Did you receive a job offer?- Yes

Home Did you receive a job offer?- Yes

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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? Yes
If you did not receive the CJO why do you think you weren’t chosen to continue in the process?
What is your experience? 121 only
Total Flight Time 4,000-5,000
Total Turbine PIC Time < 1,000
General Overview of Experience
How long did you have your application in before you received an invite? 12 months +
Did you attend a job fair? Yes
Did you do anything special that triggered the interview invitation? Updated my application with turbine PIC time after upgrading. Less than 50 hours TPIC. Attended 2 job fairs. Lots of recommendations on airline apps.
How many internal recs did you have? 3-4
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? I had made several changes to my application since the interview invite (the last being a week prior) including: Small change to my college GPA, wasn’t able to get a transcript from a technical college I attended briefly, Small changes in SIC time. In addition, I had an arrest, and a gap in my flying to explain. I agonized over these things for weeks – needlessly.
How did you prepare for the JKT/COG portion of the interview? I used RST almost exclusively. It helped me organize my study into a handful of basic/manageable sections. This helped narrow down the massive amount of possible angles to take for study. I studied the topical study guides and the related reference materials. I didn’t do an actual practice test or study the gold standard study guide until I had reviewed ALL the guides and read the T-34 manual plus the engine book. I ran through the math trainer multiple times and ensured that I knew all the formulas needed to answer those questions. I went through all of the test questions twice, making sure to study the CONCEPTS for each question. I could have done this last item better as I fell into the trap of thinking that they would be more similar to the actual test. Not entirely so.
The RST platform is essential. Not just for the COG trainer, but for the organized guidance on the technical part of the interview. Having your RST cohort as a support leading up to the interview, including dinner the night before was really nice.
Technical Test Questions I had not slept properly in 3 days, and was fatigued after the cog and personality test. I read the first question (It was a simple altimeter setting change) and my mind went BLANK. I started to panic and had to calm myself down. The panic-y feeling never went away, making it hard for me to concentrate.
I used the full 60 minutes, and almost ran out of time. I spent the least amount of prep time on the JKT, and in retrospect that was not wise. I left feeling like I had failed it. Had I studied more, I may have felt more confident, resulting in less stress.
Here are the questions I remember:
1) Symptoms of a failed engine: what indications would you expect to see? Oil pressure, ITT, etc.
2) Swept wing characteristics as pertaining to lift and drag.
3) If your constant speed drive fails, would you expect to see frequency or voltage fluctuations?
4) Know which way to land single engine with a cross wind and why. Directional stability? Or asymmetric thrust cancelling wind?
5) Some simple altimeter adjustment math: ex. 29.92 at takeoff to 30.02 at destination. If you fly whole way without changing, what would your altimeter indicate at destination? How much? Higher or lower?
6) What is the difference between heading and track? Drift, course, precession?
7) Understand what Kreuger flaps are and what happens when you use them.
8) Hot start / hung start procedures
9) A couple of questions about aborting or taking off in relation to V1
10) Select the false statement about all modern aircraft fuel systems? (remember instructions at beginning of test assume it is a wing-mounted engine). I wasn’t sure if fuel would gravity feed or whether ALL aircraft use ejector pumps vs. electric pumps.
11) If you intercept the glide slope before FAF, know your responsibilities regarding intermediate points
12) TAS and TA in regard to increased temperature
13) How is the fire detection system powered? Battery? AC bus?
14) One very simple descent calculation.
15) Several situational awareness questions regarding which direction your bearing pointer would be pointing. Had one of these while on a DME arc, turn 10 tune 10 etc.
16) Compressor stall after V1. What do you do?
17) Aircraft experiences nose up pitch, what is the long term solution? (I found this to be very weirdly worded, I wasn’t sure what they were asking) options were: flaps up or down and speed up or down?
18) DeHaviland Comet problem (LOL)
19) Why do we use kerosene fuel?
18) A question about whether you should abort a takeoff if your N1 isn’t where it should be?
19) I got the AC lies, DC dies question.
20) Know localizer distance service volumes.
21) Engine starts sequence in relation to air, ignition, and fuel
22) What impacts sonic signature?
23)After touchdown on a CAT III ILS – how to tell if you’re approaching the last 2,000 ft of the runway
24) What is your DME directly over a VOR at FL360
25) Understand Best glide speed and distance with relation to weight
What was the hardest technical question or content you experienced during the job knowledge test?
Cog Test Was as expected. RST prepares you well. As someone who grew up playing computer games, the tests felt pretty easy to me and I only practiced the full test maybe a dozen times. YMMV. Cog webinar was critical.
My only big suggestion: on the localizer test – during the practice session make sure you intentionally get the localizer to swing fast so that you know how to corral it. It might take multiple arrows in one direction to get it to slow down, then change directions. It responds differently than the RST trainer. Perhaps this will be changed in the new version.
I was surprised that my weakest section was the “follow the rule arrow/border color/direction test”. I chalk this up to fatigue as it was the last test.
The pop up UXL-OT came twice – once immediately after that section, and then a few tests later. I found myself unconsciously repeating the code during other tests. This could have been a bad strategy.
Cog Math – VERY similar to RST trainer. I did 5 questions: I got the Apple/Pears question (different values), the train question with three stops (identical), two easy “percent of a percent” questions, and the ‘I give you a quarter a day for two weeks… how much money do you have?’ question (The question specifically asked “How much MONEY” not “How many DOLLARS” as has been posted before).
