I think this is the most in depth ride report you'll find on the Delta interview

Home I think this is the most in depth ride report you'll find on the Delta interview

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Which Airline did you interview with? Delta Air Lines
How many days between invite, interview, and listed availability?
Did you receive a job offer? No 6, months re-invite, HR Failure
If you did not receive the CJO why do you think you weren’t chosen to continue in the process? I and 2 others were told by Arnie Crabby that we missed the minimum interview score by a small number of points.
What is your experience? Military
Total Flight Time 3,000-4,000
Total Turbine PIC Time 1,000-2,000
General Overview of Experience I think this is the most in depth ride report you’ll find on the Delta interview. Overall thoughts: They want you to be yourself and relax. Arnie reminds you that it was you that got you here–your merits and your judgment as a pilot so continue to be yourself. I hear other ride reports say “be social–they’re watching and they’ll notice.” Sure they’ll notice if you’re dressed in gothic attire and sit in a corner by yourself with a frown, but there’s no need to be anything but yourself–seriously–and you’ll be fine. They are very strict about one rule–they don’t want you to use electronic devices at all in their building. The secretary said not at all for the entirety of the day. Obviously, once you’re out the front gate have at it at the end of the day and share your good/bad news at your leisure. They have a sign and let you know it’s grounds for interview termination on the spot.
I did find it helpful to go to the Delta Museum the day before if nothing more than to walk right next to Building 1020 with the giant poster of the 737 MAX on it (the interview building) and see the guard shack etc and know how long it’s going to take you to travel to the next morning. It is kind of neat to get some fresh air and walk around the museum and look at all the memorabilia too. The old Stinson Reliant and the Travel Air are gorgeous planes. And the “Project 767” was an incredible story about the Delta employee family that I didn’t know about how they teamed up and bought the plane for $30M. I would recommend your RST guys meet up at Ruby’s and have a sign in sheet for everyone–with phone number and room numbers and have a meet up time in the lobby of the hotel early enough so you can help a guy recover if they sleep in–obviously we’re all big boys and girls–but looking out for each other on the big day is key. I saw a few weeks ago there was a “no-show” on the drop that day which thinking if that were me, I’d either die or feel real bad for the guy that missed it if I/they slept through an alarm. Call the hotel and get a wake up call and have your loved ones call you on your cell, or whatever, just do what you need to do. During the time you’re waiting for the interview, keep in mind that your interview panel is going through all of your paperwork as a team and are trying to figure you out and decide what kind of background questions they want to ask you about which will indicate to them your character. Yes, they get randomly selected questions to ask for the WWYDs, but they plan their background ones (judging from my experience). I didn’t get a single TMAAT question. I got some relatively low threat WWYDs (they called an audible on some of mine since they thought my random questions were too similar), but the bulk of what I thought was going to be the easy part or the “givens” were the background questions they asked about me and my AF career and turned out to be the reasons for my interview failure along with the AF Reserve question. Unfortunately, I didn’t drive my interview back to the stories I wanted to share with them. Some questions are phrased slyly, such as instead of asking “Tell us about your progress check failures in AF UPT.” It was “So.. .how was your pilot training experience?” They wanted me to talk through the failures openly. During that one, I may have missed out on points too–as I had written everything–the whole “SARR” answer into the addendum on my application and I didn’t feel it necessary to vocalize what I had learned, as I referenced the addendum in my answer. Take nothing for granted and go through the lessons learned unaided. When you practice with Emerald Coast or your peers–tell them to sit and be quiet and not to prompt your responses and actually have them grade you on what you do and don’t say–because after you close your mouth for 5 seconds in the real interview—they’re done scoring that question and will move onto the next one question. They won’t prompt you and say “so… what did you learn from that?” I think this is a weakness some of the EC counselors can easily lead you into by getting you into a false sense of security that the interviewers are going to ask you those quick follow-up questions. That isn’t the case. Don’t create the bad habit pattern of having them asking the questions to drag out the fullness of what should be your well thought out and utterly complete response.
The good news I have really is that although Arnie Kraby said he was sorry he couldn’t offer us a job he did mention that folks who re-interview (although not 100% successful) are pretty close to 100% successful the second go round. One can speculate what “pretty close” means—but take it for what it’s worth. One way or another I’m getting to Delta. I just hit a 6 month road detour for now.
