How to Prepare?

Your airline interview isn’t just a test of knowledge — it’s a test of mindset, motivation, and preparation. Below is a comprehensive guide crafted by airline pilots to help you navigate each stage of your interview with structure, confidence, and professionalism.

Airline interviews are not about perfection; they’re about potential. Here’s how to show the best version of yourself:

• Be prepared, not scripted. Thorough preparation gives you confidence, but avoid sounding like you memorized every answer.
• Be honest. Interviewers have heard thousands of answers. They can easily detect when someone is bluffing.
• Project positivity and energy. Your enthusiasm for the role, the company, and the profession should be felt.
• Recover with grace. Everyone stumbles. What matters is how you recover. Acknowledge mistakes and move on confidently.

One of the most overlooked steps is failing to study the airline. This is your chance to show you’re not just chasing any job — you want this one.

• Learn their fleet, routes, culture, and core values.
• Watch interviews, read Glassdoor feedback, and speak with current pilots if possible.
• Use what you learn to tailor your answers: “I appreciate your investment in sustainability and would be proud to be part of that mission.”

Some questions are meant to test your composure, not your knowledge. If you get something you don’t know:

• Take a breath, don’t panic.
• Say, “I’m not 100% sure on that, and I wouldn’t want to guess.”

That alone shows professionalism, honesty, and airmanship. Never try to bluff your way through a question — it often does more harm than good.

If your assessment includes a sim session, your Crew Resource Management (CRM) will be assessed as closely as your flying.

• Support your sim partner. Airlines want to see teamwork, not ego.
• Don’t dominate. Share tasks, communicate intentions, and make decisions together.
• If in doubt, brief your reasoning. Even an imperfect plan is better than indecision.
• Practice if possible. A 1-hr sim can refresh flows, scan, and basic profiles.

You don’t have to be perfect, but you do need to be composed, communicative, and safe.

HR questions may seem simple, but they carry weight. You need to come across as both genuine and structured.

• Prepare 2–3 core themes that describe you: e.g. Learn, Help, Lead.
• Use these ideas across your answers (“Tell us about yourself”, “Why should we hire you?”).
• Practice saying them out loud, ideally with a friend or instructor.
• Bonus tip: Prepare 1–2 thoughtful questions to ask the interviewer at the end.

STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) is the gold standard for structuring behavioral answers:

• S: What happened?
• T: What was your role or objective?
• A: What did you do about it?
• R: What happened, and what did you learn?

Example:
“Tell me about a time you had a disagreement in the cockpit.”

• S: During a multi-sector day with a new Captain, we were preparing for departure and I noticed that the final load sheet had a discrepancy in the ZFW compared to the OFP.
• T: As Pilot Monitoring, it was my responsibility to verify all performance-related data before takeoff.
• A: I highlighted the mismatch and suggested rechecking the figures. The Captain initially dismissed it. I calmly insisted, pointing to the safety implications and offered to contact dispatch. After a brief discussion, the Captain agreed.
• R: Dispatch confirmed a clerical error on their side and issued a corrected load sheet. We delayed our departure by 10 minutes but ensured takeoff performance was calculated properly. The Captain later thanked me for my assertiveness and professionalism.

And always end with a lesson learned — it shows growth and reflection.

Many sim assessments will test your reaction to non-normal situations. Airlines want to see structured thinking and clear communication.

• Use DODAR (Diagnose, Options, Decide, Assign, Review)
• Use FORDEC (Facts, Options, Risks & Benefits, Decision, Execution, Check). Check the simulator assessment page for more information.
• Use NITS with the cabin crew (Nature, Intentions, Time, Special instructions)

Example:

Nature: Clearly explain the issue (e.g. “We’ve experienced an engine failure shortly after takeoff.”)

Intentions: State your intentions (e.g. “We’re returning to our departure airport.”)

Time: Provide a precise and realistic timeframe (e.g. “It’s now 11:03 UTC on my watch. We expect to land at 11:20.”)

Special instructions: Mention anything specific the cabin crew should be aware of (e.g. “No evacuation is expected. Passengers should remain seated until further notice.”)

Then conclude with:“Can you please repeat that back to me?”

You will likely get one or two questions that feel impossible. That’s okay. Everyone else did too.

• Focus on what you CAN control: preparation, energy, and mindset.
• Answer simply, clearly, and better than the rest.
• Avoid overexplaining. Say what matters, then stop.

And always remember:
Airline interviews don’t reward perfect pilots. They reward pilots who are well prepared, well structured, and easy to work with.