Cog Math Questions
HR Questions The HR team included 2 pilots (1 retired, 1 active), an HR rep and an HR rep in training. They were a very friendly group, and I got positive non-verbal feedback throughout the entire interview. This was the easiest part of the day for me.
They introduced themselves for 30 seconds each, then gave me the floor. I wasn’t given a time limit, but I stuck to my 5-minute prepared statement.
After intros. we went into application review. I had made several changes to my application since the interview invite (the last being a week prior) including: Small change to my college GPA, wasn’t able to get a transcript from a technical college I attended briefly, Small changes in SIC time. In addition, I had an arrest, and a gap in my flying to explain. I agonized over these things for weeks – needlessly.
Questions on my app/background:
1) Tell us about these community service experiences you had listed on your application? Follow up: what year did this one occur? (I had to estimate, should have known.)
2) Asked me for details about a scholarship I received
3) What do you attribute your good check ride performance to?
4) Did you take the first upgrade available to you? Follow up: Why not?
5) As expected, they questioned me extensively about the gap in my flying. The questioning began very intensely, but eased up once they realized I was prepared with explanations and was comfortable taking about it.
6) They asked me about my arrest, made a joke about it, and moved right on.
7) Tell us something you dislike about (your current employer)?
Note: Have explanations and background details for everything you have listed on your application (jobs, awards, ANYTHING). Be prepared to explain everything, in detail, without appearing defensive or evasive. They asked me NO logbook questions. My logbooks were in impeccable order, printed, tabbed, summarized, the works. Did I go overboard? Maybe, but it was worth it not to have any issues during the interview.
General questions:
8) What qualities have you developed at your current employer that you can bring to Delta?
9) Besides a strong safety record, what do you want to be proud of at the end of a long career with Delta?
10) How will you handle missing important life events?
Scenario Questions:
11) TMAAT – You solved a conflict between 2 coworkers OR between a coworker and a customer?
12) WWYD – three non-English speaking individuals of foreign descent are making the FA nervous – praying, congregating etc. After my response, I was given an additional scenario:
13) WWYD – the three foreign individuals have now become a threat (non-compliance, threatening behavior)?
14) WWYD – After boarding, a passenger sees her dog in a kennel outside and is nervous her pet will not make it onto the aircraft. After my response, I was given an additional scenario:
15) WWYD if you find out the aircraft cargo heat is INOP?
16) TMAAT the Captain asked you to do something you weren’t comfortable with? This question then progressed to the additional scenario:
17) WWYD if the Captain asked you to make the PA blaming destination weather when it was really Mx. I feel like this was the only question they really pushed me on. I had to tell the CA “no” three times in a polite and respectful manner before they moved on.
18) TMAAT you had a conflict with a co-worker.
I left the HR interview feeling great. The hour flew by. I had been practicing HR questions for the entire 6 weeks nonstop. Every ride report on RST was culled for HR questions that I practiced with my wife. I had a goal that I would not have a single HR question that I had not already faced once during practice. I was not taken by surprise on a single one. The practice really paid off.
How long prior to the interview did you prepare for the HR portion of the interview?
Which HR Prep service did you use and did it help? Each person needs to honestly self-assess where they are weakest – I felt pretty confident in this area, but I was still happy to have someone “push” me on a few questions, and give my presentation the once-over. In the end, I got lucky and had a friendly HR group, but I didn’t want to count on that.
I chose Aero Crew because I wanted to have a one on one experience that I could treat as a mock-interview. I scheduled this for one week prior to my interview date and treated it exactly like the big day down to the suit and tie. I met with a retired pilot named Dan Robertson.
It was nice to be forced to have everything ready one week prior to the interview. It took away some of the stress from the last week. I received some good feedback on the stories I had been practicing for weeks. Do I think AeroCrew was an absolute necessity? – probably not for me, but I did get some good advice and it was a confidence builder when Dan told me at the end that he thought I would have no problems at all with the HR interview.
Any additional information you would like to add. Leave your cell phone in your hotel room on day one. If you want to bring it to get pictures on day two –keep it off and in your bag until you ask for permission during photo time. The Delta museum closes early (4:30) and isn’t open on Wednesdays.
Day 2 Info:
My approach to the MMPI was this. There were only about 50 questions that you really have to think about. The rest are silly with obvious answers: Are you afraid of spiders – TRUE. Is someone trying to poison you – FALSE!
Do not look psychotic, but also avoid trying to make yourself look unduly positive. Example, does it bother me when people interrupt my work – TRUE. Or, I have strong political views – TRUE. Or it makes me angry when someone cuts in front of me in line – TRUE. I hate my entire family – FALSE!
My experience with the psychologist was simple. I’m a pretty open guy and he didn’t have to do much digging. The point is – your interview answers need to match what you put on the MMPI. If you admit to impatience in the MMPI, don’t claim to be patient to the psychologist in the interview! The interview only lasted 20 minutes, and he thanked me for making it easy for him. He didn’t ask anything too personal, and didn’t push on anything either. Questions:
1) What is your leadership style? which was funny (I was expecting that in the HR portion),
2) How do you deal with stress?
3) Tell me about your childhood?
4) What strengths would you bring to Delta? What are your weaknesses?
5) What would your wife say your weaknesses are?
Is their anything you wish you could have done different to prepare you for this process?
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