I did get the dreaded question about the AF Reserves. I heard good tips from EC on how to combat that but I think unfortunately, I didn’t quell their concerns enough and that may have been a contributing factor toward my interview failure. I’m completely against lying and I really dislike the fact that this is an issue which has arisen from some bad apples. A guy that’s trying to keep/earn their Post 9/11 GI Bill Transfer of Education Benefits and reasonably inexpensive healthcare for their wife and kids and get some sort of a retirement for serving for so long shouldn’t be grounds to be blacklisted against hiring. Sometimes I condone violence, so if you know a knucklehead like that, please inflict some bodily harm on them for me. Next time I may offer to do a polygraph, video record me taking an oath with my hand on the good Lord’s book, have a lawyer write it into my contract, etc etc to get them to believe me more than my word. You have to effectively avoid this question or crush it entirely so there is no doubt in their mind about your intentions.
I was rather disappointed they didn’t ask me about my most dangerous flight or emergency or anything about leadership and more disappointed that I wasn’t more of a cunning politician to drive my agenda towards telling those stories in my answers to the questions they posed. Don’t be me–yes, be humble but be assertive and get your points across.
How long did you have your application in before you received an invite? 6-12 months
Did you attend a job fair? Yes
Did you do anything special that triggered the interview invitation? I had one internal recommendation back in April which I don’t think triggered anything because I was not invited within the immediate 30 days after. I may have had another internal recommendation put in during July (I did not receive confirmation that the gentleman did actually put one in) but then I attended the OBAP conference in Chicago in August and I had 10 minute appointments with American, Delta, Southwest, and United. I think that’s what triggered the interview invitation because my application was 100% complete (Checked ‘N Set verified) then and I received the email invitation on September 1, 2016.
How many internal recs did you have? 1-2
How long was it from the time of your invite to the actual interview? 4 weeks
Did you have any issues with logbooks, application or paperwork? No. I’m former AF only. I just printed out my HARM Office’s FHR (single sheet of paper aka AF8) and presented my private pilot’s logbook which had a handful of flights. I did print out 2 pages of calculations to prove how I got my PIC time, etc. etc. Simple calculations–they were arranged by airframe, description of time (PIC, SIC, Student, etc) and then the actual hours next to that description, and finally the calculations next to it in formulas. I printed out an extra copy for myself and brought them to the interview in case they wanted me to explain anything. But I didn’t receive any questions on it. No need to do the fancy logbook or converting your big green (FRF) Flight Record Folder to create a new logbook. I actually advise you to do it the same way I did–as the FRF (at least on mine) had my most recent DNIF paperwork inside the front cover. It was just a head cold in my case and I couldn’t Valsalva for a day or two, but you can see where that might go south rather fast–so don’t give them anything extra to probe into.
I also created a Flight Summary page in which I went through Airline Apps and used the flight totals by category, etc etc on a word document and highlighted my stuff in tables–just for easy reference for the board. I also added my combat, NVG, times, sorties… etc. Over half my total time is combat, so I wanted to be sure to highlight that.
How did you prepare for the JKT/COG portion of the interview? I used RST Delta almost exclusively. I printed off questions from their files on the Facebook group and website as well as Emerald Coast’s ride reports and study guides and stepped myself through calculations. I took note of what I needed to brush up on and worked on those areas. Additionally, I used the COG trainer on RST Delta–it’s amazing. I did the flash cards and study guides on RST and watched all the videos and read most of the short articles in the resources section as well as the Navy Student guide which discussed Aerodynamics. I have a Masters in Aeronautics and found the “Aero_studentguide_18Jun2014” book on Aerodynamics much more user/pilot friendly than ANA. It does a fantastic job explaining concepts and stepping you through everything you’ll need to know concerning aerodynamics and has many more pictures and clear pictures illustrating those concepts. I also preferred it to the T-34 book, because it uses the T-6A for examples–which is what I flew in pilot training. I went through “Mental Math for Pilots” too–which I think is a quick read and helpful as well. The AIM Chapter on lights is legit. I absolutely crushed the testing portion of the interview. I completed the JKT in 30 minutes and the COG was a breeze. I was the first one done with every test in my group because of the preparation. I was able to share a few techniques to guys we met at Ruby’s the day before so they did well. The 240 question in 50 minute personality test went fine.
