Learning how to interview at an airline is both a skill and an art; however, many pilot applicants concentrate only on the more intangible areas of interviewing, while forgetting how important it is to review the basic technical data which lies at the heart of their aviation knowledge base.

As a professional pilot, you should own a good Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) manual, a current copy of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) applicable to your type of flying, the latest Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM), as well as books on aviation weather and crew resource management (CRM). Aerodynamics is another key area—try Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators by the U.S. Navy. Many of the areas covered during interview questioning will come directly from the ATP written, including weather, charts, airport data, regs, and aircraft systems. Also study enroute open charts and approach plates. Although you can’t be expected to know it all, you should have a good working knowledge that allows you to discuss any given subject and at least be able to provide a reference for any question you’re uncertain about, in order to let your interviewers assess your knowledge and awareness.

Pilots who fly more than one type of airplane frequently ask, “Which aircraft am I expected to know and in how much detail?” First, expect to be asked about every aircraft in which you have a type rating. Beyond that, look through your logbooks and determine which multiengine planes you have flown the most, and always keep in mind the aircraft you’re currently flying. If you can list several different types, study each in detail, with emphasis on your present equipment, so you can respond to questions normally found on an FAA oral exam. These can include procedures for inflight engine shutdowns, emergency gear extension, engine start sequences, and basic statistics on the aircraft’s systems. Just as you would in a checkride oral, answer these questions with a good general description; don’t immerse the interviewer in details. If they want more information, they’ll ask for it.

Whether your current aircraft is a CE-172 or a Gulfstream IV, you should be able to provide accurate systems details to convince interviewers of your professional outlook. Don’t be embarrassed if you’ve not yet had the opportunity to fly bigger, faster, or more complex ships—instead, dazzle your inquisitors with what you have already learned in your quest to move up.

You may well encounter questions that obviously are far above your current experience, just to see if you’ve taken the time to read and study subjects beyond your present certificate level. In this case, a thorough knowledge of the AIM is invaluable. Many topics for questioning will come from its various sections, and now—not when you get the interview call—is the time to read and study everything from abbreviations (What’s MAA?) to runway lighting (How far apart are the lights?), to holding speeds and entries, wake turbulence avoidance, and lost communications procedures when IFR.

As you read and study the AIM, always keep a copy of the FARs nearby. You’re expected to know the regs that pertain to your type of operation. If you’re currently flight instructing, then be ready to discuss everything from student endorsements to license requirements and Part 135 rules for the new commercial pilot. Regional airline pilots will have additional areas to study and are expected to know a correspondingly larger amount of information. If your current equipment flies in the Flight Levels, be sure to brush up on your knowledge of high-altitude systems, meteorology, and physiology.

Your ability to do math problems in your head is another favorite testing area for many interviewers. You may face questions like: If you fly 21 miles in 3 minutes, how fast are you going; or, if your aircraft can dump fuel at the rate of 2,500 pounds per minute, how long will it take to dump 35,000 pounds of fuel; or, what’s the reciprocal of 346 degrees; or, using a 3-to-1 ratio, when should you leave FL330 to cross 30 DME from the VOR at 12,000 feet? The solutions to these questions can be tough for some of us under the best of conditions, but throw in the pressure of a job interview and many pilots find their brains turn to mush—never mind being able to sound confident in their answers.

I have two suggestions for dealing with this type of question. First, reduce the math problem to a known quantity that can be easily handled. If you’re dealing with a speed question, remember that six-minute units can easily be converted to hours by adding a zero. Or, one- and 10-minute units convert to hours by multiplying the quantity by 60 or six, respectively. Second, verbalize the problem out loud to show your thought process. You may well get points for using the right method, even if you come up with the wrong answer.

Instrument chart details are another likely testing subject. The Jeppesen Airway Manual has an excellent introduction describing all of its charts, including departure, approach, and en route. If you have not looked at an NOS chart since you took your IFR written exam, now’s the time to review the procedures, refresh your memory on how those charts differ, and determine where to find specific data such as non-standard alternate minimums and VOT frequencies. Be able to thoroughly brief an instrument approach procedure—any approach—and don’t forget to turn the Jeppesen chart over (or ask to see the runway diagram if it’s not presented to you) in order to discuss the runway environment and your taxi route to the terminal (if you normally park there). Again, your knowledge should be commensurate with your experience and present operating environment, and leave no question about your competence.

Meteorology—the universal pilot’s nemesis—is another weak spot often chosen for testing. You must be able to describe the stages of a thunderstorm and define isobars, isotachs, and isotherms. Expect to be asked: What’s the standard lapse rate; How does clear ice differ from rime ice; How does the formation of radiation fog differ from that of advection fog; What altitude does the 500 MB chart represent; What’s an occluded front? A thorough review of a comprehensive aviation weather publication will be time well spent when this line of questioning begins.

Safety areas that are of great concern to airlines also are likely targets for interviewers. You may encounter questions on types of hydroplaning, de-icing fluids and procedures, wake turbulence avoidance, density altitude determination, runway markings and aircraft approach categories. Of particular interest are the V-speed definitions (V1, VR, V2) and how they relate to the balanced field concept (see “Flying the Numbers,” in the January 1997 issue of this magazine, for a good discussion of these issues). Another favorite query is how to locate a Visual Descent Point (VDP) on a straight-in non-precision instrument approach, both with and without DME. (See “Brief This Approach” article in the March 1997 issue of this magazine for more on approaches.)

By now your head might be reeling from “information overload,” but hopefully, the suggestion to start studying early is ringing true. Knowing what you could face during an upcoming interview is much better than finding out too late to prepare, or worse, after you’re already warming the “hot seat” during the interview. If you begin your preparation now, or intensify your normal ongoing refresher training, you’ll lower your blood pressure and anxiety while simultaneously increasing your knowledge and confidence level for all your upcoming airline interviews.

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