
• Chapter 5: Defining the FARs
• Chapter 6: If You Don’t Like the Weather…
• Chapter 7: Using Your Hands to Fly
• Chapter 8: Aero 101
• Chapter 9: Summary
• Chapter 10: Staying On Course: Advice from Cheryl Cage
• Glossary
• Index
• About the Author