Technical Test Questions First I’d like to say I noticed each question on the test has an Item number associated with it–those numbers when into the 5,600’s so I think it’s safe to say there is a question bank of 5600 questions which are randomly selected to comprise your test so stayed prepared. The HR portion is the biggest threat, but JKT in my opinion is the second killer. You could just get a difficult group of questions. You’ll need to be on top of the JKT in case it strays from RST prep too much–but I was fortunate and the JKT was great for me. I had plenty of time to go back and review questions to hopefully remember them for you guys and help you out. Here’s what I had:
What does a transformer do?
Category C circling mins?
Compulsory vs. non-compulsory reporting points–know symbology (waypoints referenced were named GUAVA and MAMMA–if I recall correctly)
VASI – obstacle clearance?
Handful of TAS, density, IAS questions
You’re flying at 10,000 feet and 250 KIAS and your pitot tube and drain blocked, then slow to 200kts–what happens on your airspeed indicator and altimeter?
RNP vs. ANP? Which one is an airspace requirement and which one is an aircraft one
Transition Altitude, Transition Level, QNH, QNE
Using 3 to 1 rule–tell us distance to descend from FL350 to FL190
Holding speed at 6000′?
Had to reference approach plate and enter Threshold Crossing Height
Aft CG questions
What type wind will be prolong wake turbulence over the runway? light crosswind, light quartering tailwind, light quartering headwind
What light indications will you see at 2,000′ remaining on a runway? Yellow runway edge lights, centerline light transition from white to red and white alternating
You’re taking off Runway 09 and you lose the left engine. You will require what to maintain runway heading: more right rudder, less right rudder, more left rudder
You’re on the 090/20 and you want to go to the 190/60–what heading should you fly? 360, 210, 175, 190
How do you correct a compressor stall? lower AOA, increase airspeed, and reduce fuel flow
What mechanism doesn’t contribute to lift? fuselage, flaps, spoilers, or wings
What is typically not driven by/on the engine accessory gearbox? AC packs
When you execute a missed approach on an ILS what minimum altitude are you cleared to? DH, MDA, slightly below DH as you need time for reaction
You’re shooting a CAT III ILS at your location and you lose an avionics bus–what’s your main concern? answer- you may have lost the required equipment to shoot that ILS and should divert
What’s the best course of action following a smoke in the cockpit event after you’ve completed the checklists? clear smoke and continue, declare emergency and land as soon as possible,
What does dihedral do? Increase lateral stability about the longitudinal axis, increase lateral stability about the vertical axis, increase longitudinal stability about the lateral axis, decrease longitudinal stability across the lateral axis
What happens to an aircraft during ground effect? answer–reduced drag due to smaller pronounced wing tip vortices
What’s the best way to regain control of an aircraft if the left brake starts locking up after your anti-lock brakes fail? answer – release both brakes and reapply smoothly
Mach Tuck question
A skid is a yaw to the (blank) of a turn and it (blank) turn rate and (blank) turn radius. answer – inside, increases, decreases
What’s the most influential factor in takeoff and landing performance? answer- weight
Balanced field question about failure at V1–what height can you climb out to on V2 and when do you stop if you abort
Stall questions referencing same AOA, IAS at altitude vs at sea level
What was the hardest technical question or content you experienced during the job knowledge test? Again, I may have just been lucky as I didn’t get any real “tough” math questions or brain busters. The only one I thought was tricky was I had studied so much about Transformer Rectifiers with the mnemonic “AC Totally Rocks DC” for a TR converting AC to DC. The question I received was “What does a transformer do?” It did not say Transformer Rectifier. The answers were the normal AC to DC, DC to AC, some other distractor answer, and then step down AC voltage.
Cog Test Don’t be fooled. The “touchscreen” is simply a HP/Dell flat screen 19″ computer monitor. The screen is blue and the font white very MS DOS-esque type interface. It reminded me of the old CAT testing equipment for the ATP written. We were instructed not to touch it with our hand as it may mess up the test or select where our hand hits. The crazy “light pen” is essentially a very lightweight plastic BIC pen with a plastic tip which doesn’t select exactly like a normal stylus. It seems to be you have to position the “light pen” nearly perfectly perpendicular to the screen to select properly. Additionally, the desks you sit at have the monitor nearly at eye level so you have your arm raised significantly during the tests to select your choices. Not hard at all and not much to worry about–but I had chosen to keep my suit jacket on and the jacket was a little tighter than I would have liked when trying to select.
Here are my notes referencing RST test numbers:
1. The symbols are smaller font than RST’s and spaced further apart on the screen–perhaps 5″ vs RST’s 1.5″ so your scan must be faster or further back–and the “same” and “different” buttons are below those and in the same order as RST’s so you have more distance to cover when selecting. However, it is much easier to distinguish the differences as many characters do not match when they are “different.”
2. RST uses a F-15. Real cog is just a gray section of line about half an inch long and it “shakes” up and down nearly constantly–very jumpy. I just waited until it was in the red for good and that seemed to work best. If you have any doubt–just use some more practice rounds on the real test.
3. The combo is easy too–the technique I used is to scan the alpha-numeric while my stylus is ready to center nearly 100% of the time and I use my peripheral to watch the line as it oscillates towards red. Once it gets close to red, I focus and wait for the intrusion into red to center–meanwhile –after I determine same or different I move stylus to select and then position it back over “center” to be ready in case the line moves fast back into the red.
4. This one is super simple on the test–as the next number doesn’t change positions when you select the one before it–so RST’s test prepares you very well.
5-8: The only thing I can mention here is that the Numbers and Alphabet one–there is no real practice session. Nearly every test–they hold your hand and walk you through the directions and give you about 3 samples during the directions and then give you a practice round and tell you “Due to this practice it seems like you understand the concepts, if you want to start the test, click Next if you want more practice click Review.” So it’s completely clear when you start the test portion on most tests. However, during the numbers and alphabet test and the combined numeric-alphabet (1-A, 2-B…) they just give you those 3 samples and then the next screen appears–that is the test–so don’t wait for them to sequence. The screen clicks over and the 1 (for the numbers), A (for the letters), or the 1 (for the 1-A…) is sitting there–don’t wait–start clicking into the sequence. These are also the tests where selecting on the center of the box is scored too–so be sure to hit center to maximize points. If you get off track–they show you the last 2 or 3 characters in the sequence in the center box until you get back on track–but don’t let it come to that–practice RST and you’ll do great.
9. Flag man is easy. Use RST technique and your solid. The real test is about 20 seconds long it seemed–so heed the directions and get them right. Accuracy is #1, Speed is #2. You don’t have many answers to recover your score if you select incorrectly.
10. For the number-symbol match, I got UILTXO. One thing that worked out well for me on recalling my set of symbols was UIL was in order from left to right on the computer keyboard so I had that in my mind as a backup and TXO just made sense to me as “Texaco” so I ran with it. Apparently, if you don’t like your sequence, you may be able to run through a few practice sessions and the symbols will change—hopefully to something you like and can easily remember. I did get the “delayed recall test” in which they ask you to match a handful of symbols in between other tests–so keep up with the technique to completely imprint them in your mind while going through the practice rounds and in between the other tests. Apparently, failing that recall may be a test killer over all. We had 2 guys who failed in the test portion for our group–maybe it was this instance that triggered them. If there’s an absolute in the COG–this is it–so get it right.
11. The reverse number recall went fine as well– the numbers sequence much slower than on RST, so RST’s test prepares you very well.
12. This test is harder than RST’s test. On this test–it’s just a vertical line that moves right and left–not an aircraft like on RST’s. However, the further the line moves from center–the more it picks up speed–if it’s on the same side of center as the direction it is traveling. For instance–if the line is on the right side of center and it’s traveling to the right–it will speed up the further it moves away from center. This is also where folks say it’s harder to correct back to center and it takes a few key strokes to get it to correct back towards center. I did notice however, that once you get it moving back toward center–it moves at a relatively slow and controlled rate until it’s about another half inch past center and then it speeds up again as it heads “down hill.”
13. This test is similar but easier than RST in my opinion. The most notable difference is that the numbers took a considerable amount of time to sequence and you get a longer “blink” in between the numbers so there is a point where the box is empty just after selection–whereas RST immediately replaces the number. Additionally, when you first start out–it will keep the first number in the top box for what seems like 3 or 4 seconds. At first I thought it had sequenced–as RST’s sequences without the “blink,” however, I couldn’t select anything and the directions tell you to wait as well. There will be a distinct “blink” and then you’ll know when the game is afoot. Easy. Use RST’s technique–attend the webinar.
14. The combination was easy in my opinion. I just positioned the keyboard toward my non-dominant hand as much as possible to make it comfortable and then kept tabs on the moving line with my peripheral and concentrated on the numbers. Again, the sequence slower than RST’s test and they have a distinct blink which made it easier in my opinion.
15. Simple. Find whatever pattern stands out to you–tetris, purple, yellow, “that’s a tie-fighter with lasers” whatever… easy. If I recall correctly–you cannot sequence it by clicking on them—they present the options after a few seconds and then you must select which one matched the first pattern.
16. Math went well for me. I went through about 6-7 of them and felt good. Do the math trainer and visit the Cog tips on RST’s website–the percentage tips alone are worth that read. I’ll never look at percentage problems the same way again–I wish I had those tips when I was going through school because they are amazing. Break out the cobwebs on mental math and practice with whatever you can on a daily basis–tips at restaurants, calories in food packages–whatever just get your brain used to doing those calculations and exercise it.
17. Simple. Take your time and get it right. Only difference is the real test uses pink outlines and yellow as the background colors.
18. The Rule Recall or test #18 in reality is much MUCH easier on the real COG test than RST’s. The rule did hold well for 4-5 or more iterations so I felt like I scored much higher than the RST test. Just take your time and be methodical in your application of rules and it’s a non-issue.
19. The tones and in some cases the iterations of those tones are much easier to detect on the real test than RST’s. Just sit and listen–couldn’t be simpler.
Cog Math Questions Buy the table for $40 and the chairs for $20 each and you paid 2/3 the price–what was the original price?
I got the 5% discount and then the 4% further discount off $300–$270 was not an answer option–so you had to do the math to discount the 5% first and then take 4% off that number–you couldn’t simply take 9% off $300. I chose $273(It’s the correct answer)
Can’t remember the others.
HR Questions Tell us about yourself starting with your college experience.
How did you handle getting a 2.61 at the Academy vs your 4.1 in high school?
How was your pilot training experience?
Did you leave your old squadron on favorable terms? (I had left AMC to volunteer for an AFSOC assignment)
So, you’re interested in the AF Reserves?
How do you feel about your progression and promotability while on active duty? (my progression wasn’t ideal with breaks in training and it was coupled with me volunteering to switch Commands as well as airframes and my DD-214 incorrectly lists my reason for honorable discharge as “non-selection – promotion”)
Tell us about this Uber driver thing. (I chose to be an Uber driver during terminal leave to keep our emergency fund afloat until I could get on with Delta and get experience with customers and transportation. I wanted to do that at least until I made it to the OBAP conference and flash them my resume and application. Then I started interviewing with regionals to get Part 121 time.)
I had mentioned I interviewed with Trans State–they asked how that went and how I left it, if I had an offer, and if I had a class start date with them. They then asked what I did with the other interviews I had lined up and postponed once I got the Delta invite.
Tell us about a recent incident and describe to us how you think it will significantly impact the aviation industry.
Tell us what do you thinks makes a professional a professional.
What do you do to maintain your fit to fly? Tip: I wish I would have slowed down and simply ran through the “I’M SAFE” FAA mnemonic and talked about each point in my own frame of reference and tied in examples where applicable.
How do you further your aviation knowledge when you’re not flying?
Would you like to ask any questions?
What did you do after you got the email to interview?WWYDs:
You’re the FO and the Captain won’t answer the challenge response in the checklist.
You’re the Captain and the gate agent wants to board right away since she’s short handed and doesn’t want to delay the flight, but your FAs just showed up (they’re running late from their last flight and they’re hungry).
Your FA thinks the passengers in first class are drunk but the gate agent says she knows the gentlemen and says they’re not drunk. They’re platinum medallion or whatever and are returning from a golf trip.
You woke up at the hotel and you’re tired. (This question–I want to warn you. The current line Captain asked me this one and I mentioned I’d call scheduling and tell them to take me off the flight–as he had phrased the question with the clause that it was morning and I didn’t sleep well. About halfway into the question he slips in the “it was because some prom kids are running around all night.” and later asks me if I would have done anything before–essentially implying that I hadn’t done my due diligence to avoid the situation in the first place. I then catch on and tell them about switching rooms. I didn’t answer that way initially because it wasn’t part of the question posed, as it was phrased. So my warning is to go full bore on these questions and cover all aspects of them- and not just from where the the hypothetical situation necessarily starts–take them through your whole thought process. EC likes to say “show your work” and that’s true but what I’m saying is you don’t have to work from left to right on your timeline as you work towards resolution–offer up more of your thoughts on the left side to show how much of a professional you are in avoiding the situations in the first place. I really liked my retired captain on the panel. He would smile and give me a thumbs up when he heard what he knew they needed to hear. He was the only guy on my panel with former military experience (7 years AF) so at least it seemed like I had one guy rooting for me. I thought things went well during the hypo’s.
How long prior to the interview did you prepare for the HR portion of the interview? I started preparing in March 2016.
Which HR Prep service did you use and did it help? I used Emerald Coast. I did 2x in person seminars, 4x webinars, and 2x phone top offs. I do think it helped frame your stories. If asked “What did you do to prepare for this interview?’ during the interview I wouldn’t offer up any prep right away–I’d share with them the litany of other things you’ve done and people you’ve talked to and stuff you read. Then let them cut you off before you get to mentioning Emerald Coast or RST. Just please don’t mention any of the same words Aaron Hagan does on his videos during any of your answers. I even tried to stay away from flows or anything that can identify you as not being you. It’s a dead giveaway. I didn’t use any of his words, etc..–but I can see how that can easily be done. Emerald Coast is good about warning you about that too.
Any additional information you would like to add. Here are some of my mnemonics that I think help: Transition Altitude (think of the A in Altitude as an arrow pointing up–so you set Transition Altitude during the climb). Conversely, Transition leVel has a V pointing down so you set TL during descent. QNH is QN-Here (meaning local) and QNE is QN-Everywhere–aka 29.92inHg.Circling distances: “357Magnum, Michael Jordan:” A – 1.3, B – 1.5, C – 1.7, D – 2.3, and E – 4.5–since Michael Jordan only wore numbers 23 during his Chicago years and 45 during his late return to the NBA.
Is their anything you wish you could have done different to prepare you for this process? Obviously, with this interview failure- I wished that portion would have went better. I felt as if I prepared with Emerald Coast plenty prior to this and months ahead of time so I wasn’t scrambling to figure my stuff out last minute. That being said–on game day–I wish I would have had a more level head and had a short checklist or mantra in my head to run through before I answered every question they asked. Something like “Whatever I say should show I’m a team player, honest, respect, customers, concerns… etc… and as I deliver–I’m calm, cool, collected” I’m a poor salesman which I think was ultimately my downfall. I’m an open book and I’m just brutally honest. My personality is rather too humble in some cases–so I think I missed out on points by not illustrating my accomplishments and stories thoroughly. I could have presented myself in a much better light than what I did. I think the best way to avoid experiencing my same downfall is preparing in front of a board of your own peers–take turns and grill each other and have your own peers/family/friends grade your responses. Set it up just like the interview—small round table with 3 folks–1 directly across and 1 to either side and work the eye contact, posture, hand placement, etc. I think that’s the only way to really dry run this process effectively and to truly be aware of your weaknesses and your strong points and how to answer the tough questions. Have your friends tear through your paperwork and find those tough areas too and share with them any concerns you may have and let them help you navigate the waters as a group to get a good common consensus and reference the experts–Emerald Coast counselors to figure out the best approach. There were a number of questions I think about now I feel like I was hitting a sacrificial bunt to get a guy on first, when I could have cracked some homers out of the park had I pushed my agenda–to sell myself referencing that aforementioned checklist. Get practice at thinking on your feet in a tough situation–which is what I’m saying to do with your peers. I’m not saying be arrogant in the interview, but rather be sure to get your wholistic point across and cover all of your basis and thoughts in the hypotheticals. I think most of us at this point know all of this stuff–it’s just a matter of effectively communicating what we know to the panel at game time.
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